Comstock swing panel traps for skunks

I have a few of the Comstock swing panel traps in the 6 x 8 and 7 x 7 sizes. I like them for squirrels and have used them for young groundhogs. An excellent trap. I really like them for skunks also , although I use mostly tube traps for them. I just had a skunk job where the client said they had a family under the deck. They had seen the mother and three , possibly four young ones. I set three tube traps and a 7 x 7 Comstock that I wrapped in roofing felt. Baited all of them with peanut butter and cheez - it crackers and a couple of drops of Yellow Stripe. This morning I had the mother in a tube , a young one in another tube , and the other three young ones in the Comstock. The young ones were pretty good sized so I don't think all three went into the trap at the same time. I think that one got caught and the others pushed the door up a little and squeezed under like a colony trap. What do you think?

Affirmative. My Uncle once had fur packed in so tight that it was a chore to get them out.

Love the swing panels for skunks, Great now for all the little stinkers around.

X 2

Are you guys successfully setting baited sets with the swing panels?

I have a job where the customer does not want to pay for incidental catches. They have neighborhood cats and some of the mangiest looking raccoons I've seen on my cameras that they do not want to pay for. I've been using 6 x 8 x 30" Comstock swing panels, a cheap single door tube trap and one of Advanced Trap 2 door tube traps. This skunk is large enough that the door is landing on his backside and he backs out. I have this on video.

I've pulled all but one tube trap at this time. I was going to set a couple of 12 x 12 Comstocks that I'm sure would do the job but I don't want to be dealing with sick animals that the customer will refuse to pay for.

ETA- I'm primarily using bait that does not interest the cats.

Any advice?

Also, we use the 6x6 and 5x5 squirrel traps for the small skunks. After catching the mom a den in a positive set the first night with a 9x11x18 with a nose cone we will put 4 or 5 of the 5x5 traps at the entrance in a positive set again to catch most or all of the rest of the little ones the second night. We too use the 6x8 for young woodchucks after getting the mom first in a 9x11. The 6x8x30 could be a little short for big skunks. We have recommended the 7x7x36 for the big ones. The 6x8x30 was first made for a trapper in Tennessee. Not sure how large his skunks were, but he did o.k. with them.

Full grown skunks fit in 6x6 swing panel Comstocks just fine. Earlier this year I caught something like 8 adult skunks from one den only using gang set 6x6 double door tomahawks and 6x6 Comstock swing panels. No bait was used, all were funneled from the den to trap.

Always amazed when traps are used outside of what we had originally thought they would work. We have caught skunks by accident in the 6x6 more than once too, but have used larger traps as a rule. Each trapper and each area of the country is different so we don't presume to know what is best for all, but merely err on the side of caution at first and let others push to the max. Hadn't remembered that skunk essence burns, but had a few spots on my forehead the other day that seemed kinda hot. Long story, he was caught in a foot trap as a non-target. Still didn't spray much, "lucky shot," had a lot left that I was able to save.

Tried to order some swing panel traps and was told they are back ordered until Mid Aug or later. You better get back to work Jim as Tomahawk cant seem to keep up with the orders.