Help with a smart skunk

Thanks for looking! I’m trying to catch a skunk and having problems. I set a “tube” trap and baited with sardines…day one the skunk investigated the trap…day 2 he went partially into the trap. Day 3, I set two additional box traps; small Havahart traps so the skunk wouldn’t be able to lift tail to spray. I baited one trap with fresh chicken eggs and the other with peanut butter and bread…skunk was seen by the traps but didn’t enter the traps. All traps are set near a bird feeder where the skunks are seen regularly. The bird feeder is very close to the house…I placed plastic sheeting under the box traps and covered the plastic with hay so the skunk wouldn’t be scared to walk to trap (if the skunk sprayed, I wanted to do my best at containing the odor.

Any suggestions on changing my strategy would be gratefully appreciated!!

Thanks,
Dino

Drift fencing can speed things up. Best to use 2 door trap if available. Set trap at point of contact - attraction as you are doing. Or set two single door cage traps back to back. Solid traps many times don't work well for some animals I have found. Others don't seem to mind.

May help staking the trap, those tube traps tend to wobble.

Thanks! And good thinking regarding staking the tube trap! I’m heading over to optimize the traps this afternoon.

Take care!
Dino

I have found 6 in. tube traps can be too small. I have better luck with 8 in. tube traps.

Interesting point regarding tube diameter…the skunk in the photo looks like he can’t quite squeeze into the trap.

I only have that one tube trap and I have never actually caught a skunk in it. Are the tube traps efficient as the mesh box traps?

Thanks!

I have never had good luck with a tube trap, but mine is only 6 inch. JMO

If you can find a den or travel way a double door trap might help. Had one smart skunk under a house. Would not even go through a double door trap in a positive set. Kept digging new holes as I moved the trap. Would not touch bait, even in a very open 11x12 pan trap trap. Moved traps for a week, then set a 160 camouflaged. Worked, but he sprayed outside which went inside at 2 a.m. They all said the were choking in the camp, too much drama. They don't call any more. LOL. Have heard of issues with skunks going into 6 inch tube traps a number of times. Had a skunk I baited in a yard once, even set up the drift fencing. Never did catch him. Nothing is 100%. I do think bigger traps can help. Had a smart chuck that beat everything one year. Put out a beaver trap the next year in a positive set. It was over in 20 minutes. No feeling of confinement.

But, think I hear a red squirrel in a cage on the roof, so it is a good day.

I've caught baby skunks in 6" traps but never a full grown adult in anything less than an 8" tube type. Have had better luck with cages, BG's or DP's. Dealing with one myself now than seems to be cage shy but will keep tying different things to catch'm.

After reading Bob "The Scentman" Jameson's post about traps back to back, I tried a four trap setup where I set two large and two medium Duke traps back to back. I pressed marshmallows from the bottom up under the pan area and then sprinkled some dry cat food around the back of the traps. This morning I was greeted by one trap with an adult skunk, another trap with a single juvenile and a third trap with six juvenile skunks. The customer is still convinced that is not "the" skunk she is after so the search continues.

Entirely possible since they have non exclusive territories. What is "The Skunk" doing to offend the customer? Do you know what they are eating?

Wow, interesting set up and congratulations on all the skunks!!

As a follow up to my original post, I caught both skunks I was after…both in the tube trap!

Thanks again for all the input!

…another potential skunk question.

Below is an email I just received (I have not yet been to the property)…I’m thinking skunk. What are you thinking?

Thanks!!


“Hi, Dino,

I am hoping you can help me. I have about 30 holes like the picture below in my front lawn. Last week I had one. I don’t know what’s creating them or how to stop it, if I can.

You helped me a couple of years ago with raccoons. Now here I am again. I don’t want to harm whatever it is but I do want them to go make their holes somewhere beside my front lawn.

Thanks for any ideas.

Marilyn“

Depends on it's size. Animals I've seen dig lawn are raccoons, opossums, skunks, squirrels, crows, dogs, and cats. Undoubtedly there's more I haven't thought of, my eyes are just opening up today. Skunks are a main culprit, but so are squirrels. Can't tell scale in that pic, but it looks like there wasn't much excavation, which often means squirrels.

I can't determine the size since their is nothing to reference how large the hole is. Usually skunks will have a series of cone shaped holes. Coons tend to roll back sod much more then what I see in that photo. Looks like skunk grubbing.

Sorry about the lack of scale…it was a photo that was sent to me. Thanks for the clues for me to look for…very helpful!! Any other items I should look for when I meet with the lady would be greatly appreciated.

Have a great weekend!!

thanks for the rotation. I was not sure how to accomplish that.

Skunks make a hole that resembles an ice cream cone; big at the down to a point. Depending on the soil type, they may be 1.5 to 2.5 inches at the top. 30 in one area is probably a skunk especially if that is a rather moist area. They are looking for grubs.

I often gang set cage traps although I always seem to place them SxS often with doors facing opposite directions.
I'm going to change it up and try a TNADC intersection.

I've had problems with using cages and boxes. I put a simple small dirt hole and caught him the same night. Might not want this in a populated area but it worked for me in a non populated area.

One, a smart skunk doesn't exist
Two, that pipe is too small for that skunk