Shooting Skunks.

[Eric Nordstrom]

Skunks have been around the house for a couple of weeks now.Lots of rabies this year so I went on safari tonight.About 9pm they came out .I chased them into a whistle tube with my golf cart . Two of them ,tails high in the air. I would wait for one to come out and fire about 4 shots from my 22. Neither ever sprayed and there is so much hair to meat ratio ,i dont know if I hit them or just cut their hair. I clip ,about 12 rounds and I was out.; I came inside. Dang, that was fun.

Where in Tulsa are you?-not in the city limits. I'm just over the line in Catoosa.

 

[EOC_Jason]

I've got a full-auto BB gun which is fun as heck to shoot at little varmits with... Actually it's fun to shoot at anything with!

 

[skyking]

Where in Tulsa are you?-not in the city limits. I'm just over the line in Catoosa.

Gundy airport, Owasso ! Neighbor.

 

[6768rogues]

A 12 gauge shotgun will not give them time to spray. Of course, it still stinks afterward.......

 

[Rickster55]

So, now we know what doesn't work but what WILL work in a populated area? I like the 50 gallon barrel idea but there are alot of stray cats around and would most likely kill more of those than skunks.

 

[Jawn]

Oh man, I am LMAO imagining this...

Psychedelic Skunks

How about psychedelic badgers?

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/badgertrance

 

[carhunter]

Guys, help me out here. How do you convince someone who's against killing pests, that they should do the deed? Its not that they're touchy-feely PETA types, they just can't get over the initial fear of pulling the trigger on an animal?

 

[theoldwizard1]

My buddy live trapped a skunk outside his barn the other day. (Can't use firearms. Horse and house nearby.) He had always heard that a head shot would not give them the opportunity to spray. Clean head shot (6" away), still sprayed.

 

[MScott]

My buddy live trapped a skunk outside his barn the other day. (Can't use firearms. Horse and house nearby.) He had always heard that a head shot would not give them the opportunity to spray. Clean head shot (6" away), still sprayed.

As I mentioned before, I have never had a skunk spray when shot with a 12 gauge right behind the head so that the spinal cord is severed. I think that a head shot still allows a signal to be sent to the scent gland. Cutting off the spinal cord prevents that. At close range a full choke 12 gauge practically cuts the animal in half. You do have to be able to use a firearm though.

 

[EOC_Jason]

12 Ga + Skunk @ point blank... Yeah I bet that's a little messy...

Guys, help me out here. How do you convince someone who's against killing pests, that they should do the deed? Its not that they're touchy-feely PETA types, they just can't get over the initial fear of pulling the trigger on an animal?

Depends on the pests... Many of these have the potential to carry rabies or other horrible diseases... That is a strong reasoning point right there. Are these pests causing damage to their property? That is another strong reason there.

One time I had to dispatch a couple cats that decided they would fight outside my window in the middle of the night. After a week or so of that BS I showed them who's territory it REALLY was...

Also, for people that are worried about the noise... I've *heard* that you can put a 2-liter bottle (empty) on the end of a .22 rifle and it muffles the sound down to nothing more than a BB gun... *cough* *cough*... Just make sure you have it on the end snug, you can use some painters tape for the first round, then duct-tape to build up the thickness...

No need to wake up the neighbors to kill those pesky critters...

 

[mdbeck1]

...
Also, for people that are worried about the noise... I've *heard* that you can put a 2-liter bottle (empty) on the end of a .22 rifle and it muffles the sound down to nothing more than a BB gun... *cough* *cough*... Just make sure you have it on the end snug, you can use some painters tape for the first round, then duct-tape to build up the thickness...

No need to wake up the neighbors to kill those pesky critters...

I tried that one a couple years ago. It didn't work.

 

[bobadame]

There is a skunk living in my hay shed. I was going to just start pulling bales out until I found him. That might have been a better story but probably not a good idea. Tonight I'll tape a flashlight to my 410 and wait for him to come out. Thanks for the advise.

 

[James E]

Guys, help me out here. How do you convince someone who's against killing pests, that they should do the deed? Its not that they're touchy-feely PETA types, they just can't get over the initial fear of pulling the trigger on an animal?

If the critters aren't bothering you or doing damage, I don't see a reason to kill them. However, I find my best motivation is being woken up at the crack of dawn by squirrels in the attic or a woodpecker, or finding my trash strewn across the yard by a raccoon, or maybe having my kids growled at by a stray dog. Any one of those can move me to crittercide.

 

[aar0s]

Guys, help me out here. How do you convince someone who's against killing pests, that they should do the deed? Its not that they're touchy-feely PETA types, they just can't get over the initial fear of pulling the trigger on an animal?

We had some cats making a "mess" in our insulation loft at work. we keep a 22 with some low velocity shells for pigeon control and figured they would work for the cats. My co worker is a decent shot and I told him that I would clean up if he took one out, its kinda our standing rule now. Except for the raccoon he nicked last week (reflex shot, into a dark room from the sun about 50 ft.) and it crawled under the shed floor, no way i was going after that.

We only had to take out one for the others to find somewhere else to make their mess.

 

[Fishslayer]

Since I live in the city, I can't use firearms....

Supposedly a true story...

A skunk wandered into a house through an open door. The kids decided it would be a good idea to shoot it... with a BB gun!

Didn't end well...

 

[Pure Oil]

Skunks hunt for a food source...they are like a cat in that they go after rodents...I preferd to let the skunk hang around hunt the rodents...a few weeks later the skunk went on his way and never did come back. (I am out in a rural area) no fuss no muss and the rodents population seemed to go down as well!

 

[BBQ&Love]

My buddy live trapped a skunk outside his barn the other day. (Can't use firearms. Horse and house nearby.) He had always heard that a head shot would not give them the opportunity to spray. Clean head shot (6" away), still sprayed.

A head shot makes their muscles contract. Go for a lung shot. I used to collect their spray so I learned how to do it right.

 

[KinzeMech]

I used to collect their spray so I learned how to do it right.

!!? what for? cheesing?

 

[BBQ&Love]

!!? what for? cheesing?

To sell to buyers who resold it to outdoor scent makers and the perfume industry.

 

[skyking]

Holy **** ! Batman !!!!
Just got one , head shot ,comming at me. Didnt stink for about 4 minutes then all hell broke loose. Thats some stinking chit. .410 did the deed instantly. Rubber gloves ,two trash bags and a paint mask. And I still want to shoot myself. Wow thats nasty !!!!!

 

[Brad54]

A shotgun is pretty useless if you have to take a 50-100 yd shot. The popular .22 rifle still works best as an all around pest killer.
I've never owned a .410. There is nothing a .410 can do that a 12 gauge can't do better. A skunk can't be too dead.

A .410 is ideal for squirrel and rabbit hunting. A 12 gauge makes a bit of an unusable mess.

-Brad

 

[coolreed]

It's not cool to shoot guns inside the city limits where I live,..so I have to use pellet rifles to handle the skunks. Works pretty good too.

Skunks are not nice little 'Pepe Le Puew' animals. They are nothing more than small badgers that can throw stink to me. They are aggressive and will eat just about anything. There is a reason they have been around and survived so successfully. They are bad *** little critters.

 

[Schtauffer]

No BS here, I know this from personal experience. A friend told me, "Oh, all you have to do is stay in front of them, they won't spray you unless they can get their rear end pointed at you." So it's that easy, right? Well, no, you gotta be pretty quick. So once you get close enough to grab them, what to do? Why, pick them up by the tail, of course! They cannot spray if they can't brace their back legs. Once you are standing there holding a live skunk, what to do? Well... make sure it doesn't curl up and bite your arm, so you gotta kind of keep shaking it. The next step is to turn the cute little skunk into a live ***** and practice your skills with a shotgun. I have photographic proof of this atrocity but there is no way I'm posting those online. PETA would freak out.

 

[SteveU]

Would a .22 with rat-shot kill a skunk? Give you a better chance of hitting it...

Just to be safe though I think a shotgun would be better...

NO, a .22 shot load is #12 shot which is little bigger than grains of sand & isn't useful for anything much bigger than a field mouse. Wouldn't kill a rat unless at point blank range & with a skunk you would get the worse end of the encounter if you tried using it. I have used a .22 handgun, a .44 mag handgun & a 22-250 with 40 gr V-max bullets on skunks & all were effective.

 

[Shadowdog500]

My Oldest dog got skunked in the face point blank last summer. Man did he stink! We washed him with a peroxide/dishwasher detergent mix that we found online. The smell was completely gone and he was sleeping in our bed with us a few hours later and we didn't smell a thing. Believe me if my wife smelled anything he wouldn't be in the bed!

We poured natures miracle skunk spray remover in the back yard where it happened and that killed the smell there as well.

I have a 22 rifle with a scope just for that skunk. He never came back.

Chris

 

[mike5511]

.........Also, for people that are worried about the noise... I've *heard* that you can put a 2-liter bottle (empty) on the end of a .22 rifle and it muffles the sound down to nothing more than a BB gun... *cough* *cough*... no need to wake up the neighbors to kill those pesky critters...

I've been shooting armadillos in my yard, and the neighbors yards, for about 20 years now. So far none of the neighbors have ever heard the shots! (unless it was early and they were still up) Use a .22 Browning Buck Mark. One time I used a .40 right under one of their bedroom windows! Three shots! It was running and I was chasing it....wish I had a video of that! But they never heard a thing!

I tried that one a couple years ago. It didn't work.

RE: the pop bottle thing......You did something wrong because it works good....but you can't really aim.

 

[Steroblan]

I'm with the earlier post. a .22 cal CB cap load is the way to go for quiet and under 6o yds. About all you can hear is the primer. 800 fps

 

[coolreed]

One method that I have seen used successfully on Skunks is to freeze them with a CO2 Fire Extunguisher. Yep,..that's right a CO2 Fire Extinguisher.
Security at a Large Manufacturing Plant used to get an occasional skunk in the factory and that is how they handled them. And it worked well.

However,..I don't have one at the Lazy J Garage. So I rely on my Pellet Gun and my Aim.

 

[gabeancounter]

So, now we know what doesn't work but what WILL work in a populated area? I like the 50 gallon barrel idea but there are alot of stray cats around and would most likely kill more of those than skunks.

I thought the 50 gallon drum was a good idea. Now I think it has to be the best invention ever!

 

[NUTTSGT]

The CO2 extinguisher will asphyxiate or maybe just render them unconscious. Just make sure they are dead before you grab them.

 

[James E]

Well, the whole point here is to dispatch them before they freak out and spray. I'm no skunk expert but if some posters have seen a skunk spray between getting shot and dying, then whatever you use to kill them needs to be pretty efficient and darned quick.

The fire extinguisher idea seems unique, but I don't get the impression that a skunk would react too calmly to being sprayed by a noisily hissing fire extinguisher. Plus, asphyxiation is alot slower than a bullet. Is it just me or does that seem like a good way to get sprayed?

 

[skyking]

We had 3 cruising the neighbor hood .The .410 did a very nice job. No more skunks. The trash man hates my *** now.
The 50 gallon barrel works .We had an old cast iron bathtub at the ranch as a horse waterer .All kinds or kritters died in that thing.The sides were to slick to get out.Strange thing is we lost 3 chickens in it and all 3 laid an egg when they drown . I finally put a scrap piece of expanded metal in it so they could get out.Never had another casualty.

 

[James E]

Strange thing is we lost 3 chickens in it and all 3 laid an egg when they drown .

I guess that's the chicken version of the urban legend of people crapping themselves when they die.

 

[Dead Skunk]

I abhor shooting skunks.

 

[Steroblan]

A shotgun could put a pellet or two through the scent bag and then leak or spray all over even if the skunk was killed instantly. Although I might try it if a shotgun is what I happened to have in my hand. One bullet, one kill is really the way to go to avoid most stinky endings.

 

[Delta74]

ok read all the threads, WTF 12 gauge, sheesh thats fine if you want a mess, for those of you stuck in the city ( my house ) go down and get a nice little 80 pound pull cross bow, makes no noise, and kills them dead, we have racoon problems here, there kill on site, my one neighbour supports me, other feels bad for them and FEEDS THE DAMN THINGS. anyway the cross bow works great, no noise, drops them from a nice long distance.

Now the farm is a whole other thing, considering the town grew around it, I can leagally shoot there, the 22 for pests, 303 for cougar, and 50 cal for the damn bears. always get a call from the cops when I shoot that at night. they get reports of a canon going off, and they call me to ask if it was me before sending a car.

 

[power wagon]

just my opion, get rid of the trash and your skunk problem is gone

 

[skyking]

just my opion, get rid of the trash and your skunk problem is gone

It is not a trash problem.I think it is more of a pet food problem.Lots of folks leave their pet food out, some even have auto feeders. Its a wildlife buffet.

 

[mdbeck1]

It is not a trash problem.I think it is more of a pet food problem.Lots of folks leave their pet food out, some even have auto feeders. Its a wildlife buffet.

Guilty!

Then one night I heard the dogs going wild and something clawing at the wood gate. I was getting out of the truck. I grabbed a flashlight and spotlighted a raccoon that was over 20# coming over my fence. No gun handy (and I live in town) but he was sure getting away from those dogs....

...anyway I started feeding the dogs inside of an evening. They liked it better and the "other" critters can go hungry.

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

I have trapped 15+ skunks over the last 4 years at our house and used the blanket trick to cover the cage. Relocate them about 5 miles away in an area without homes.

Never once sprayed, keep the trap covered and just open the door. They will run away not thinking about you, just getting out of the trap they were in.

Still gets the juices flowing every time I do it but it works. Had one cornered under the porch with 22 in hand and couldnt pull the trigger afraid it was going to spray.