Shiloh Rifle Forums

This morning I was having coffee and keeping an eye on my cherry trees. The trees line my driveway about 50' from the house. The cherries are just getting ripe and my shotgun rests my the door. Darn birds are working on them and it's a short crop this year.

A bunny came blasting out of the black berry patch right next to the trees. He acted really odd. Went back in and shortly came bounding back out and headed for the woods. I was wondering what was going on when out of the berries came a skunk....

First skunk I've seen around this yr. He went back into the berries as I grabbed the shotgun and went out. I stood on the rocks for 5 min or so and he wasn't showing. I grabbed a couple of big rocks and tossed them into the berries Out he came, about 15' away....I unloaded the 28 ga pump in about 1 second. Dam he did stink up the place as a parting gesture

I told the wife I'd clean him if she'd cook and eat him, I knew I was safe!!

So, Gussy, you murdered an innocent creature who was not harming you or yours? That's not something I would post as a hunting story.

Gussy,

From what we've seen here you really did the right thing by killing the daytime skunk. In my former life we found that skunks are extremely nocturnal this time of year to the point where normal skunks are virtually never out and about in daylight; thus, the ones that are out in daytime are generally not normal. Additionally, we found that "not normal" almost always means rabies in skunks; at least around here. If the carcass is still around it's probably too late now to get it tested now for rabies (viruses are fragile), but a shallow hole in the ground, a half pint of diesel fuel and a match will eliminate any chance of accidental contamination to just about any other mammal.

I've shot a lot of daytime skunks here over the years, and never even give it a 2nd thought just for this reason.

Regards

Man, I love the internet diagnoses. You guys should all be medical experts.

BTW, ANY nonmarsupial mammal can be rabid. That includes cows and horses and humans of course. Shoot'em all. Esp if seen outside of their "normal" hours of activity....

squire wrote:So, Gussy, you murdered an innocent creature who was not harming you or yours? That's not something I would post as a hunting story.

When a skunk is within 50' of my house, 30' of my dog kennel, I have quail, pheasent, grouse and turkeys nesting and chicks in the area, he ain't an innocent creature I do, and will continue to, remove varmints from my property. A hunt, no, that was a joke you missed

Good job Gussy. I allways keep a bolt action 22LR with the tube mag loaded and ready to go in the hall corner. That ol Remington model 341 is a nametaker and a sure thing when you need it. Lately though I've realized that a 12ga makes me more of a sure thing operator and will get the job done rfn. I too live outside of town and accepted the responsibilty of taking care of all business requiring the use of a firearm. My security and the safety of my own animals is more important to me than "ideology" someone out East come up with. Shoot ,shovel, & shutup didn't start with g bears or wolves it started with the fact some folks don't have any common sense. Good job again gussy,ceptin using that parlor gun. Get out the diesel fuel ,Steve knows what he is about. bobw

From about this time of the year thru November, the skunks, and porcupines really make a nuisance of themselves around the house. Would like to find something that'll take a skunk out without giving the entire yard the smell. You can still get a whiff of od'peppylapu from when I shot one in one of the nest boxes with 45 colt loaded with CCI shot capsuls...

Don,

Best method around occupied buildings to accomplish what you need is w/ a live trap and canned sardines; the cheap, greasy ones are the best. That's the good news. The bad news is if you have dogs and cats around they like the sardines just as well as the skunks. If you don't have dogs and cats, this works really good. Several years ago I took a mama skunk and 8 kits out from under a neighbors front porch w/ this method. The only 1 that sprayed was the one the animal control officer tried to take out of a window well w/ a catch pole; she got of full load of perfume.

Regards

Not sure with all the barn cats roaming around out here living the welfare life (it was the dog that killed the pack rat this morning) live trap and sardines would do much but catch the momma cat.

Don McDowell wrote:From about this time of the year thru November, the skunks, and porcupines really make a nuisance of themselves around the house. Would like to find something that'll take a skunk out without giving the entire yard the smell. You can still get a whiff of od'peppylapu from when I shot one in one of the nest boxes with 45 colt loaded with CCI shot capsuls...

Don, My best luck at eliminting the stink has been a solid head shot before they unload. On a couple of occasions, I've gotten good head shots and no smell. Once in a wood pile in my shop!! The only times too.

One evening I saw one headed around the back of the grainery, I grabbed the 30-30 out of the pickup and took him right in the head and thought I'ld really pulled a good one . Was sitting in the kitchen when Carol got home and she sniffed a couple of times and said " you shot a skunk today didnt you?" So much for thinking I got away without any smell.

no wonder he stunk Don you didnt use enough gun...

Yeh could be Dean, but you should a been in the henhouse the night I found out the thing had a cement floor..... Magnum 12 ga,#5 shot buzzing around in there for quite a while it seemed like...

that almost qualifys for the darwin award.................................................

Yeh all that sawdust and straw that was on that chicken house floor when we bought the place was sure hiding that concrete. Then when the chickens started squaking in the middle of the night and there was the skunk standing in the door eating pullets.....