I had just closed up the computer last night before heading off to bed. I flipped on the back yard lights and took a look under the feeders, and sure enough, there was a raccoon and a skunk there, grazing away.
I made my way back to the breezeway, chambered a Crow Magnum in the Marauder and quietly slid the door open. The raccoon saw me looking at him and was not comfortable with that, so he ambled off. But the stinker was not concerned; very confident in his defense mechanism, apparently.
These guys are pests too; they really stink up the neighborhood and the neighbors' dogs.
I thought about it for a minute. To pop him and risk triggering a Scent Event? If so, where? I finally decided I'd risk it now, and have one less breeding skunk come springtime.
He was facing me rooting around for cracked corn and sunflower seeds; 10 yards out. I figured if I hit him in the head, he would spaz out and carry out The Fancy Dance, and might lose nerve control and release the stink juice. But if I shot for the upper chest, he may turn around and have time to AIM to release the stink juice, which I didn't want. So I took the risk and took a head shot. Fancy Dance ensued, stink juice released.
I'm 50/50 now. The last time, I shot for the body, and it ambled away without stinking the place up.
I went over with a shovel, and notice brains on the top of his head, but I didn't get closer; I didn't want to step in the stink juice. Tossed him in the weeds in the back corner of the law. Let's see if someone carries him off and eats him in the next day or two.
No video; it was too dark. Here's a poorly-lit iPhone pic instead:
In this pic, you can see my squirrel-proof feeder above him. It also seems to be raccoon-proof and skunk-proof so far. They were just grazing on the spillage.
I made my way back to the breezeway, chambered a Crow Magnum in the Marauder and quietly slid the door open. The raccoon saw me looking at him and was not comfortable with that, so he ambled off. But the stinker was not concerned; very confident in his defense mechanism, apparently.
These guys are pests too; they really stink up the neighborhood and the neighbors' dogs.
I thought about it for a minute. To pop him and risk triggering a Scent Event? If so, where? I finally decided I'd risk it now, and have one less breeding skunk come springtime.
He was facing me rooting around for cracked corn and sunflower seeds; 10 yards out. I figured if I hit him in the head, he would spaz out and carry out The Fancy Dance, and might lose nerve control and release the stink juice. But if I shot for the upper chest, he may turn around and have time to AIM to release the stink juice, which I didn't want. So I took the risk and took a head shot. Fancy Dance ensued, stink juice released.
I'm 50/50 now. The last time, I shot for the body, and it ambled away without stinking the place up.
I went over with a shovel, and notice brains on the top of his head, but I didn't get closer; I didn't want to step in the stink juice. Tossed him in the weeds in the back corner of the law. Let's see if someone carries him off and eats him in the next day or two.
No video; it was too dark. Here's a poorly-lit iPhone pic instead:
In this pic, you can see my squirrel-proof feeder above him. It also seems to be raccoon-proof and skunk-proof so far. They were just grazing on the spillage.
