How much to dispatch a Skunk

[Franklink]

Ran a trap line as a teenager and skunks were always getting into the sets. As I was taught, kill em. Always had a .22 rimfire, with standard 1200ish fps 40ish grain bullets. So talking 125 fpe.

Body shots? --> spray
Head shots? --> spray

Have since taken skunks with air rifles with much less fpe. Also head shots and body shots. They'll kill em just fine, but they spray with the same frequency as the trap line days with the rimfire (almost always).

 

[Ezana4CE]

The spinal column is probably less than a centimeter wide. How good of a shot are you? Dirty Harry would say do you feel lucky punk?

 

[tunzuf]

Life long trapper, lot o experience shooting skunks. I have used every type and caliber of gun made on them. A head shot is as close to a guarantee it sprays as you can get. I have vaporized the entire skull with shotguns and deer rifles. All sprayed. Been my experience most importantly don't let them know your around, and body shoot em. Try to angle a round through the lungs usually from behind taking care to not hit any bones. That far and away is your best chance of no spray. BUT when dealing with skunks there are NO guarantees. Before pulling the trigger in your yard best to have one quart of hydrogen peroxide a 16 Oz box of baking soda and teaspoon of dish soap. Mix together useing 1/2 of the box of baking soda. Put in pump up sprayer. Treat the area before you ever step foot in it. Yes it will neutralize skunk spray but use it asap after mixing repeat if needed.

 

[Jay308]

I learned something today, leave a skunk alone.

 

[dgeesaman]

Almost all of them spray a little so I let them have a pass.

Once they eat the grubs in your grass they move on. I agree.

 

[BlackICE]

If you really need to eliminated them, e.g. because you have dogs that may get sprayed, I suggest using a live catch trap, followed by a syringe with 20ml of acetone attached to a long 15'+ pole. Slowly approach the skunk letting it know you are there. Don't make any sudden movements to startle it. Slowly extend the pole with the syringe and inject the acetone into the lungs of the skunk. This is a not 100% safe but IMO as good as your going to get. Another way many use is to cover the cage with a blanket and drown the skunk. I don't like to get that close.

Many Youtube videos on both ways. Shooting them isn't even a distance 3rd choice.

 

[JimD]

Looks like they can be as big as 13 lbs. I have no experience but would use my ~50 fpe 25 caliber. Probably take a body shot if offered. I have two barrels for this gun and one likes 34 grain MK 2s and the other prefers 31 grain Baracudas. Either should shoot through an average sized skunk if you don't hit the shoulders. Even if you hit one shoulder it should go on through and take out the lungs. But if I had to my 32 fpe 22 shooting Baracudas would probably work. It killed a 8 lb raccoon but took three shots to end it. (I am not arguing that this much fpe is absolutely necessary, just saying what I would use)

 

[beerthief]

I like the shoot it and let it run away somewhere . My luck it would run out in the street in front of MY house getting run over by a car .

 

[Florida_Man]

I can't throw that far.

Fun project

 

[Ta-Ta Toothie]

Fun project

View attachment 433588

I would probably use that to get rid of the carcass...

 

[Ta-Ta Toothie]

Once they eat the grubs in your grass they move on. I agree.

They will eat cat food. I have outdoor cats, so there's a big problem. Cats stay, skunks go bye bye.

 

[qball]

I give them a pass unless they start to dig for a den or take up residence. I’ve taken full grown skunks between 20-25 yards with 13 grain 177 pellet at 700 fps, punched right through the vital and zero spray. Their heart is a little low but as long as you punch through both lungs they will pass out 10-20 yards away and no spray.

 

[BlackICE]

I give them a pass unless they start to dig for a den or take up residence. I’ve taken full grown skunks between 20-25 yards with 13 grain 177 pellet at 700 fps, punched right through the vital and zero spray. Their heart is a little low but as long as you punch through both lungs they will pass out 10-20 yards away and no spray.

But even if they don't spray they will eventually stink up the surrounding area unless the body is recovered and properly disposed of. So if you shoot them in a middle of a large field, easy to recover. If you shoot them in an urban area and they move 20 yards, you may never find the body, but the smell will tell you it's nearby!

 

[qball]

But even if they don't spray they will eventually stink up the surrounding area unless the body is recovered and properly disposed of. So if you shoot them in a middle of a large field, easy to recover. If you shoot them in an urban area and they move 20 yards, you may never find the body, but the smell will tell you it's nearby!

Very true but I made sure the area I shoot them is fenced off.

 

[Ta-Ta Toothie]

But even if they don't spray they will eventually stink up the surrounding area unless the body is recovered and properly disposed of. So if you shoot them in a middle of a large field, easy to recover. If you shoot them in an urban area and they move 20 yards, you may never find the body, but the smell will tell you it's nearby!

Living in a rural area, we got turkey vultures to cleanup. They roost in a dead oak about 300 yards from our property. Ants in the sky.

 

[Bander124]

Fun project

View attachment 433588

I built one of these in high school. Used it to launch all sort of stuff. Never anything alive though.

 

[Bander124]

The most successful way I have found to deal with skunks was observed by this older gent on a job site. He would approach them with heavy blanket held up wide. The skunks wouldn’t spray him. They just looked at him approach like a giant square. He then would throw it over them. He said if they can’t lift their tail they can’t spay. This guy was somewhat of a legend. From what the crew and I saw he never did get sprayed. I’m not that risky. I would just live trap them and approach the trap the same way he did and they wouldn’t spay. Toss the blanket over the trap. Yes now they sprayed but it’s contained. Do the deed and burn the blanket and the trap. The spray was greatly reduced. However if the guy is correct about the tail thing you could use a short trap that would not allow it to lift. BUT Murphy does have that one law…

 

[BlackICE]

Very true but I made sure the area I shoot them is fenced off.

I made the mistake of using 5 trash bags to dispose of a skunk, closing each bag by tying knots. The a put it inside an outdoor trash can that gets picked up once a week. Big mistake! In 2 days later my wife is bitching about the smell in the driveway. To save my marriage, I removed the bag and relocated it to a public trash can in the middle of a large outdoor parking lot.

I've seen a turkey vulture once land in my backyard. I have a video of it. However they are not reliable enough to depend on to remove a skunk soon enough.

 

[HogKiller]

If you really need to eliminated them, e.g. because you have dogs that may get sprayed, I suggest using a live catch trap, followed by a syringe with 20ml of acetone attached to a long 15'+ pole. Slowly approach the skunk letting it know you are there. Don't make any sudden movements to startle it. Slowly extend the pole with the syringe and inject the acetone into the lungs of the skunk. This is a not 100% safe but IMO as good as your going to get. Another way many use is to cover the cage with a blanket and drown the skunk. I don't like to get that close.

Many Youtube videos on both ways. Shooting them isn't even a distance 3rd choice.

I saw a video of a leg trapped skunk, guy used the syringe method. Honestly I'm not sure I can do that, but it was fairly quick and no distress. We seem to have a bumper crop this year, I've seen quite a few road kills.recently.

 

[HogKiller]

The most successful way I have found to deal with skunks was observed by this older gent on a job site. He would approach them with heavy blanket held up wide. The skunks wouldn’t spray him. They just looked at him approach like a giant square. He then would throw it over them. He said if they can’t lift their tail they can’t spay. This guy was somewhat of a legend. From what the crew and I saw he never did get sprayed. I’m not that risky. I would just live trap them and approach the trap the same way he did and they wouldn’t spay. Toss the blanket over the trap. Yes now they sprayed but it’s contained. Do the deed and burn the blanket and the trap. The spray was greatly reduced. However if the guy is correct about the tail thing you could use a short trap that would not allow it to lift. BUT Murphy does have that one law…

I go by O'Toole's law, Murphy wan an optimist.