Is there a skunk expert in the house?

[coppertales]

If skunks are good for gopher control, I must not have any at my camp because I have gophers up the wazooo......For gophers, I take a shovel, cut the tunnel, leaving it exposed.  I then position a lawn chair opposite the opening and seat myself down with my AK and wait for the glob of dirt to plug the tunnel, then I plug the tunnel.  If I am successful, the wife gives me a beer......chris3

[seeker_two]

That isn't the case with rodents, mustelids, felines, armadillos, and other damaging/dangerous/nuisance vermin.

...don't forget politicians.....  

[LadySmith]

With the exception of aggressive/uncontrolled dogs, canines are widely regarded as likable - man's best friend, and all.

That isn't the case with rodents, mustelids, felines, armadillos, and other damaging/dangerous/nuisance vermin.

Ah. If a critter isn't considered likeable, then it's ok to destroy it.
That's simple.
But then, I never considered the guys here to be simple creatures.  :|
I base this on the evidence I've seen of guys here coming up with complex solutions in the realms of science, computers, weaponry, fuel consumption, etc.
Yet, when it comes to relocating one (unlikeable) animal, the solution is simple: kill it.

Still doesn't seem quite right.

[Lee]

Get a black cat and paint a stripe down her back to draw him out.  Then shoot them both.  Stop - I'm just kidding.

[Standing Wolf]

Well, there's good news and there's bad news.

The bad news is the local animal control operation funded by my tax dollars doesn't do skunks. The good news is the gal suggested I look under P for pest control in the yellow pages. The bad news is the first place I called wanted $359. The good news is the other place wanted $150, and the fellow said he could come out this evening. The bad news is I'd rather not spend $150 on a skunk. The good news is there are three traps in the back yard, and in theory, at least, they capture skunks and prevent them from looking outside the trap so they won't get upset and squirt, and the fellow will pick up the critter in good order. The bad news is additional skunks cost $50 each. The good news is neighborhood cats and the fox aren't likely to end up in the traps. The bad news is it doesn't look as though there's a good, easy, affordable way to skunk-proof the deck.

Serves me right for not having a loud untrained dog in the back yard like all my neighbors, I guess.

[MicroBalrog]

Strange that this "kill it!!!" bias doesn't extend to dogs.

Unless you're talking to me. 

(Unlike most of APS, I prefer cats to dogs. )

[vaskidmark]

Unless you're talking to me. 

(Unlike most of APS, I prefer cats to dogs. )

And unlike most of APS, we now know perzackly what is wrong with you.  Thank you for filling in the missing piece. 

stay safe.

skidmark

[280plus]

We had the cutest li'l baby skunk under our shed. The mothballs did do the trick. The yard just smells like grandma's closet. 

[grampster]

Count me in with the trap and relocate crowd.  I even relocate chipmunks.  The older I get, the less bloodthirsty I have become regarding critters other than sentient critters.  I'd trap and relocate certain sentient critters too, but then they'd have to make a movie about me.

Internet censors and Obama's Homeland Security JBT's....Juuuuuust kiddin'.

[Ex-MA Hole]

And unlike most of APS, we now know perzackly what is wrong with you.  Thank you for filling in the missing piece. 

stay safe.

skidmark

Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha...........................

[Jamisjockey]

Ah. If a critter isn't considered likeable, then it's ok to destroy it.
That's simple.
But then, I never considered the guys here to be simple creatures.  :|
I base this on the evidence I've seen of guys here coming up with complex solutions in the realms of science, computers, weaponry, fuel consumption, etc.
Yet, when it comes to relocating one (unlikeable) animal, the solution is simple: kill it.

Still doesn't seem quite right.

Pests are pests.  I'd rather not relocate my problem into someone else's back yard. 

[Standing Wolf]

The skunk is gone, and so is $150. Whew!

The critter was quiet in the trap, (think of a large plastic mail box,) and didn't unleash torrents of stink. He'll be "put down," which is to say: killed in plain English. Releasing skunks means other people will probably end up with them: they're not only entirely at home in suburban and urban environments, but prefer them to the wild.

The skunk trapper wanted $500 to add skunk- and raccoon- and dog- and rodent-proof wire to my deck, and said nothing does a good job of repelling critters. I'm going to have to think all this over awhile.

Thank you for all the suggestions, one and all, along with the hare-brained notions and goofy thoughts that keep the internet 43,892% more interesting than television.

[Harold Tuttle]

we have skunk that visit our yard, but my dogs rovings and markings must make them move onward

[RocketMan]

Aw, shucks, you didn't use fire.  Lots and lots of fire.  What a boring outcome.

[LadySmith]

Pests are pests.  I'd rather not relocate my problem into someone else's back yard. 

Understandable. Your problem, your solution. But if it's someone else's problem and they came for non-lethal advice…

Nevermind. The lesson learned is that one shouldn't ask a certain people in certain places about such things.
 

[Balog]

Understandable. Your problem, your solution. But if it's someone else's problem and they came for non-lethal advice…

Nevermind. The lesson learned is that one shouldn't ask a certain people in certain places about such things.
 

If someone came here saying "I want to get the roaches out of my house, but don't want to kill the poor dears" would you still be unhappy with us for saying "Kill em"?

[Gewehr98]

Balog, what would your course of action be if she did?

IOW, consider your audience here at APS - Everybody.

I know I sound like a broken record these days, but one person's elimination of vermin is another's wanton carnage. 

Know what I mean?

Measured responses, people.  Please.

That's not saying this is the LadySmith Save the Furry Little Critters Forum, but I'd rather not see folks tweaking others just because they can, either. 

We can all agree to disagree, no problem.  Just be cool about it.  A crusty old Chief Master Sergeant once told me, "You can always tell somebody to go to Hell - just make sure they enjoy the trip".  Truer words were never spoken, IMHO.

[Balog]

I wasn't being challenging, I am honestly curious. It just seems a lot of double standards going on, and not just from LadySmith.

[Gewehr98]

I don't disagree.

[seeker_two]

That's not saying this is the LadySmith Save the Furry Little Critters Forum, but I'd rather not see folks tweaking others just because they can, either. 

Irony, thy name is G98.... 

[Gewehr98]

S2, if you want a piece of me, you can certainly take it to PM.

[LadySmith]

If someone came here saying "I want to get the roaches out of my house, but don't want to kill the poor dears" would you still be unhappy with us for saying "Kill em"?

No double standard.

The person asking the question made it clear that they did not want the roaches dead, so why offer suggestions on killing them?
To me it's no different than someone asking how to repair a car and people chiming in with suggestions on blowing it up.
It's simply a matter of relevance to the question asked and my not understanding why the answers are often so cloaked in destruction.

[freedom lover]

(Unlike most of APS, I prefer cats to dogs. )

I agree.

No double standard.

The person asking the question made it clear that they did not want the roaches dead, so why offer suggestions on killing them?

Hatred? Greater than average bloodthirstiness? Because one scared the person when they were a kid? Such emotions, though completely natural, can be irrational and in many cases voicing them is juvenile. The former two partially explain my opinions on the proper punishment of criminals. At least in the case of punishment acting out my emotions would be beneficial to society.

[LadySmith]

Hatred? Greater than average bloodthirstiness? Because one scared the person when they were a kid? Such emotions, though completely natural, can be irrational and in many cases voicing them is juvenile.

Thank you, Freedom Lover for an answer to my question. 

[Harold Tuttle]

because "Kill it with Fire" is a meme
but Millhouse is not