I used to hate the skunks in my back yard because my STUPID dogs didn't learn that the black and white kitties weren't kitties. This is a dog problem as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, I had rats coming in under my house, and one night I caught a couple rats in traps, and before I could retrieve them a skunk came by grabbed one rat for her babies living in the corner of the yard, and then came back and dragged the second rat to my back door. Yep she was making an offering. Since then I leave the skunks alone, and the dogs finally learned to not mess with the black and white kitties. Me thinks the benefits of skunks outweigh the negative aspects.