We discovered that the kitty food we've been putting out for the kitty we are trying to tame wasn't just feeding him. J noticed this critter helping itself on her porch last night (the photos were done on zoom, I WASN'T going to get too close):
Skunks can be very useful. Unfortunately, most other animals are allergic to their perfume...
They can also be carriers of rabies, which makes them more dangerous than any of their other anti-social aspects would.
Skunks always warn you when they're getting annoyed by stamping their front feet. If you leave immediately, you get a reprieve.
Anonymous said…
Yeah, we got to see its stomping behavior when Tuffie (Nicky's brother) got a little to close to the food.
It was pretty unfreaked with us around tho. Hubby tried to scare it off shooting the .22 into the ground nearby. The noise from the shot didn't even phase it. He tried tossing stones near it, same thing. I went and got the blow gun to try and convince it to move away from the porch and house, but Tuffie had shown up by then and the shunk eventually moved off and under the trailer. We noticed where it dug a hole in the ground under the skirting, the neighbors are NOT happy about their new tenent.
As cute as it is, we are going to have to do some critter control either tonight or as soon as we can. Fish and Game around here is useless, trapping unfortunately is going to be undoable. It is just a matter of deciding who is going to take the fatal shot :( We couldn't do the dirty deed last night with it on the deck, there was no way to take a safe clean shot that didn't have consequences.
Trapping would be possible if you can find a cage-type trap that will not allow the critter to raise its tail. Or turn around. There are humane traps designed for skunks -- you just have to locate one.
Shooting it would be a shame if you don't absolutely have to.
Anonymous said…
We would trap and take it elsewhere if we could. Unfortunately fish and game in our area is a joke, when the moose was on the loose in Moscow a few weeks back they couldn't be bothered to send anyone to help the cops for 6-7 hours. A few years ago there was a couger up on the ridge feasting on peoples cats and dogs, f&g said only a certified hunter from Boise (300 miles south of us)could take it out and they weren't available for several weeks. The humane society will only lend their traps for cats. I used to work for a wildlife rehab place when I was in high school in California where we did do trapping and releasing. Baby skunks are totally adorable.
Double unfortunate is this guy isn't afraid of people and that makes it doubly dangerous to let stay in the neighborhood, esp with all the kitties :(
Comments
They can also be carriers of rabies, which makes them more dangerous than any of their other anti-social aspects would.
Skunks always warn you when they're getting annoyed by stamping their front feet. If you leave immediately, you get a reprieve.
It was pretty unfreaked with us around tho. Hubby tried to scare it off shooting the .22 into the ground nearby. The noise from the shot didn't even phase it. He tried tossing stones near it, same thing. I went and got the blow gun to try and convince it to move away from the porch and house, but Tuffie had shown up by then and the shunk eventually moved off and under the trailer. We noticed where it dug a hole in the ground under the skirting, the neighbors are NOT happy about their new tenent.
As cute as it is, we are going to have to do some critter control either tonight or as soon as we can. Fish and Game around here is useless, trapping unfortunately is going to be undoable. It is just a matter of deciding who is going to take the fatal shot :( We couldn't do the dirty deed last night with it on the deck, there was no way to take a safe clean shot that didn't have consequences.
Shooting it would be a shame if you don't absolutely have to.
Double unfortunate is this guy isn't afraid of people and that makes it doubly dangerous to let stay in the neighborhood, esp with all the kitties :(
There are times I do hate country living.