For the last 3 years, since i purchased my house, my neighborhood has been visited by a skunk. This skunk comes and goes as it pleases, wandering through the area once ever 2-3 months. It'll stick around for a day or so, stink up the place, and move on.
Well, since i have taken my local trappers ed class, ive been introduced to the aspect of ADC. Now, i am by no means an expert, but i figure, what the (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman), why not? I can set up on my property for a week and if i get nothing, no harm.

so what i did was i took one of my left over blue 5 gallon water jugs that i had from camping last month, cut out the bottom, and poked a hole in the cap. Then i proceeded to find a spot on my property (measuring a total size of 50'W x 59'L) where i think a skunk would traverse. Having found the spot, i then proceed to bait it. I used some dog food, and smeared some of Caven's Canine Force on a nail that was shoved through the cap of the jug. I then smeared some on a stick and set it up high call the skunk it.

Now, i know that caven's canine force is an odd choice, but i kept hearing stories of how trappers are targeting coon and get skunks, so i figured id setup for a coon and lure the skunk in.

I set this up last night, and this morning it was undisturbed.


the question i have for those reading is "will a dog on the premises prevent a skunk from entering a property or no?" I am doing research on skunks, but havent gotten very far with it yet.

Could you post a picture of this contraption? Dogs get sprayed all the time in peoples yards. And skunks aren't too particular about bait either.

Tyler

"Will a dog on the premises prevent a skunk from entering a property..?"

It would depend on the situation, the first part being is the dog free ranging on the property or confined by some manner. The second question being is the yard totally open or does it have physical barriers like a fence?

If the dog is confined, then I see no reason why a skunk wouldn't enter the yard. If the dog is free ranging, then it would be based on what the dog was doing when the skunk was close to the yard.

For instance, if the dog is sleeping or not noticing the skunk for any reason, the skunk will enter regardless if the yard is open or not. There have been enough dogs sprayed by skunks to show that they are not a big deterrent with skunks. However, if you have an enclosed yard and the dog notices the skunk and is prevented from attacking it due to the structure, I would have to say that the dog interfered with the skunk entering the yard.

technically, the dog is my dog. probably shoudlve been more clear about the dog.

to address WCTs questions
1) the dog is an inside dog. it is let outside to do its business and then heads back in.
2)it is open. there is a chain link fence on the northern side of the property, a privacy fence on the western edge, the house is to the south, but the east is open. on the chain link fence, well under it, there are gaps where rabbits and squirrels have been seen going under, so it wouldnt be that difficult to surmise a skunk digging it out more to get into and out of the property.

Large numbers of dogs spreayed by skunks suggest that skunks have a "don't care about dogs" attitude.

Your water jug skunk trap description, can you post a picture because I don't understand how it works. The skunk gets inside a water jug because you cut the bottom out. What keeps the skunk inside? Seems to me the skunk would be able to see you coming. Any reason you don't use an ordinary cage trap with a cover, or a poly or tube skunk trap? Just about any bait/lure used will call a skunk. What matters is that it works and doesn't appeal to non-target animals.

Is this a bucket set with a coni on the inside? If so, I would not use it as more than Mr. skunk might be poke his head in there.

I won't comment on your trap as I don't understand the concept either, but I will say something about my observations about skunks after dealing with thousands of them in the course of my job. I believe that skunks spray as a last form of defense. They bluff and posture such as stomping their front feet,standing as tall as possible tail up facing the precived threat,(bigger in the animal world is badder). One of the examples I can give is,when you pass a skunk on the road he deoesn't spray your car he turns to face you but by then your by him and he calms down and goes on about just being a skunk. The skunk expects the threat to leave as he goes into his postering routine but when confronted by a barking dog and the dog pushes the issue the skunk believes he is about to get killed and he turns around and sprays the dog, usually directly in the face 'cause the dog is right there on top of him barking his brains out. Nine times out of ten thats the end of the problem for the skunk and he ambles off and the dog heads for the house so he can rub his stinking face all over your carpet,sofa and anything else he can get to before you get him out of the house! I do believe that a skunk that has had that conflict in that particular yard will not be visiting that yard again real soon.

had to resize this to make it fit.

basically what i am doing is using a variant of the bucket set, in an attempt to lure the skunk into bucket. My plan was to get the skunk to hit the bucket, eat some of the dog food, and then set a connibear in with more bait and then the job is done.

As to why i am using this versus a live cage trap, i dont have one. This is literally my first attempt at this. So i am using what i have, and since its my own yard, i figure if i can practice all i want.

Ref, NTA Trappers Guide: Skunks are very gregarious, and will pile many deep in a den to sleep, which aids in the spread of Rabies, an airborne virus, and rarely spend more than one night/day in any den, which also spreads Rabies, and is why you may have to wait a while for results.

I am sorry...........i just saw this post was up for a few hours and nobody responded on the last one............RABIES IS NOT AN AIRBORNE VIRUS !!!!!!!!!!!

I generally just read this post and learn alot but this has been up for a few hours and nobody corrected this mis -statement

Dew,

Just my opinion but you'd do yourself a better turn if you'd go to a farm store and buy a live trap.
Another issues is there isn't just likely one skunk around so if it isn't under your home or one particular problem you
Will likely always have occasional smell when one wonders through after an interaction with someone's dog or other
Incident requiring spray. Prob trappers post was solid on that point as well, skunks don't look to spray it is for their best
chance at staying alive by deterring a predator.

Bigbob,

I just saw the post this morning and want to know what handbook is stating rabies is airborne. I'm not
saying that in a sarcastic or snarky way, I'm assuming you saw this written and is like to know who printed it.
As trunkerny stated correctly rabies isn't airborne, rather spread through bites and direct salivary contact.

Rabies being airborne would be as bad as it gets as a pandemic, he reason the strong and lethal flu viruses
are such a concern.

Justin

NTA Trapping Handbook , page 176 Dispatch:shooting of the brain or spinal column could release the live virus into the air. Page 219 It is a known fact that the rabies virus can live for a period of time suspended in air that is not exposed to ultraviolet light. Fortunately the sun provides sufficient quantities of ultraviolet light even on cloudy days to kill the virus within minutes.

Rabies becoming airborne by shooting the animal is far different than skunks in the den as was described.

This would show a good clear case of how myths get started and moved along. Worked in the field with rabies
all over the country though any fluid can atomize to an extent if this was a primary mode of vectoring from animal
to animal as in big bobs post we'd be in a world of hurt nationally as would our wildlife populations.

Thanks for the references, it would be good if NTA explained the rest of the story I've got that handbook somewhere and will
have to dig it out.

Completely true that heat and sunlight kill the virus quickly, just don't want folks believing skunks and raccoon and other
gregarious forms of wildlife are just breathing on each other and causing spread.

That would be incredibly harmful information for John Q. Public to believe.

Also imagine if this was the case how many of us should be wearing a mask to touch any member of the
vector species even just in a live trap?

Dispatch via firearm is a totally different animal.

Like having a virus inside a beach ball, no problem until you shoot the beach ball at close range....,

Again not trying to put anyone down here just saying this idea of truly airborne rabies is false in the scenario
suggested.

PPE for rabies vector handling during our surveillance always involved nitrile gloves and making sure no puncture of your skin
occurs.

I would have been required to wear mask and goggles and so forth if this was a primary route of transfer.

Hope my tone sounds right again just seeking to straighten out what is and isn't in this thread.

Best,

Justin

Just so it's clear not attacking the NTA they are trying to tell folks to cautious when euthanizing an animal with a firearm.

Just don't want homeowners thinking a skunk under their house can give them rabies just by breathing there...

Hope that came thru.

Just so we make it very clear what Justin is talking about, here's probably a wonderful example. We had, what is almost certain, a

rabid skunk ( he was actually biting himself ) fall into a post hole we were digging for an outside deck. A friend was called and did

the worst thing possible; shot the skunk in the head. I ended up burning the entire animal and none of us ever caught rabies. ( With

the possible exception of yours truly ) I still want to bite some members of the opposite sex. ( Okay, be honest, you do too )

Oh brother...

I don't know big Bob but it looks to me that he was meaning to say "spread of rabies, AND airborne virus".....I could be wrong though.

80C,

I like big bob to be clear, we've had good online conversations.

Just wanted to clarify regardless of who posted it that rabies isn't floating around in the
air on a regular basis.

Since this is about a dog and a skunk , skunks can have rabies and spread rabies without dying of the disease. The problem is acute because many skunks share communal dens and there is ample opportunity for one infected skunk to contaminate the air being breathed by the others. As a result it is possible for all of the skunks in the den to contract rabies and spread it to the skunks in other communal dens.
In theory , it is reasonable to expect that air emerging from underground skunk dens could contain sufficient amounts of the live rabies virus to infect a dog , coon etc: which might investigate the den entrance as a normal hunting activity. Also in theory , it would seem possible that a cow or horse at the den entrance could be infected before ultraviolet light kills the virus.
For that reason trappers are urged to not kneel and set traps at known skunk dens.
So I would say a dog in the yard will not matter or maybe I should say it didn't matter at my house.