Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 16

Thread: Need help with a skunk under the shop

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Spokane, WA
    Posts
    236

    Need help with a skunk under the shop

    My shop is a 12x16 shed, it appears that a skunk has dug a hole under the shop and is living there. These last two days every time I go into the shop and make noise he makes it well known that he's under the shop and not happy about being disturbed. In the past I have filled the hole with rock and he digs again, some times in the same place and some times in a new place. Right now I have two holes so there might be two nests. I was thinking of going out tonight, after he leaves to go foraging, and filling the hole with moth balls and then filling in again. Does anyone have any other suggestions aside from killing it (I'm not good at dealing with dead animals). Thanks.

  2. #2
    Had a issue a few years ago w/ a loving couple of Skunks getting under my deck. I have a fire pit in the yard so I sat out there enjoying a nice fire one night with a bunch of large, flat rocks in a pile. About 11pm, they exited, I waited till they went on their way and blocked all entrances with the stones. The next morning I inspected the area and only saw some scratching around, no holes. I then ran a perimeter of landscaping bricks w/ the brick pointing away from the deck. I then put another layer on top of these bricks although horizontally. Evidently they were willing to dig a small access hole under edge of deck although not willing or smart enough to dig the full length of the bricks under the ground to get under it. I also figured the weight of two layers of bricks would collapse the ground if they did try and scare them away. Evidently it worked as this was several years back and no skunks have been seen since.
    Good luck,
    Mac

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Spokane, WA
    Posts
    236
    Thank you Mac for your reply. I'm going to get some moth balls when I'm in town tomorrow and will wait for them to leave. I'm looking for some rock too but around here its just sand. Lots and lots of sand. I might just have to buy a bag or two of quik-crete.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Spokane, WA
    Posts
    236
    I set up a trail cam last night, here's the offending skunk


  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Bloomington, IL
    Posts
    6,009
    Live trap and .22 or cal an exterminator.
    Glad its my shop I am responsible for - I only have to make me happy.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    N.E, Ohio
    Posts
    3,026
    Get a konibear trap. Got rid of my woodchucks with one of them.
    George

    Making sawdust regularly, occasionally a project is completed.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by David Smith View Post
    My shop is a 12x16 shed, it appears that a skunk has dug a hole under the shop and is living there. These last two days every time I go into the shop and make noise he makes it well known that he's under the shop and not happy about being disturbed. In the past I have filled the hole with rock and he digs again, some times in the same place and some times in a new place. Right now I have two holes so there might be two nests. I was thinking of going out tonight, after he leaves to go foraging, and filling the hole with moth balls and then filling in again. Does anyone have any other suggestions aside from killing it (I'm not good at dealing with dead animals). Thanks.
    I've used the moth balls to discourage skunks and other critters. They need to be replaced occasionally. I just throw handfuls into the space.

    We have a lot of skunk visitors around the farm. I don't like it when they tear up the garden, destroy chicken and guinea eggs, or surprise me inside the barn. (We have a staring contest and threaten each other until one of us backs down and runs away. This can be exciting. So far I've won every time.)

    For skunks, possums, and raccoons I set traps with peanut butter on a bread crust. The peanut butter is good since it doesn't attract cats. Sometimes I put an egg or two inside also. I don't like killing anything but when they are destructive I do it anyway and provide dinner for the vultures at the far end of the field. Skunks are a particular problem since a bullet will often make them spray, then you may have a different problem. What I do is first cover the cage with a tarp or something so they can't see to spray, then drag the cage on a plywood sled down to my little pond and give them underwater swimming lessons. Some professional varmint guys submerge the whole trap in a 55 gal drum of water.

    Once I set three traps in the garden where something was destroying the corn. The first trap caught a big raccoon. The second trap had two small skunks. There were three skunks in the third trap. That was a record.

    JKJ

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    1,830
    My uncle used to have problems with skunks, possums, and racoons raiding his garden. He had two live traps that he would set out whenever he suspected a new arrival and frequently caught the neighbos's cats, which he would let go. Otherwise, all got deported. If he caught a skunk, he would hold an opened flat black lawn leaf bag in front of him and walk slowly toward the trap, then place the bag slowly over the trap. He would then put the bag, trap and critter carefully into his open trailer and tie it in place. Then he would deport them about 8 miles to a forest preserve, open the trap and remove the plastic. Some of the skunks were so relaxed that they would be asleep and he would have to bump the trap with a long stick to wake them up so they would leave the trap. He never got sprayed and never had to resort to killing them. He had his garage wall covered with snap shots of each that he called rogues gallary, so he could tell from the markings if he had any repeat customers, but never had one walk all the way back. That wall had almost a hundred snap shots on it.

    Placing rocks and dirt back in the holes during the day is blocking them in, because they have gone to bed until night time, so they have to dig back out. You have to get them to go away at night and then fill the holes before they come back, which isn't easily done in the dark. Moth balls have some effect, but as the moth balls potency wears off, skunks will push them out and bury them. Shooting skunks is not wise. A dying skunk will spray everything in the process of dying. Can you live/work in that area after that? I think my uncle had the best method. Deport them!!

    Charley

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298

    Deporting may not work

    Quote Originally Posted by Charles Lent View Post
    ... Then he would deport them about 8 miles to a forest preserve, open the trap and remove the plastic. ...
    Charley
    I used to move the animals far away but several things might be considered.

    Deporting them may not get rid of them. A friend caught and transported a raccoon about 5 miles away. She caught another and moved it. The next one she caught she noticed something suspicious and spray painted the top of it's head before transporting it. Sure enough, the next one she caught was the same one! The raccoon had been finding it's way back over five miles away. Who knows if 8 miles is enough.

    Second, in Tennessee it is against the law to move a wild animal anywhere. When caught in a trap, it is legal only to release it where caught or kill it. There are several reasons for this but one is rabies control, especially for raccoons. TN has controlled rabies in dogs for most of the state except for the upper northwest corner. I was told they have a wide band of land separating the state where they spread rabies treatment bait by airplane. An animal control officer told us that if we decide move a raccoon anyway, PLEASE transport it toward the west, not the east!

    I learned a lot about rabies when I was bitten by a stray dog. I did catch the dog and it was impounded for the rabies incubation period. In his defense, he was not vicious but terrified and fought back when the catch pole cable was around his neck.

    dog_bite.jpg

    I love dogs but most of the guineas I lose are killed by stray or neighbor's dogs. The dogs just kill for fun - at least the hawks, foxes, coons, and possums eat what they kill.

    I did move this critter - beautiful animal, efficient chicken killer!

    fox.jpg

    JKJ

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Spokane, WA
    Posts
    236
    Quote Originally Posted by George Bokros View Post
    Get a konibear trap. Got rid of my woodchucks with one of them.
    I think konibear and all other traps that catch by the foot are banned in Washingston.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Spokane, WA
    Posts
    236
    So I checked Washington laws. Any trap other than a live trap is either banned or requires a permit. A live trap is allowed without a permit only if the skunk is released on the same property. If the skunk is to be transported to another location then a permit is required. A permit is not required to shoot and kill a skunk. So right now what I plan on doing is to get some moth balls. Both ends of the shed has boards covering the runners that the shed sits on, I'm going to remove the boards to let light in and then I'll put a couple bright lights in so it stays bright 24 hours a day making it not a dark comfortable den. I'll do the moth balls and in a few days I'll go back at night and cover up the holes. If all else fails my neighbor has a gun.....

  12. #12
    Same situation. I tried all the non-lethal remedies (lights, moth balls, livestock fly 'baits', rocks in the holes, etc, etc, etzzzzzzzz). ....BTDT.

    Save time. Winchester.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by David Smith View Post
    ...and then I'll put a couple bright lights in so it stays bright 24 hours a day making it not a dark comfortable den. I'll do the moth balls and in a few days I'll go back at night and cover up the holes....
    Maybe a loudspeaker and play some AC/DC or ZZ Top, and some rap. If he only likes classical when relaxing in his den that might drive him away.

    I wonder how those little motion-activated devices that make a chime or alarm would work. I bought some years ago. If he triggered it when entering maybe the sound would scare him away. I might try one of those in my barn.

    The skunks that come visit my barn don't seem to be bothered by lights. But they are just crusin' for food, not living there. At least not yet.

    JKJ

  14. #14
    I have the following method for dealing w/ skunks - have had 4 of them so far this year, about average. Granted, I
    live in an area where lead is a option.

    I use a 'coon size live trap - baited with meat scraps, table scraps, etc. When the skunk is in the trap, they are
    pretty docile until you get close - call that 15-20'. Watch it's body language - you'll know when your to close.

    To give a skunk lead poisoning, you need to use a shotgun, not a rifle. I use a .410 w/ 3" #6 shot. Why?

    Simple - to easy to miss the vitals with a rifle. You need to clobber the nervous system - which means the
    neck/back. When the nervous system is clobbered, it can't raise it's tail and let fly. Most the time, you'll kill
    the animal at the same time you clobber the nervous system.

    Using this method, I've taken care of numerous skunks over the years. This summer I had one spray, because
    I was careless with my shot placement.

    Keep in mind that the area may smell - can't be helped, a skunk stinks ALL the time, and that stink comes off
    on what it touches, ie the ground beneath your trap, etc.

    Good luck....
    Last edited by Jim Laumann; 08-08-2017 at 4:53 PM. Reason: spelling

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    N.E, Ohio
    Posts
    3,026
    Quote Originally Posted by David Smith View Post
    I think konibear and all other traps that catch by the foot are banned in Washingston.
    Konibear traps do not catch by the foot. They catch by the neck / body and kill instantly.
    George

    Making sawdust regularly, occasionally a project is completed.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •