Springtime Skunks
#4418208
04/05/14 09:22 PM
04/05/14 09:22 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 51 Western Oregon
trprsam
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 51
Western Oregon
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Do any of you all stop trapping skunks this time of year? I dont beleive Ive ever stranded a litter under a house and I dont want to start now. I'd like to know how you guys approach this. Keep trapping and rescue the kits? Stop trapping skunks until they start coming outside? Some other plan?
The skunk calls arent laying off even after breeding has finished and I'd like to continue to make money on them if I can.To me skunk stank=$$$.
Ive always stopped frrom April thru June or so until people start calling seeing kits rambling around, but thats 2 or 3 months of a skunk moratorium.
Last edited by trprsam; 04/05/14 09:27 PM.
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Re: Springtime Skunks
[Re: trprsam]
#4418415
04/05/14 11:02 PM
04/05/14 11:02 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,361 mequon, wisconsin
Paul Winkelmann
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,361
mequon, wisconsin
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I've had young skunks come out that weren't any bigger than my thumb, but since they are put to sleep anyway, we answer every call immediately. I'm probably the only one around that relocates skunks and that's because I've seen skunk populations fluctuate wildly. Skunks must have a really crappy immune system because whatever comes along, they get it.
I've caught skunks with almost every disease you can think of, which is why I relocate the healthy ones. If skunks start to vanish in your area, it's probably because of disease, but you can overtrap them. ( Then they'll be back in a couple of years )
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Re: Springtime Skunks
[Re: Paul Winkelmann]
#4418446
04/05/14 11:22 PM
04/05/14 11:22 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 51 Western Oregon
trprsam
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 51
Western Oregon
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Ever have trouble with kits spraying you? This is my chief concern. Along with actually finding them. Sometimes they den under a house, sometimes they den in hole in the ground under a house, under a slab or some other inaccesible place. I have no trouble whatsoever with "kidnapping" coon litters, first because they wont spray me, second because the nest is usually on the ground or in the rafters within easy reach(well not always). If momma's around I can usually intimidate her enough to get out with the litter. I have to resort to this because, in my experience, mommma coon wont be caught in a trap for love or money sometimes. Momma skunk however, is almost always ridiculously easy to catch in one night, therefore you get down there and get the kits out(ODFW takes a dim view of WCO's stranding litters to die). I dont want to take jobs where i cant do the whole thing right. Even if the state didnt require us to get the litters, I wouldnt do a job like that, its bad for business here in animal-friendly Oregon and besides that its unnecissarily cruel to the litter.
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Re: Springtime Skunks
[Re: Paul Winkelmann]
#4419029
04/06/14 12:37 PM
04/06/14 12:37 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 188 California
Throw Back
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 188
California
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I've had young skunks come out that weren't any bigger than my thumb, but since they are put to sleep anyway, we answer every call immediately. I'm probably the only one around that relocates skunks and that's because I've seen skunk populations fluctuate wildly. Skunks must have a really crappy immune system because whatever comes along, they get it.
I've caught skunks with almost every disease you can think of, which is why I relocate the healthy ones. If skunks start to vanish in your area, it's probably because of disease, but you can overtrap them. ( Then they'll be back in a couple of years ) A lot of the reasons you say you relocate is a reason I won't. They DO get every disease, and sometimes they may not have symptoms. Fo are you know, you could be introducing new diseases to different areas and could very well be the cause for a small population drop. Plus, if you relocate a whole family of skunks, you may be dropping them into an area dense with skunks already. That area may also be abundant in raccoons. By adding to it you can really damage quail, dove, duck, turkey, and songbird populations. Just not worth the risk or time.
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Re: Springtime Skunks
[Re: trprsam]
#4419342
04/06/14 04:44 PM
04/06/14 04:44 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,361 mequon, wisconsin
Paul Winkelmann
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,361
mequon, wisconsin
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You guys have got me wondering: What if the law was changed and our company had to destroy rabies vector mammals? That a couple of thousand carcases. What do you guys do with all those dead animals?
Once again, those of you who think killing is easier and less work than releasing, are only dreaming.
Last edited by Paul Winkelmann; 04/06/14 04:47 PM.
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Re: Springtime Skunks
[Re: trprsam]
#4420289
04/07/14 08:49 AM
04/07/14 08:49 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,243 NWWA/AZ
Vinke
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,243
NWWA/AZ
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ever see the guys standing on the side of the road with the sign saying "homeless, hungry anything helps".......
Slightly used Shoes 4 sale
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Re: Springtime Skunks
[Re: Paul Winkelmann]
#4421225
04/07/14 08:11 PM
04/07/14 08:11 PM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 700 Chocowinity, NC
Phil Nichols
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 700
Chocowinity, NC
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You guys have got me wondering: What if the law was changed and our company had to destroy rabies vector mammals? That a couple of thousand carcases. What do you guys do with all those dead animals?
Once again, those of you who think killing is easier and less work than releasing, are only dreaming. PA has a rabies vector list - coon, fox, yote, skunk groundhog, and bat. We have to put them down except for the bats. I recycle all skunk pelts with a white stripe, and milk the essence. Fox and coon hides get sent to NAFA. Inferior pelts get tanned for the novelty trade. This is by no means cost effective, but you dyed in the wool fur trappers understand. Carcasses are disposed of as per PA law in the landfill. I do keep a lot of carcass for bait stations.
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Re: Springtime Skunks
[Re: Paul Winkelmann]
#4421701
04/07/14 11:14 PM
04/07/14 11:14 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 188 California
Throw Back
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 188
California
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You guys have got me wondering: What if the law was changed and our company had to destroy rabies vector mammals? That a couple of thousand carcases. What do you guys do with all those dead animals?
Once again, those of you who think killing is easier and less work than releasing, are only dreaming. well, animals under 20lbs may be disposed of in the trash and taken to the landfill. If u don't want to do that because of odors etc, you there is a company that pucks up and incinerates them, at a fee that I don't yet know
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Re: Springtime Skunks
[Re: trprsam]
#4422644
04/08/14 05:00 PM
04/08/14 05:00 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,361 mequon, wisconsin
Paul Winkelmann
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,361
mequon, wisconsin
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Once again I have to shy away from my normally humorous? posts and get down to some serious business. I don't know what kind of a garbage truck picks up your garbage, but I was formally introduced to mine. Ours is the compression type truck that takes your garbage and squeezes the "you know what" out of it.
Now when you have had a run of sickly skunks, you tend to do the right thing and put them to sleep, right? And then you put them in a metal bucket, seal the top securely, and leave them at the end of the drive for the garbageman, right?
And then at the end of the workday you get a personal call from your garbageman who informs you that if you ever leave a bucket of skunks with your garbage, ever again, your service will be cancelled. How did they know it was me? We work for them. Our information is on their computer!
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Re: Springtime Skunks
[Re: trprsam]
#4425117
04/10/14 06:13 AM
04/10/14 06:13 AM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4 NE, NC
Big Bear Wildlif
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4
NE, NC
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We have to double bag and freeze them before we put in garbage. ( Learned the hard way as they were taking the bagged animals out and leaving in road. ) I'm lucky as Alan Hout (WCS) takes all my skunks once a month or so. I try and relocate small stuff to water company land. But as a lot of guys,Rabies Vector animals go down.
Be Green, Buy Fur. NE- NC
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Re: Springtime Skunks
[Re: trprsam]
#4426088
04/10/14 08:12 PM
04/10/14 08:12 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 7 California
Baxter
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 7
California
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Today I had to jack hammer out a customers garage floor to get out three baby skunks, a shop vac was also used to get five out from the crawlspace. Good times. Love this job.
Aaron
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