How would I eliminate skunks without the smell?

[BlackICE]

I have raccoon, skunks, opossums in my yards and I'm reluctant to take out any skunks because I fear they may spray. I have read various reports many saying only a 20% chance they will spray with a lung shot. I don't know if that is true or not, but even 20% is too high for me as the shooting zone is only 15' from a building. Once I had to lung shoot one caught in a dog proof trap and it sprayed for less than 1/2 second, almost nothing, but I can't assume I will be lucky again. I think Bob_O has shot many and said they all sprayed. With more effort I can shoot them about 100' from buildings but I assume even if they were taken out 100' it would still smell very bad for maybe a week or more.

Is there any way to take them out without them spraying without using a cage trap followed by an underwater swim or car exhaust?

 

[Motorhead]

Having shot dozens .... NEVER a head shot ever ever ever !!! They will spastic convulse and spray like crazy !! Heart lung shot only IMO and you have a better chance they will just ball up and die.



If skunk is alert and aware of you they are already about to spray if startled & getting shot startles them !! ... likely to spray catch the skunk going about its business with a good heart lung shot more times than not I've gotten lucky with the skunk just being DRT and no spray.



You mileage may differ ....

 

[bdzjlz]

Shot this one at 50 yards, perfect head shot with my RAW .25. Never flinched or sprayed. Maybe just very lucky.

 

[PumaCarl]

Treat your lawn for grubs and insects. Seriously. I love being able to shoot problems, one and done, but the skunks are only there because they have a food source. Skunks don't dig without reason and just because you think your lawn is healthy now means that the grass hasn't died yet where the grubs are. Lawn care isn't has much fun, but it works and you don't smell what you don't have. Of course, if you live by the woods, or someone else with a problem lawn, then you will be washing your dog with Dawn a lot until you get sighted in and set up.

 

[davelarson]

Blackice, l have shot over 30 skunks in the past 5 years in my yard. At first I always tried head shots and Motorhead is right, they spray like crazy with headshots. Almost all of them sprayed except a couple. Then I heard that heart shots work. The last three that I shot in the heart didn’t spray at all, I was able to pick them up by hand. I have a bait station that keeps them in position and holding still. They do get up to 20 feet from the bait station, but all three were dead and no spray. I’m thinking that what happens is the skunk receives the heart shot and there’s no enemy present so rather than spray it heads for cover and it piles up before spraying. I suggest leaning boards up around a deck or otherwise blocking access to anyplace they can get to once shot and running for cover. I had one get under my shop and expire, no spray but I had to snag it with a long stick. Some skunks don’t mind a light being on, but I use a hand held spot light and a red filter. I wire a raw chicken leg to a stump tight and smear peanut butter on the stump to keep the skunk busy. Sometimes a tiny peep or whistle will freeze them for the shot. Then again there’s some really smart ones too. I had one that would bolt at any sound at all and it was a while before I got him. I also have a hose and sprinkler set up ready to go next to the bait station. When I used headshots and got spray I’d immediately turn on the sprinkler to help wash away the stink, but still it was awful the next morning. Believe it or not the spray will burn and kill grass!! Sorry for being so long winded. Good luck with the problem.

 

[fishinwrench]

I know it's considered unethical, but if I had to eliminate one I think I would gut shoot it so that it goes off somewhere else to die. I don't want to have to deal with the disposal of a dead skunk. No sir ! Let the buzzards deal with it.

 

[fuznut]

Half a pound of bakeing soda. One quart of hydrogen perxoide and a tea spoon of dish soap. Will eliminate skunk smell. Put in a pump sprayer and use it soon as you make it, just be sure to mix enough to disolve the soda. Not a bad idea to put trash bags over shoes when walking up to kill sight.

 

[survivor45]

I think EDgun Leshiy has a video on shooting skunks. Check him out on the U tube. 

 

[Queequeg]

I had one about 30 feet from me with tail raised ready to fire for effect when I let him have it right at the base of it's tail. The tail immediately dropped as it broke it's spine. It lost all use of it's back legs and drug itself by the fronts under the neighbor's shed where it resided prior to going after my chickens one night. Not a whiff of spray and one of the few times I've gotten away without any.

Henceforth if I have the opportunity I will try for a spinal shots to see if it works well regularly.

 

[BlackICE]

Lungs or spine shot? Lungs would be easier to pull off, the spine must be less than 1" wide. What would be a better pellet to choose in 0.25, Kings, Heavies, or Polymags? It seem no matter where the shot is placed there is a chance they will spray. How bad would it be smell be if they unload about 32 yards uphill and away from my house? From the smell I get on the highways even at 1/4 mile away it smells bad.

 

[xindaris]

I have shot a lot of skunks and have shot them everywhere you can think of to keep them from spraying. 90% of them spray either when there hit or as soon as their body relaxes in death. Every time I think I have found the secret spot the next one proves me wrong.

 

[Bob_O]

I shot a oit 50 skunks last year. Only one didn't spray.....he was hit in the middle of the spine.

All the rest sprayed, headshots, vitals shots, it didn't make a difference.

 

[BlackICE]

Too bad they often spray when shot. I have a few hanging around my backyard. The last 2 nights I can't open my windows for a few hours, because of the skunk smell. I don't know if it's their body odor, or if they sprayed a neighbors dog. The smell goes away in a few hours. If I take one out 30 yards from the house and clean up afterwards how long will my yard stink? Live with a yard that stinks a few hours a night, or put up with a worst stink for a short period of time. I tried too scare it away with bright flashlight on strobe, no reaction at all. When I made a barking noise it moved on.

 

[ghoststalker]

I just eliminate them, some spray some don’t. The smell goes away in a few days. 

 

[jwrabbit123]

I agree its better to take them out like heart or lung area and with .25 caliber hes done , Being the size of a skunk the ammo you xhoose at close range wont matter , use what you shoot best with if it is 25 grain use this or poly mag if it shoots better , I hav only got 6 in my life and 2 did not spray , I would not worry about if it sprays when you shoot it as after that it cant dig holes in lawn and get dog after he has a 25 grain threw him , I was told here as well that they only come around if soil has grubs so if you treat soil they will leave

I am having same problem where I live , The downstairs people grow quail and raise thousands of plants and this attracts pests , Here I cant treat lawn as it would kill their quail as they have a built a giant pen on wheels and move it in back yard so as the 50 quails eat grass and poop , it attracts them . This time of year is when they start diggine in my yard too , I see about 10 holes a day I patch , when it doubles I will take them out or if Titus my dog gets sprayed I also will ,

I got was with body shot with a air arms s510 with jsb 18 gr at 880fps , he dropped as soon as it hit him in heart , so these things here die easier then a squirrel . I had to shoot one last year , I had one gun out it was my 30 caliber with a slug I was going for coyotes , when I shot him in heart with slug at 90fpe it did spray so i dont think the power of gun matters as far as spray

 

[Willie14228]

I like to use a .25 heart or lung, use a good quiet gun 

Head shots can be tricky as mentioned right spot and they drop like a rock lights out wrong spot and they go spastic and empty the bladder 

Don't shoot if they are agitated hit them when they are calm 

 

[Queequeg]

"wrong spot and they go spastic and empty the bladder" 

I saw a closeup HD video once of a skunk spraying. They have 2 glands that are right next to their sphincter that extend out like little volcanoes and squirt a yellow liquid. Nasty stuff.

 

[fuznut]

Shooting a skunk in your yard and not treating the area is a way bad idea. Sooner or later you or the dog will walk through ,then every where you or the dog go so will the stink! In a flash your house , car, office etc will smell just like your yard.

How long will it last? Only thing for sure is too long! I have traps not used for years that smell like a skunk is still in them.

If your going to shoot a skunk where the stink would not be welcome. Best to be set up ready to deal with right then. 

 

[BlackICE]

If I clear some ground so that it is all dirt for a 20' radius from the target zone and take a lung shot with a .25 polymag at 900 fps from about 20 to 30 yards. What is the chance that it dies within the 20' radius and if it sprays and I quickly dispose of the critter and wash down the dirt with a mix of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and soap. I have read that is the best using commonly available stuff. Will this remove the smell so it last less than a day?

 

[Bob_O]

https://youtu.be/0BCoH59NNd8