I've been skunked, and not in the cribbage sense (1 Viewer)

[AlbinoDragon]

Birds of prey are your best option.

In concept, yes, but in reality maybe not...

When I did a "hawk walk" a bit over a year ago:

...the master falconer who led the walk said that he's careful about hunting anything much bigger than a cottontail rabbit with his 700g hawk (specifically he avoids jackrabbits) as they can actually injure the bird.


If you have a source of a falconer who has an eagle,

1) holy s#!t. I'm jealous!!
2) that's a brave bird to take on skunks!
3) let me know when you hire them so I can be there to beg to have that bird on a glove for a minute, please!!

 

[Benjaminotaur]

In concept, yes, but in reality maybe not...

When I did a "hawk walk" a bit over a year ago:

View attachment 1274120

...the master falconer who led the walk said that he's careful about hunting anything much bigger than a cottontail rabbit with his 700g hawk (specifically he avoids jackrabbits) as they can actually injure the bird.


If you have a source of a falconer who has an eagle,

1) holy s#!t. I'm jealous!!
2) that's a brave bird to take on skunks!
3) let me know when you hire them so I can be there to beg to have that bird on a glove for a minute, please!!

That’s awesome! I don’t have any master falconers in my Rolodex, but I’ll ask around. We’ve had considerably more eagle sightings around here than ever before, so it could be a good time to make new friends!!

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

Give one of these to the trapper every time he comes out

 

[AlbinoDragon]

Give one of these to the trapper every time he comes out

View attachment 1274122

Probably costs less than the $85 trapping fee.

 

[GreekRedEye]

Had a skunk take up residence in our garage when I was a kid. My Dad bought a trap. Took a couple weeks to catch and remove him. When sprayed when caught and the smell lingered in the garage for months. First time, my Dad took him away and released him. After he came right back, my Dad told me he was taking the skunk far away to a place he would be happy and never return. I think about him sometimes, living the high life in Skunk Shangri La.

I think this thread demands that you reopen the discussion on your poker room name. I will start off with:
Skunk Shangri La
Skunks and Aces

 

[abby99]

Maybe a decoy Great Horned Owl would be effective in deterring more skunks and other small mammals from moving in.

 

[buffalojim]

I can't wait to have a conservatory.

 

[Labrat]

But then you can't throw stones.

 

[Benjaminotaur]

But then you can't throw stones.

Sure you can. My four year old does it all the time!

 

[Benjaminotaur]

Someone was very persistent. They couldn’t get under the deck by digging a hole, so they just ripped up the whole trap and went through the old entrance. No activity since then. It’s been colder here, so I’m wondering if they’re just hunkered down. It’ll be warmer this weekend, so there may be more activity then.

I’d much rather catch at least one more for the peace of mind knowing every loose one that I’ve seen go under the deck would be accounted for. Wipe the underside of my deck from living memory

 

[BGinGA]

View attachment 1277912
View attachment 1277915Someone was very persistent. They couldn’t get under the deck by digging a hole, so they just ripped up the whole trap and went through the old entrance. No activity since then. It’s been colder here, so I’m wondering if they’re just hunkered down. It’ll be warmer this weekend, so there may be more activity then.

I’d much rather catch at least one more for the peace of mind knowing every loose one that I’ve seen go under the deck would be accounted for. Wipe the underside of my deck from living memory

View attachment 1277917

Side bar:

Diggin' the greek key vibe in your second deck pic. Curtain relection?

 

[Benjaminotaur]

Side bar:

Diggin' the greek key vibe in your second deck pic. Curtain relection?

Hell of an eye there!

My wife picked a couple chairs up from a friend. I thought it was a good find, and I definitely had no qualms with the upholstery!

 

[Benjaminotaur]

A story from last night, with pictures:

Welp, I got my wish! Checked the trap last night before bed and saw this:

And then 4 1/2 seconds later saw this:

He was a big boy, and persistent. I watched them both try to remedy the situation for about 10 minutes before heading to bed after 3 nights of third shifts. I did get some shots of him climbing on the cage though:

When I woke up in the morning to call it in, I saw what a determined skunk can do in 7 hours:

Efff some Essss up, that’s what. He ripped the trap away from the rest of the housing, tipped it on its side, and tore the blind right off. Oh, and ruined the yard in the process. Thanks, Bro.

I thought we had trapped a female before, but my guy confirmed it was the first female we got in the trap. That’s why my free roaming friend was trying so hard to come to the rescue. He also said since this is the first female we got, so we’ve either got a lot more to come, or a frat house. It might be wishful thinking, but I’ve got my money on the local chapter of Lambda Lambda Pu

The trapper said he heard scuffling under the deck when he was out there, so hopefully the foiled hero will be too tired to remember not to walk into the same trap he should probably recognize tonight.

All told, the number is up to 4. But for how long? Stay tuned…….

 

[GreekRedEye]

I’ve got my money on the local chapter of Lambda Lambda Pu

I think you have your Poker Room name.

 

[Benjaminotaur]

I think you have your Poker Room name.

The thought crossed my mind! If this somehow happens again, I’m 100% opening up a chapter. I’ve got ideas

 

[GreekRedEye]

The thought crossed my mind! If this somehow happens again, I’m 100% opening up a chapter. I’ve got ideas

At the very least, you need to make a "Skunk" specialty chip with your set. Maybe your bomb pots are called skunk pots? Or, "Skunk Hunting" instead of "Rabbit Hunting."

 

[Benjaminotaur]

At the very least, you need to make a "Skunk" specialty chip with your set. Maybe your bomb pots are called skunk pots? Or, "Skunk Hunting" instead of "Rabbit Hunting."

That’s a fantastic idea!! I’m definitely making one or both of those happen

 

[Benjaminotaur]

I’ve been struck down by whatever BS my daughter brought home from school, so I forgot to post: We got another one the day after the last one we caught. I’m pretty sure we did this guy a favor. He was looking rough. Really mangy, and not acting like any of the others. I’m not sure if this is the one that was trying to free the previous captee, but he took a turn for the worse if it was the same one.

In related news, the trap has been triggered twice since we caught the last one, so the trapper installed a trail cam so he could figure out what was causing the ruckus. Today, a bunch of the rocks and bricks around the trap were scattered, so I’m guessing we’re not done with the stanky friends

Five and still counting. Lame sauce

 

[Benjaminotaur]

We’d been empty caged with the trap set over the exit for a little over a week, so we turned the cage opening around in hopes of catching some free range critters.

Very first night and we had a hit! I’m just thankful it was a skunk and not a possum or squirrel. Or rabbit. Or fox. Or cat. Or any of the other critters roaming around. I don’t really want to release any caged animals back into the wild. On the other hand, I REALLY don’t want to pay $85 every time a squirrel gets curious

6 and counting……

 

[legend672]

We have generational skunks in my neighborhood. 40 years ago you had to be really careful. Walk in the middle of the street and jingle your keys at night or you could get sprayed. Now they know us and won’t spray. They control the rat population. When you can throw a rock in the Atlantic Ocean it’s good to have no rats to worry about.

 

[bergs]

Paging @Mojo1312 for help with solutions.

 

[Mojo1312]

Paging @Mojo1312 for help with solutions.

I don't have any answers.

Skunks, raccoons, porcupines, squirrels, foxes and deer share their property with us. Earlier this year, three bears stopped by to collect taxes while I was outside working in the garage fifty feet from the birdfeeders. They quietly dispossessed me of the birdseed in my birdfeeders by using their weight to bend the metal staves. A tube feeder for the goldfinches was missing. One of the three bears had dragged it 40 yards before completely cleaning it out under the shade of the apple tree with their tongue.

Momma Bear, Poppa bear and baby bear were milling about the apple trees. I walked towards them to get a closer view. When I was within 25 yards of the female bear and cub, the larger male bear stood on his hind legs, pressed his back against the apple tree furthest away from me and let out a long growl that awakened something primordial deep in my DNA that stopped me stone cold in my tracks.

The bears conducted their business with a gentleness you wouldn't expect. There was no damage to any of the birdfeeders and I did not hear a thing from the garage with a bay door open. It is amazing how efficient and intelligent bears are. There was no birdseed to be found on the ground or inside the ransacked feeders.

Who knows what I will have to pay in taxes next year.