SKUNKS

SKUNKS

3-15-2010

My first experiences with skunks were in Monticello. As a child, I knew that Jack Nielson, our next door neighbor had a war with skunks. I knew Jack had a chicken house and that the skunks had a fondness for chicken eggs – they would dig holes under the chicken house walls to obtain access to the eggs. He would place the claw traps in their holes to catch them. He had a long wire hooked to the trap to pull the trapped skunk away from the dwelling houses without getting sprayed and then shoot it. I also knew that we were not to shoot a skunk near the cabin at Beaver Creek because is we only wounded the skunk it might crawl back under the cabin and either spread its scent or die, both options would result in making the cabin uninhabitable.

When we moved to the Redlands, I built a chicken house and raised my own eggs. Soon the skunks found they had a source for chicken eggs. I remember when I only had a couple of hens left that I went to the chicken house at night, turned on the light and put my hand into the laying nest to collect an egg when this skunk was already in the box checking for eggs. I don’t know who was scared the most but the skunk jumped out of the box and exited the chicken house in one direction and I fled out the door in the opposite direction. I was scared and felt very lucky that the skunk didn’t bite my hand. I decided I would out fox the skunk so I started to collect the eggs before dark when the skunk would make it’s visit but the skunk, after a couple of days without finding eggs countered by returning , killing the chickens and dragging them off. I never had chickens again-the skunk won.

We have had other incidents with skunks at our Redland’s home. Kenny was walking down E 7/8th Road to catch a ride for a Cub Scout activity when he got sprayed by a skunk. Clarissa cleaned him up the best she could and took him back to get on the bus. Other boys complained about the skunk smell but Kenny didn’t fess up that he had been sprayed. Last Fall, the Water boys were walking on the trail mowed through the trees and would see skunks but the skunks never sprayed.

My trouble with skunks started again when we got our cats, Lewis and Clark and fed them outside. The skunks discovered that there was cat food left overnight on the back porch in the cat dish and make a regular check each night for a treat. I came home one night and part way up the back steps discovered a very large and agitated skunk on the back porch. I didn’t want to have the skunk spray our back porch but the only unlocked door to get in the house was next to the upset skunk. The cats will jump off the porch but the skunk was too scared to jump. It’s only path was to come toward me and go down the steps to exit the porch but it didn’t want to come closer to me. I had to back off and leave the area and wait for the skunk to leave on its own so I could get into the house. We started to bring in the cat dish before dark and that helped a lot but the skunks would still check out the back porch. We left cat food in a closed plastic bottle for Wendy to feed the cats when we were gone and a skunk chewed through the plastic bottle to get to the food. Surprisingly our cats are not bothered by the skunks and visa-versa-they walked around each other and have no fear or fighting.

In the last couple of weeks I have been invaded by skunks. Two skunks were hit and killed by cars on 20 Road just north and south of our mail box. When I came home last night in the dark, one skunk was traveling up our lane probably on its way to check our back porch but gave up and hid under the storage shed for my client files. I then approached the back porch. We have one of new energy efficient light bulbs that doesn’t put out much light but as I started up the stairs I could see a smaller skunk with two stripes down its back in its white fluffy hair. It acted very confused and didn’t know what to do and didn’t seem to be very smart. I yelled at it and gave it room to come back down the steps but is didn’t know what to do. Again, I didn’t want to scare it and get the back porch covered with
skunks scent. The front door was locked so I stood under our bedroom window and yelled loud for Clarissa to come and help me. My yelling didn’t raise Clarissa because she was on the other side of the house listening to TV but I did manage to get our neighbor’s dog upset and barking at me. I continue to call for Clarissa, the dog continued to bark until the neighbor women yelled at the dog to shut up and the skunk continue to eat out of the cat dish with no intent on leaving. I then went on the opposite side of the house and yelled under the window to the TV room to Clarissa. She got out of her chair, walked down the inside chairs and open the front door. We then checked the back porch and the skunk was still there eating and wouldn’t leave at our screaming. Clarissa wanted to open the door and scare the skunk away with the door or the broom but that was too risky. After a while the skunk left. I will now have to take in the cat dish before dark and get a bright light bulb outside. There has got to be more illumination outside so I can see those skunks. I HATE SKUNKS. I DON’T WANT THEM AROUND MY HOUSE.