Re: Skunk problem
 

Adorable babies!

Re: Skunk problem
 

To me, there is something very 'garlicy', and slightly sweet, in the smell. The smell is nowhere near as bad - not in the same league - as vomit, dog sh*t, cat sh*t (which neighboring cats seem to leave in my yard for me to step in ... ).


People describe certain beers as 'skunky' also, like Becks - which used to be a favorite of mine.

Re: Skunk problem
 

[QUOTE=BillericayDicky;11993044]Freedom of speech also permits me to express a wish that dc koop is sprayed by an entire family of skunks. On the ignore list the skunk gasser goes.[/QUOTE]

That really breaks my heart :lol:
You'd do far better for our four legged friends by donating to the RSPCA or some other similar organization than posting silly childish comments as above

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But you felt compelled to read my post didn't you.? God forbade I think I've stepped on sacred shit here.

The only crime worse than this must be posting an insult to Her Majesty the Queen

Re: Skunk problem
 

Well if ever a family of raccoons take up residence in your attic you'll be sure to share your advice on the best way to get rid of them I imagine. I wouldn't be inclined to kill raccoons either.

Re: Skunk problem
 

I could really end up getting into a desert wilderness with all this yack on loveable,cute creatures of the wild.

How about gophers anyone ? Ever seen em up close? About as cute and loveable as it gets. Ever had em turn your nice carefully tended grass lawn into a mess of holes and dirt piles? They sell poison pellets in hardware stores to help get rid of them. Lets organize a protest march on all hardware stores and spew hatred and ill wishes on the store owner everyone.
How about cute bunnies from the wild ? They'll go through your garden veggies like a dose of mercury if you don't do something to stop them ?
Wild pigs (hogs) anyone? Some of them have cute baby hogs. They'll put a farmer out of business if no one does anything to get rid of them

I like opossums though. They don't bother me since they just hang out in trees.

Finally back to skunks. Anyone who claims they like or don't mind the smell must be the same apologists as family relatives who grin and bear it when Uncle Fred lets off one of his room emptying farts at the dining table.

Lets stop the hypocrisy. They come under the classification of vermin. They stink and if ever you run over one on the road you'll live the experience

Re: Skunk problem
 

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Skunk problem
 

Yeah, let's just gas 'em all.

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As far as I know, nobody is suggesting gassing the Queen.

And of course we have the RSPCA.

Being a discussion board, we do tend to read posts on here. It helps the flow, although I would be the first to admit that some don't read them very carefully.

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How many cute puppies, kittens, birds and other animals will be put down tomorrow in animal shelters all over the country?

What are you going to do to stop it, Have you adopted an animal from a shelter and saved it's life ? The dog I now have was from a shelter. It being a wolf by nature is territorial. It came upon a couple of skunks which had been leaving a stink near my patio for some time and which I couldn't get rid of. The dog went for the skunks, got badly sprayed and killed them both but the dog went through quite a bit of misery afterwards and cost me a couple of visits to the vet.

There nothing wrong and everything right in being kind and considerate to wild life but there are limits. Saying "lets just gas em all" just kills any further intelligent conversation on the subject

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I think the whole discussion went out of control by my probably misplaced comment on one method of eliminating skunks. I was tried as a murderer without even committing murder.

This is what comes about when people get hysterical and get their knickers all in a twist. Sacred cows and all that !

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Skunks smell like Portland.

:cool:

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OK, well firstly, I do donate to loads of animal charities both here in the UK and in the USA, as well as animal rights groups and rescues. I support a squirrel shelter, but you would probably classify them as 'vermin.'

Secondly the whole idea of some animals being 'worthy' and others being 'vermin' is just a ridiculous one, but one which many people clearly do buy into. Seems that fortunately you are the only one on this thread who does so.

How would you define 'vermin'?' The usual definition is a creature that there are too many of and who destroy the environment. As we humans are more populous and bigger destroyers of Earth than any others, don't you think for us to call any other species, especially our close relatives like mammals, vermin, is the height of hypocrisy?

I keep rats as pets so I am able to see beyond the prejudice better than most people. They are sweet, clean (more so than any other species I've had as a pet), intelligent, interesting and sociable. Perhaps that is why they are the third most successful mammal on earth after humans and house mice.

I guess you could define 'vermin' as any animal besides the human who is extremely successful!

Re: Skunk problem
 

I think they smell like burned coffee.

When I was a kid there was a grocery shop in town that ground up coffee beans in some probably now old fashioned fangled machine. Some days the smell would permate into the street and just was a weird burning smell.

The first time I smelled skunk spray it brought back childhood memories of the weird coffee smell:nod:

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Pretty sure they use traps around here. Difficult to see to shoot.

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And furthermore I have experience of 'pest problems.'

My mum had a squirrel living in her loft. She did not want him killed. She spent a lot of money getting the wooden fascias replaced with vinyl ones so he couldn't get in any more.

We had house mice in the flat. We did not kill them. We started storing our food scrupulously securely and they went away.

It is rarely necessary to use lethal methods on wild or feral animals. In many cases, such as the gators in Orlando discussed in another thread, they were there before the people were.

Re: Skunk problem
 

:thumbup:

I thought I was the only one who had made that mental connection!

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Has anyone lived near a sugar beet factory? That's kinda how it smells.

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I'm all for not killing but when certain animals, calling them vermin or not, get into your home then something needs to be done.

Cute they may be be they also carry diseases and eating food that mice, rats squirrels etc may have got into is a big no no in my opinion

Re: Skunk problem
 

:goodpost:

Absolutely. I am very passionate about animal welfare, but there is a limit. Moreover, at least in commercial establishments in many areas, lethal means may well be required to take care of the problem.

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Oh we threw away what they had been into. I mean we kept all our food like pasta, rice, cereal etc in metal, glass or ceramic containers from then on, unless it was in the fridge. They can easily chew through plastic so you have to defer them. As long as they can get an easy meal they will keep coming. If there's nothing to get then they don't find any point in coming in. I am pretty sure that they could still get in if they wanted, as the kitchen units were put in badly and there are gaps at the back. To block the gaps would necessitate ripping out the whole kitchen. And traps etc wouldn't be effective because some mice always survive and they can have 12 babies a month. The most effective way to get rid of them is the give them no reason to come.

Re: Skunk problem
 

You don't really do sarcasm, do you :blink:

And yes, I have a rescued orange cat from the local shelter although I don't really see what that has to do with it. It's just about how you choose to view other animals - through the lens of what is more or less work for you. The same goes for factory farming vs humane methods. You will notice that I'm not a vegetarian, but the slaughter of things we don't even need for food, or simple cruelty, is never a good thing. There are plenty of suburban skunks where I live, and sometimes you smell them. They have to smell us all the time poor things.

And no, I know you didn't gas any personally, but when such things are passed on as recommended procedures the assumption is you don't disapprove.

Re: Skunk problem
 

Although rare skunks can carry rabies. Among their food items are lizards which are a protected species in my yard since garden lizards eat plant eating insects and mosquitos.

I hear a raccoon scampering across my roof at night occasionally. I once went out with a flashlight and saw him sitting on the wall staring at me as if to say "what the hell do you want"? I'd always let that critter be unless he took it into his head to move into my attic space in which case I'd call our local animal control to deal with it as they see fit.

I live near enough to the mountains for occasional nocturnal visits by coyotes. Leave your cat or dog outside at night and chances are you've seen the last of them.

Mountain lions have also been spotted on rare occasions by hikers on the mountain trails.

We're surrounded by wild life. I enjoy the environment but wild life stinking up my back yard is a problem that needs dealing with

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In light of your opinion how would you for example deal with gophers ?

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I've never "dealt" with them. If you live somewhere with gophers you are going to get holes. Nor did I ever "deal with" moles, badgers, rabbits or hedgehogs in tbe UK. I actually like sharing with other species, I find them interesting to watch.

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My pup likes digging for gophers, he is quite a good digger. The rest move away. Or flood them out.

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How much water would it take to flood them out ? We've got a drought going on here.

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Oh yes you get holes with gophers and a badly sprained or twisted ankle if you accidently stick your foot in one

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My cat has given up catching moles and now my yard looks a mess. How can I entice my cat to start catching moles again? The last one he brought into the house I threw out in the yard, do you think I hurt his feelings?

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A few pints can do it.

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The last time I had gophers in the yard I bought a can of gopher mix at the hardware store. That did the trick. Now I dare say i'll be pilloried for being a gopher killer