Dragging the skunk to water seems like a fun thing to watch. !
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One year, I got asked to reduce the skunk population at a nearby orchard. It seems that the piles of rotted fruits and veggie piles, along with some ideal nesting locations had exploded the population in that area .. Some of them were getting sick, from who knows what, and coming out during the day, wandering thru the orchard, scaring the customers picking apples and stuff.
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In my 100-day trapping season that year, from about a 500sq acres , I took 28 skunks, averaged about $8 each on the hides, and gathered about 20oz of pure golden nectar, that sold for about $125 .. Most trappers looked at them as a nuisance ,, and believe me, until I got a "system" in place to lower the risk of them spraying, it was frustrating for sure.
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If you startle them, they spray. No if's or and's about it, In my early experimentation, If I used a subsonic-round, and got them straight thru the lungs, WITHOUT hitting the spine, they likely would cough-out without arching and spraying. ( About a 50% success rate)
Conibear, or body grippers would have about the same success rate,, MTP made a trap for awhile, now discontinued, called the MB-160-AC ,, and it was a skunk-slayer, but still didn't guarantee you wouldn't walk into a heavily aromatic trap set.. But was successful many times in breaking the skull or neck instantly. ( Still about a 70% success rate )
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The best and only way to dispatch skunks, is some paint thinner, in a needle, on the end of a 7-foot stick. Carefully push needle between ribs, and inject 10cc full syringe into lungs rapidly.
They aspirate so quickly, they do not have time to get a shot off. ( 95% success rate WITH some practice ).
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Cage traps are pretty easy,, cover them with a tarp BEFORE you catch a skunk, If they cannot see you coming, they don't get excited, and the covering makes them feel more confident to enter the trap. Quietly approach and slide into enough water to cover trap completely, or take your chances with other methods mentioned above. .
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There,, probably more than you ever care to know about skunk trapping ,, LOL
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