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1st time grubbing skunk trouble. #5245784
10/27/15 07:45 AM
10/27/15 07:45 AM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 60
Haubstadt, In.
G
G Hanold Offline OP
trapper
G Hanold  Offline OP
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G

Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 60
Haubstadt, In.
I've never had a problem catching skunks before. My go to set up has always been a small Dixie cup with dry cat food in it and to lightly press the side of the cup in some rosebud.

This year we're being overrun with skunks and suddenly they're hard to catch. I've tried cat food, rosebud, fish oil, marshmallows, popcorn, honey gland, yellow stripe, trailing scents, plus a few more and in different combinations. I've set up silt a silt fence and had the skunks grub right at the entrance of the trap. I've also placed traps different places around the perimeter, and in the middle of the grubbing activity.

This is a large fenced back yard, with the only possible access points being under the gates. There are gates on both sides of the house, and two of the other three sides. The gates are tight fits, but no sign of a regular entry point.

My traps are the safeguard skunk traps with the plastic covers.


User formerly known as Hanible.

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Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5245806
10/27/15 08:14 AM
10/27/15 08:14 AM
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 76
Maine
huntinjunkie Offline
trapper
huntinjunkie  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 76
Maine
Can u block up entry points with double doors?

Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5245845
10/27/15 08:42 AM
10/27/15 08:42 AM
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,236
West Michigan
G
Getting There Offline
trapper
Getting There  Offline
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G

Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,236
West Michigan
I do not do a lot of skunks but I use Jessie method and blow there mined with scent and cheese-O. May want to change traps, and put some cover on the floor of the trap. JMO I use double door traps


To Old
U.S. Army 60-63 SGT.
Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5246119
10/27/15 12:35 PM
10/27/15 12:35 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 60
Haubstadt, In.
G
G Hanold Offline OP
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G Hanold  Offline OP
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 60
Haubstadt, In.
All of my double door are raccoon size and right now are at groundhog jobs. I may have to pick up some smaller ones and give them a shot.


User formerly known as Hanible.

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Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5246180
10/27/15 01:43 PM
10/27/15 01:43 PM
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 32
OH
Eric Arnold Offline
trapper
Eric Arnold  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 32
OH
Greg,

You aren't the only one having issues with grubbing skunks this year. I don't know if it is due to the cicada swam for next year or what, but I keep seeing skunks move away from "standard" and some not so "standard" methods. The skunk on this video I have on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmTXLRKRkZw was caught on marshmallows and Fireball which I've never had that happen before in 16 years. For whatever reason they are ignoring any grub, egg, fish or cheese type baits in my area preferring to eat whatever is in the yard instead. To make matters worse, it seems they aren't even hitting the yards multiple days in a row, but waiting for the larva to either get closer to the top or ripen like squirrels do with nuts. I'm picking up opossum and coon during these down times, but since the damage keeps occurring, I know they aren't the culprits.

My suggestion is to put out some trail cameras and see if you can pattern them or at least pin point how they are entering the yard so you can do positive sets in those locations.


Eric Arnold
Publishing Editor W.C.T. Magazine
Editor The Fur Taker Magazine
Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5246382
10/27/15 04:58 PM
10/27/15 04:58 PM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 734
Schenectady, NY
E
EatenByLimestone Offline
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EatenByLimestone  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 734
Schenectady, NY
My go to skunk bait is stuffed oatmeal cookies. They catch techs pretty quickly too.

Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5246451
10/27/15 05:39 PM
10/27/15 05:39 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,361
mequon, wisconsin
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Paul Winkelmann Offline
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Paul Winkelmann  Offline
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Posts: 1,361
mequon, wisconsin
Eric and I have nearly identical stories. I could see that most of the grubbing was skunks, but not all. I caught 6 raccoons, 2

opossum, and on the day the customer told me to pull the traps, I lucked out and got the skunk. That was my only grubbing job this

year and I'm not too upset. We have caught plenty of skunks a lot easier where we weren't competing with grubs.

Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5246547
10/27/15 06:38 PM
10/27/15 06:38 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 60
Haubstadt, In.
G
G Hanold Offline OP
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G Hanold  Offline OP
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 60
Haubstadt, In.
Thanks Eric. I'd trapped this yard a few weeks ago and the pulled the plug because they though there was no way that there were that many animals nearby, that I was drawing them in from a distance. Then after I'd left they let their dogs out at 2am and one got nailed. Now their eager to have me back again. I'm still catching raccoons but no skunks. This is a affluent neighborhood with a lot of skunks right now. If I can catch these I can probably lock up the entire neighborhood's skunk jobs.


User formerly known as Hanible.

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Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5252445
11/01/15 10:23 AM
11/01/15 10:23 AM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 377
New York
Jim Comstock Offline
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Jim Comstock  Offline
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Posts: 377
New York
One of my ADC friends says, "everything works and nothing works." I used some cheese curls at times with some banana oil, while the golf course used tuna and hot dogs. Sometimes I used double door traps with both doors opened, sometimes one door closed. Seems like no cure all bait or lure as there is no cure all anything.

Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: Paul Winkelmann] #5252811
11/01/15 05:22 PM
11/01/15 05:22 PM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 734
Schenectady, NY
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EatenByLimestone Offline
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EatenByLimestone  Offline
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Schenectady, NY
Originally Posted By: Paul Winkelmann
Eric and I have nearly identical stories. I could see that most of the grubbing was skunks, but not all. I caught 6 raccoons, 2

opossum, and on the day the customer told me to pull the traps, I lucked out and got the skunk. That was my only grubbing job this

year and I'm not too upset. We have caught plenty of skunks a lot easier where we weren't competing with grubs.



How does the grubbing look different per animal?

Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5252819
11/01/15 05:38 PM
11/01/15 05:38 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,361
mequon, wisconsin
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Paul Winkelmann Offline
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Paul Winkelmann  Offline
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mequon, wisconsin
Now that was a very intelligent question. I can tell you what the difference is in our type of soil but I'm not sure it will be the

same everywhere. My very first grubbing job looked like someone came in with a Caterpillar, put the blade down and started to dig out

a garage. I seriously could not believe that all that ground was moved by animals. The customer said skunks but the tracks said

raccoons. I caught 11 raccoons in 5 days and the job was done. The difference with skunks is they can smell and sometimes hear each

individual grub. They dig straight down in what looks like a swirling in the soil. Their holes are only a couple of inches around.

The opossums come in after everybody else is done and turn over all the soil again hoping that the skunks and raccoons missed some. I

often catch an opossum or two at these grub-fests. And I do get paid for all three offenders.

Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5252961
11/01/15 07:38 PM
11/01/15 07:38 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 60
Haubstadt, In.
G
G Hanold Offline OP
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G Hanold  Offline OP
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 60
Haubstadt, In.
Funny thing is I just picked up a skunk that someone caught by accident AND they were grubbing in their yard. They put a ear of corn outside the trap and one inside trying to catch rabbits.


User formerly known as Hanible.

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Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5253014
11/01/15 08:11 PM
11/01/15 08:11 PM
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 188
California
T
Throw Back Offline
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Throw Back  Offline
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Posts: 188
California
I firmly believe switching baits is not the answer and usually a guessing gamd, and results vary and are coincidental.

I will do it if the job is short and I am pressed fr time but you really should just make a drift fence. Longer in the short term but gets the job done

Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5253062
11/01/15 08:39 PM
11/01/15 08:39 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,590
SW Pa
B
Bob Jameson Offline
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Bob Jameson  Offline
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SW Pa
I have had many cases that opossum's have been the primary grubbing culprit. Seen it with my own eyes many times over the years. When we were doing golf course night shooting programs we observed opossums grubbing just like a coon.

Also observed many groundhogs out foraging and grazing after 10 pm until 1:00 am at times. I presumed as a result of their burrows and preferred grazing areas being located in high daily traffic areas from the golfers play. Took me a while to figure that one out years ago.

We kept seeing these g'hogs at a distance with our night vision, then as we approached closer to make a shot thinking they were coon found out they were g'hogs. After seeing so many over the next few years in doing course work it became evident how they had adapted to nocturnal feeding.

I learned a lot about animal adaptivity over the years. Just when you think you understand most things and they are just about cast in stone you find those exceptions to all the book information, case studies and research.

Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5253143
11/01/15 09:18 PM
11/01/15 09:18 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,361
mequon, wisconsin
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Paul Winkelmann Offline
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Paul Winkelmann  Offline
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mequon, wisconsin
That's interesting about the woodchucks Bob. I don't golf but I bet even I could sink a putt into a woodchuck hole.

Re: 1st time grubbing skunk trouble. [Re: G Hanold] #5253452
11/02/15 12:23 AM
11/02/15 12:23 AM
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 14,307
Montana
USMC47 🦫 Offline
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USMC47 🦫  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 14,307
Montana
Just make a bobcat set to perfection. Voila! Skunk.
I'm learning.....thanks all for posting.


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