Anybody have good ideas on how to get rid of skunks?

[Clay Diggins]

That is true. Little known fact is many wild animals had their mother ran over by a train while waiting on their brother at the station coming home from prison to pick up his old truck.

In the rain

 

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[CreakyDigger]

No handling (touching) involved, except the trap itself. I had a friend, they called him "the critter gitter", even advertised that logo on his truck, that did that on the side, might be one around where you live that could help you out?

Yeah, I figured no actual touching of the critter, but moving them is a problem in NYS if someone wants to be a Karen about it.

 

[traveller777]

In the rain

Dang. Forgot the rain.

 

[releventchair]

Ahh , the perfect country song.

[You don't have to call me darlin , darlin....]

Live trapped skunks get the trap covered to keep it dark and you out of sight to transport.

I'd be looking at building a "hurdle" or portable picket type low fence well weighted and sturdy enough at the bottom so coons and skunks can't move it.
Then use it to defend the gap below door(s). After skunk(s) are not in the garage.

Being annoyed by mice getting into stuff and peeing on it given the chance , I'd also be tempted to fix the garage. Not your question though....

 

[mjb Mike]

you can trap them in a live trap once its in the tarp walk up to the trap with a large tarp held in front of you put it over the trap with the skunk in it. rap the trap up in the tarp then you can either try and take it some were and let it go or go to a lake wade out in the water and hold the trap and tarp under water until you droned the skunk or put the hole tarp and trap down in a freezer until it dies. I would not recommend trying to let it go.

 

[pepperj]

In the rain

After my poor ol' dog died.😭

 

[mjb Mike]

if some one wants to be a karen bring it to there house and let it go

 

[CreakyDigger]

Ahh , the perfect country song.

[You don't have to call me darlin , darlin....]

Live trapped skunks get the trap covered to keep it dark and you out of sight to transport.

I'd be looking at building a "hurdle" or portable picket type low fence well weighted and sturdy enough at the bottom so coons and skunks can't move it.
Then use it to defend the gap below door(s). After skunk(s) are not in the garage.

Being annoyed by mice getting into stuff and peeing on it given the chance , I'd also be tempted to fix the garage. Not your question though....

The weighted thing might be good. There is no fix to the garage itself beyond tearing it down and rebuilding...the back foundation is not secure and sits on the edge of a slope...the best we could do was to have foam put under the concrete pad and level the floor back up that way, but the building itself sits on a slowly sinking poorly-made foundation on the backside. It was built around 1948 and should still be solid, but water runoff has run underneath and there was about a foot gap in places before he had it filled in.

I've had it looked at by several people who say it really isn't going anywhere, but I think it inches slowly down the hill. I put a new metal roof on it, shored up the floor, put side braces on the walls to prevent further twisting, and hope to die first and have it be the next owner's problem.

Estimates to replace were in the 60K range four years ago, I would expect them to be much higher now. Not gonna do it.

 

[DizzyDigger]

some were and let it go or go to a lake wade out in the water and hold the trap and tarp under water until you droned the skunk or put the hole tarp and trap down in a freezer until it dies. I would not recommend trying to let it go.

Your recommendations are, IMO, not humane. I could just imagine
holding a skunk underwater.."I'm sorry to have to end your life, but you
smell bad..". No thanks.

Everything you need to know about skunks and how to get them to
relocate on their own: https://www.almanac.com/pest/skunks

 

[Clay Diggins]

I live in a rural area near a large city. We deal with our skunks, coons etc. on an exchange basis.

A lot of city folk abandon their dogs near my house. In exchange for their bewildered starving pets we take our trapped skunks into the city and let them loose near parks and dumpsters where they can live out their lives in the lap of luxury.

Payback is a female dog of breeding age.

 

[releventchair]

The weighted thing might be good. There is no fix to the garage itself beyond tearing it down and rebuilding...the back foundation is not secure and sits on the edge of a slope...the best we could do was to have foam put under the concrete pad and level the floor back up that way, but the building itself sits on a slowly sinking poorly-made foundation on the backside. It was built around 1948 and should still be solid, but water runoff has run underneath and there was about a foot gap in places before he had it filled in.

I've had it looked at by several people who say it really isn't going anywhere, but I think it inches slowly down the hill. I put a new metal roof on it, shored up the floor, put side braces on the walls to prevent further twisting, and hope to die first and have it be the next owner's problem.

Estimates to replace were in the 60K range four years ago, I would expect them to be much higher now. Not gonna do it.

View attachment 2007209
View attachment 2007210

That's more garage than I have!

The right door's gap would be easy to cover from inside the garage.
Depending on your value of the door , sheet steel could be attached to it instead of just blocking the gap with plywood or similar.

When I 've put in kennels they were often placed on flat wire panels to prevent digging under.
Easier than digging myself to bury fence.
A couple inches of dirt in areas I didn't want wire exposed.

I'll never shoot another skunk in the head...
Don't plan on ever shooting another skunk for that matter.
But I'd rather shoot one in the butt than deal with another spraying...

 

[Richard Guy]

Pee around the building, if not yours, dog pee works best. If you are too modest to whizz, put Chile peppers into a blender mixed with vinegar, ... strain the liquid into a spray bottle and apply generously.

 

[CreakyDigger]

Your recommendations are, IMO, not humane. I could just imagine
holding a skunk underwater.."I'm sorry to have to end your life, but you
smell bad..". No thanks.

Everything you need to know about skunks and how to get them to
relocate on their own: https://www.almanac.com/pest/skunks

Thanks for the link!

 

[CreakyDigger]

Pee around the building, if not yours, dog pee works best. If you are too modest to whizz, put Chile peppers into a blender mixed with vinegar, ... strain the liquid into a spray bottle and apply generously.

I pee outside all the time. Now I have a purpose.

 

[Richard Guy]

tell the neighbors to walk their Dogs around your skunk building, Dog pee is the cheapest, best way. hear me now, ... believe me later 🐶

 

[pepperj]

The weighted thing might be good. There is no fix to the garage itself beyond tearing it down and rebuilding...the back foundation is not secure and sits on the edge of a slope...the best we could do was to have foam put under the concrete pad and level the floor back up that way, but the building itself sits on a slowly sinking poorly-made foundation on the backside. It was built around 1948 and should still be solid, but water runoff has run underneath and there was about a foot gap in places before he had it filled in.

I've had it looked at by several people who say it really isn't going anywhere, but I think it inches slowly down the hill. I put a new metal roof on it, shored up the floor, put side braces on the walls to prevent further twisting, and hope to die first and have it be the next owner's problem.

Estimates to replace were in the 60K range four years ago, I would expect them to be much higher now. Not gonna do it.

View attachment 2007209
View attachment 2007210

3 yrs ago I did my 40'x25' garage, still have a floor grinding to do for drain slope, and insulation in 1/3 of the attic.
I looked into the foam jacking leveling, and a over pour was 20% of the cost.
I jacked the building up 30" now have 10' inside, moved one door to the other end, and big enough to drive the Tundra in now.
Plus a summer kitchen on one end.
Did a complete rebuild actually.
$60k I think you are better look around.

 

[TooManyHobbies]

So we have an old 3-stall garage that is impossible to seal up tightly. It has standard garage stuff plus we keep packing materials for the business in it (pallets of boxes, packing peanuts, &c). Outside, against one wall, is our firewood, a couple of full cords stacked. This winter, for the first time, we have skunk essence emanating from the garage, any time we open it. We used to have problems with squirrels but we were able to close up the problems on the backside foundation where those were coming in. The skunks I think come in from the front - the garage has shifted over the years and now the three tracked garage doors do not evenly touch the ground, but are cocked with enough space on one side of them for critters to go in.

I live within town limits that would prohibit the use of firearms as a cure.

Any ideas?

Uhhh, how 'bout you call a professional.
Some of the previous responses are the same funny stuff that MY customers tell me. Internet myths.
Right now is the breeding season for skunks. SHE is probably under the slab foundation, since it was poorly made. SHE won't come out unless the males can't get to her. SHE will attract every male in the neighborhood. You may have to catch a bunch of males before you catch HER.
The males will fight, bite and spray each other to get to HER. Then they will bite at HER to breed HER, whereas SHE will also spray.
As you may have noticed, the FEMALE is the problem (aren't they all )
Mothballs, music, ammonia and lights don't work.
Trapping with an already covered cage works the best. Relocate if legal (most states are not legal due to rabies vector), euthanize is preferred. Shooting WILL cause an essence release in my experience.
I may be able to find you a contact for nuisance wildlife in your area, but anyone licensed with an established business will be able to help you.
And yes, I do this for a living in CT. http://animalevictions.com/skunk

 

[CreakyDigger]

3 yrs ago I did my 40'x25' garage, still have a floor grinding to do for drain slope, and insulation in 1/3 of the attic.
I looked into the foam jacking leveling, and a over pour was 20% of the cost.
I jacked the building up 30" now have 10' inside, moved one door to the other end, and big enough to drive the Tundra in now.
Plus a summer kitchen on one end.
Did a complete rebuild actually.
$60k I think you are better look around.

Yeah I am an old book guy, not a carpenter guy, so....sounds like you have some good skills. But yes, we did get several quotes back then - his was the only one for a complete tear down and rebuild.

 

[CreakyDigger]

Uhhh, how 'bout you call a professional.
Some of the previous responses are the same funny stuff that MY customers tell me. Internet myths.
Right now is the breeding season for skunks. SHE is probably under the slab foundation, since it was poorly made. SHE won't come out unless the males can't get to her. SHE will attract every male in the neighborhood. You may have to catch a bunch of males before you catch HER.
The males will fight, bite and spray each other to get to HER. Then they will bite at HER to breed HER, whereas SHE will also spray.
As you may have noticed, the FEMALE is the problem (aren't they all )
Mothballs, music, ammonia and lights don't work.
Trapping with an already covered cage works the best. Relocate if legal (most states are not legal due to rabies vector), euthanize is preferred. Shooting WILL cause an essence release in my experience.
I may be able to find you a contact for nuisance wildlife in your area, but anyone licensed with an established business will be able to help you.
And yes, I do this for a living in CT. http://animalevictions.com/skunk

Thanks very much, I may do so.

 

[unclemac]

this may help in some way for folk reading this.... I have a problem out in the woods with mice and squirrels wanting to chew spots to nest in parts of my out building roofs etc. What I do is squeeze "great stuff" into the spots they chew and then sprinkle red pepper flakes all over it before it dries. Works like a charm!