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How to get rid of these fucking Skunks
Local H Jay
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So last year around this time, my dog Kelso got sprayed by a skunk in our backyard. We have a big ass backyard with a garden near the back door and bushes all along either side of the yard. It ends in a wooded area, and we get all manner of wildlife hanging around. Unfortunately I think they're attached to garden for food or atleast many critters like to hang around it, from rabbits to an odd coyote..
So long story short, my dog just got sprayed again and at the very least this time I was ready for it. I immediately brought him inside to the bath, put on old clothes and rubber gloves, and gave him a bath for about an hour with special De-skunkify shampoo. He's doing fine, but still smells strongly despite the many washings I gave him. I'm gonna do another bath here in a moment, but now I'm turning towards the idea of getting rid of them altogether.
So how does one get rid of vermin like Skunks? My yard is huge and easily accessible because there's no fence. The garden is handled by my landlord who kinda plants stuff but then doesn't tend to it, so it kinda just grows crazy each year and does it's own thing. I'm not sure what I can do to deter the pests, and worry about any potential poisons or traps hurting my own dog.
What do people do about skunks? It seems like every year in the fall they just come invade our yard, making it hell to walk my dog. Any ideas?
So long story short, my dog just got sprayed again and at the very least this time I was ready for it. I immediately brought him inside to the bath, put on old clothes and rubber gloves, and gave him a bath for about an hour with special De-skunkify shampoo. He's doing fine, but still smells strongly despite the many washings I gave him. I'm gonna do another bath here in a moment, but now I'm turning towards the idea of getting rid of them altogether.
So how does one get rid of vermin like Skunks? My yard is huge and easily accessible because there's no fence. The garden is handled by my landlord who kinda plants stuff but then doesn't tend to it, so it kinda just grows crazy each year and does it's own thing. I'm not sure what I can do to deter the pests, and worry about any potential poisons or traps hurting my own dog.
What do people do about skunks? It seems like every year in the fall they just come invade our yard, making it hell to walk my dog. Any ideas?
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There is a potential downside however
If you don’t want to do that, here’s what a wildlife removal company says
Five steps to keep skunks away, involving habitat modification and food sources:
1 - Keep pet food indoors and secure garbage cans. Food remains the greatest pull for wandering wildlife. If possible, store your trash bins indoors at night, so their smell doesn't attract skunks.
2 - Remove fruit that has fallen from your trees, especially those that produce nuts, berries, crabapples, or other fruits. Pick them as soon as they ripen and rake your yard as often as necessary.
3 - Remove brush piles; use gravel, fencing, or plywood to seal all holes and entrance points to locations that a skunk may find suitable for a home – like under an elevated house, a porch, sheds, decks, and foundations. Do same for barns and poultry houses.
4 - Apply a topical application to your lawn grass to eliminate food sources for the skunk.
5 - Skunks don’t usually make their own shelter but use dens that have been abandoned by other wildlife. Inspect your property and block all holes and burrows.
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
I think the garden is attracting them since there's probably some stuff left unpicked. I see some repellents available on Amazon, the most well reviewed just being ground cayenne pepper. I think that might bother my dog's snout but most other remedies were poorly reviewed for skunks.
I might try the pepper first and if it does work I can look at traps
From everything I've heard from my farmer friends say keeping skunks out of the area is primarily all about habitat and physical barriers like what knitdan was talking about.
i mean its nature and you live next to nature. Those are just your asshole neighbors.
Can you fence the property?
Probably easier to fence the dog in than the skunks out though.
Skunks aren't assholes; they're just wildlife trying not to die.
That's fucking horrifying.
Though the fact you have a dog who presumably goes outside makes me wonder how effective that is (though clearly the skunk recognises your dog as a threat).
Skunks having rabies was so prevalent that in the 1800s their bite was more feared than the smell because if they bit you there was a good chance you'd get rabies and die.
Yikes ok, that's good info
I'd have a look into it a little more before getting too paranoid, as those four are also probably the most likely encountered large animals and it seems rapid animal populations are quite different geographically. Also seems that skunks also have a skunk specific strain of it, which accounts for the bulk of the rapid skunk reporting (skunks do have the highest reported rate of rabies, with around 22% of the suspected rabies cases being positive).
No reason not to be careful. Be particularly careful if you encounter one during the day, and make sure your dog is vaccinated - but it sounds like you're going to have a hard time making your garden completely skunk proof.
Are you on the green bit of the map? It's which populations are the rabies reservoir in which states.
Oh my friend, you are so screwed...
No, but there are a lot of skunks around. Well I can't seem to get pic to work, but we had one wandering around at 10am one Sunday and they are very active in the burbs.
That might provide the most immediate relief until you get the population of them on your property under control.
you could do aversion therapy like they do for snakes but skunks are dicks.
Our old dog saw a skunk in our backyard, the skunk sprayed her in the face. After she went down pawing at her face, the skunk circled back and double tapped her
Replace dog with Don and imagine skunk as an alias.
Perhaps you can introduce raccoons! A raccoon has hands and will throw down against a skunk.
Skunks are drunk frat boys, raccoons are career criminals who don't give a shit anymore.