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  1. #1
    Senior Dog janedoe's Avatar
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    Skunk - I'm conflicted.

    We had a predator of some kind, probably a raccoon or fisher cat get two of our hens a month or so ago. Now we have a skunk in our yard. It was a baby when it arrived but can certainly spray now and did last night.

    It actually accosts me when I go out back at night. It hasn't sprayed me yet but pursued me on one occasion.

    Here's the thing. Why not? If the dang thing is driving off the predators and the birds and goats don't object to its presence, should we just keep it?

    While we're at it, any thoughts for names?

  2. #2
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    Cabbage

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    janedoe (08-01-2018)

  4. #3
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Skunks come to our yard. We just clap our hands if it's dark when Oban goes out. So far so good on that.

    -pepe-jpg
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    Castilleja's Dubhgall Oban, the Black Stranger of The Little Bay
    Oct. 15, 2007 - June 13, 2021
    Oxtongue Rapids Park. Oct. 2019 Hidden Content

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  6. #4
    "Sorry" Woody's Avatar
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    They don't like noise apparently so putting a radio on if they are under a shed for example drives them away.

    If they keep predators away then you are in a catch 22 I suppose. I like the name Stinky but that's too obvious.
    Thanks Everyone!!

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  8. #5
    Senior Dog janedoe's Avatar
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    I'm thinking Bernie after a client we had a while ago. We were conflicted about him as well. Every time we were at our limit and thinking of cutting off the relationship, we would get a check. I can't tell you how many times we were like, is this worth it?

  9. #6
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    Well the other side of things, what would you do with your skunk if you were to get rid of him?

    I recently has a similar discussion with Hemi's agility trainer, she raises chickens as well and has lost 15 of them in July to raccoons. She wants the raccoons dead. Which I think is appropriate. You have a couple raccoons, that are needlessly killing chickens, which yes they are, they might kill 5 in a night and take one to eat, leaving other to rot. Here is the rub we were discussing, a lot of people were discussing. A lot of people do not want her to kill them but catch and relocate them. I am totally against this, because now your just sending your problem off to someone else. Which I have been on the receiving end of this and it is not fun.

    Turns out some lady kept bringing skunks from her area and letting them loose in the nature preserve by me. All of a sudden we started having and influx of skunks, thousand of dollar in damages, one little 3 year old girl thought she would run out and pet the skunk in the back yard got bit and then had to undergo rabies treatments. Several dogs and so on sprayed in the area. Not to mention now all these people myself included couldn't leave windows open at night because of skunks. All because some lady didn't want them in her area so she moved them all to our area. They were getting killed on the road and so on which you know how horrible that smell is. For all you know your raccoon problem could be from someone else dumping them in your area.

    I just suggest if you want them the coons or skunks gone you can drive them away, remove their food sources, let them migrate naturally, or kill them. Just do not relocate them to be someone else problem.

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  11. #7
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    WE have laws regulating how far away you may relocate a nuisance animal. Too far and it's basically a death sentence for the critter, who does not know where food, water, predators, competition and danger from things like roads are. It could be a long, slow, agonizing death. Our law is one kilometer, that's not far for a coyote, too far for a frog or turtle (yes, some people don't like them). It's a tough call.
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    Castilleja's Dubhgall Oban, the Black Stranger of The Little Bay
    Oct. 15, 2007 - June 13, 2021
    Oxtongue Rapids Park. Oct. 2019 Hidden Content

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  13. #8
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snowshoe View Post
    WE have laws regulating how far away you may relocate a nuisance animal. Too far and it's basically a death sentence for the critter, who does not know where food, water, predators, competition and danger from things like roads are. It could be a long, slow, agonizing death. Our law is one kilometer, that's not far for a coyote, too far for a frog or turtle (yes, some people don't like them). It's a tough call.
    We have laws too, typically they are not allowed to leave county lines. However the laws are different each state. Still like I said if you have a nuisance animal, just kill it, all your doing is now spreading the nuisance on to someone else.

 



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