what bait or lure works the best this time of year around outbuildings in town. Got several people calling on skunks don't want to waste a lot of time. I know half of the calls or more are skunks just walking through there yards and not denning in their yards.
Got to make the public happy as I can.

I have good luck with blackies SKB bait. I will also crack an egg in the back an put the skb in the egg shell.

CHEETOS

Cat food and sardines works the best for me but if there's a high number of cats in the area I use Bob Jameson's Grubstake and Skunk Mate with good results.

cat food and sardines here to

With most domestic and rural set ups the cat food and sardines is not a good choice as time will tell. No doubt it works but it also attracts non targets long before you get the skunks in many cases.Cats and coon are not what I am after when targeting skunks.

I agree Bob.

maggots as well mr. jameson.
i like rosebud, some of J.r. lapew, and jamesons trailing lure.

I must admit that my experience really is limited. As you say "time will tell". I have to say though, nothing I've used catches skunks as fast as cat food and sardines. Even when set up for feral cats, the skunks have gotten to the bait first.

When you guys say cat food are you talking the canned wet stuff or the dry bagged stuff? We have used wet cat food for 20 years and as a skunk bait, I'm not impressed.

I told our guys to quit using cat food in the summer. It either dries up or gets maggots and much to my surprise, our animals don't seem to think maggots are fine cuisine.

I'm using wet stuff. Friskies Classic Seafood Entree seems to be a favorite of the skunks around here.

Just before sunset, I bait a trap with a half can of cat food and a big sardine and dribble a little of the sardine oil around.

In the morning, there's a skunk.

It's true that it doesn't last long but it seldom needs to.

I'm using tube traps and the 7x8x24 Safeguards. That might be why I'm not picking up to many cats. I have noticed that when I used this setup around domestic (not feral) cats, I was getting some fired and empty traps in the morning. I'm attributing that to the cats. That's when I switched over to Grubstake and Skunk Mate.

Raccoons aren't a problem for me. I haven't caught or seen one in two years. Three years ago raccoons were as numerous as the skunks are now but the population crashed.

Paul, what are you using for skunks?

Fruit loops. I caught more skunks on fruit loops. Out of 60ish skunks I can recall only one incidental cat. Works great for coon and possum also.

Fish sauce, which is available at any Asian food store and some grocery sections, can be put in a small squirt bottle then lightly squirted on the ground near the trap and then Rosebud to draw them into the the tube trap. A new squirt with each trap check or as needed keeps it nice and ripe since it's oil based.

Sqs, marshmellows and whatever lure is handy. The last job was Erickson's Bacon & Cheese. I also used Skunk Trail as a draw. I'm thinking that trailing lure is more important every day. Over twenty years and now I'm using trailing lure. I guess I'm just a slow learner!

Well, I guess I'll have to try Fruit Loops.

And I'll certainly try some Skunk Trail and marshmallows. I've used Skunk Mate and marshmallows with good results. I'm definitely up for a new lure. Advice is always welcome.

Skunks are the friendly little guys that we all have to deal with.

I learned the value of a trailing scent many years ago when doing control work in Arkansas for the Game and Fish Dept.for beaver then trapping Coyotes and cats on the side.

It will help significantly in animal responses to a set up and leading an animal to a place of your selection.

Bob, in regards to skunks, how far can you usually pull them with a trailing scent?

sgs its the bait of champions. LOL Trailing IS important. I set up a job today 6 skunks under the front porch slab. I set 7 traps within 12 ft of the den. There are alot of fruit loops trailing to those cages.
I also use home made fish oil for trailing. 2 years ago I had a wolf trail right into my PVC set in wisconsin with my fish oil. I was pretty proud that day lol

depending on what you are using and how the mind set of the skunk I have pulled them 20 yards sometimes. mainly do this at apartment buildings where I want them in the bushes out of sight

I have pulled coyotes and fox a few hundred yards in open bean and corn fields with a trailing scent for predators I make. This is not the norm but have done it enough times to show students and friends it can be done.

As for short legged animals the shorter the distance the better. I dont try to stretch my luck with that respect. The closer you can keep your set ups the better as a rule to their occupancy or line of travel.

I dont know if you can really tell how far is possible and practical. I never tried to pull beyond a reasonable distance unless it was needed to hide the cage set up.

Point being, trailing scents or material used as such is a bonus and will certainly expedite your work and clean up efforts on just about any scent capable animal.

I use it for rat work also. ( norway )

A triple today using Dollar General fruit loops

Jamesons Peaches N Cream every time!!!!!!!!!!

A white trap.....................

I wonder if wamp's got his question answered yet?

Peaches and cream and a nilla wafer

than what do you feed the skunk after you eat the snack? stuff smells awesome!!

Smell and taste are two entirely different things. Like all things in life things that smell good don't always taste good.

Drawing a skunk 20 yards is a pretty good feat. Drawing a coyote a few hundred yards is amazing.

When using a trailing scent for skunks, how much do you use? A solid trail? A drop every few feet?

Yes sgs got my question answered.
What this tells me is 10 trappers 10 different ways to get them in the trap
Thanks to all.

A steady scent trail isnt necessary. Only intermittent applied scent is really needed. Several inches to a few feet is what I use for short legged animals to canines.

I have had customers tell me from Iowa and Indiana in the corn belt that they have run scent trails hundreds of yards and set on both ends of the scent trail and had doubles many times in open corn and bean fields.

I suppose the purpose of this set up is regardless of the direction of travel of a coyote or fox they will intersect the scent trail at some point and follow the odor to the end of each scent run.

They buy the Trail Mate every year now for many years so it is hard to argue with success.It wasnt designed for that length of usage but each to his own as they say.

Thanks for that info Bob.

Had a skunk removal contract with a town for 8 years. They paid for 12 white poly traps which I deployed 24/7/365. The key to success was location.
There was a reason the town had a problem. I figured it out and reaped the rewards. The bait used was .....drum roll........ crumbled up oreos leading to the white trap, then a couple whole oreos in back of the pan.
Why oreos? Skunks like sweets, the black cookie contrasted to the white trap, I could leave the trap out for long periods and have little non-target, and no maggots.

I had to quit using Oreos. My arm got sore from the trap door constantly slamming down on it. They really made me thirsty too!

Just got a skunk two nites ago and another last night... first on marshmallows with a few outside leadign to it, the second on a small can of bacon grease with no other attractants.
Neither skunk smelled remotely of a skunk.... pretty neat.