Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints No smell/kill shot for skunks

I live in a semi-rural area, most places are only 2-5 acres so I really prefer to use subsonic 22 loads.
I need to start thinning a few out without stinking up or scaring the neighbors.
Been a long time since I whacked skunks and used to use a scatter gun.
My thought was to get within 50ft or so and shoot them right behind the head to disconnect the brain from the lower section.
Thoughts???

Clothes pin on the nose.

Live trap them.

Seriously, you can trap them in a cage trap, drop a tarp over them, and transport them anywhere.

25 miles or so, is far enough away that they won't come back.

Skunks are VERY docile in a cage trap, and far easier to dispose of/move that way than trying to shoot them and hope they don't spray, as there is no "no spray" guarantee shot.

While under the tarp, throw a chunk of dry ice in there to kill them. Hell of a lot easier to handle when dead. We got too many of them in my area.

If you shoot'em they're going to spray.

- My uncle used to have ducks and geese and skunk problems.

He'd live trap skunks in a have-a-heart, but he'd put a rope on it and dig a hole behind the trap with a hose at the edge of it. when he got a skunk he'd fill the hole, and slowly drag the trap into the hole. they never sprayed - that was surprise to me but I've heard this method multiple times.

thanks,
Mike

Thanks fellas, I wondered if they would spray regardless.

Killed one one year that kept coming into the bear bait. I figgered I could head shoot him and not make a mess.

Next time he/she (didn't check) came in, I drilled it dead center, head shot, and stuck it to the ground. All it did was just sink to the turf, nary a quiver, just relaxed, including all organs.

Felt pretty proud of myself....... till the wind switched....

You could still smell a faint aroma a year later......

Spotshooter: I kill about 5 to 10 Skunks every year - most within smell range of my home!
Believe me they are a lot more fun to bury when they do not spray after shooting!
The secret is to either break their spine or hit them in the head!
The best skunk killer I have found to date is the 17 HMR with a head shot!
I have as yet to witness one spraying after a head shot with a 17 HMR (in about 30 incidents).
"I" think... they need to stand up on their front feet to aim and begin the process of spraying their scent gland at their enemies!
They can be "bowled over" with a chest/body shot and still spray while on their sides YES that is fact - but a head or spine shot and they do not spray - or can't spray!
I live about 3 miles from a large county cemetary and the grounds keepers/visitors were plagued by Skunks - they began a campaign against them and according to the local paper they killed 40 in the first year of their ongoing campaign!
The shot must be placed somewhat carefully and exactly but with a Harris-Bipod it is an easy accomplishment to keep the musk from dispersing.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

DaveH: See my previous post regarding keeping the Skunks from spraying at the shot.
I have not tried the 22 sub-sonic loads on Skunks to date but I have several friends who use these loads on feral cats and similar sized semi-urban Varmints.
I will ask them how the sub-sonics work on Skunks and if any of them have tried these out.
Good luck - I know what an obnoxious and offensive situation they can create.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Put mothballs in the area where you want them to stay away from. It's way easier than the trap or where to hit them. And it works.

I've never seen a skunk not spray with a head shot, they always do. I've had better luck shooting them in the lungs.

The only shot I have made without a spray was with a 12 ga. 3.5 inch turkey load.

The dang things seem to spray almost no matter what.

Go with what VA said, live trap'em, carefully cover with old tarp and gas'em.

I have shot 2 without the spraying. I guess I was just lucky. I wish my dog had been as lucky.

Recipe for skunk spray:
1. Peroxide
2. Banking soda
3. A tbl of dish washing soap

Mix immediately before using. Apply as a paste and leave it on for 5-7 minutes. Do not apply to head so it doesn't get in eyes or ears. It really works.

February is a good month to have this recipe. Skunks are in season.

Same here, been trapping about 47 years and I'm almost certain every one shot in the head released, it's not an out and out spray but always a release as it kicks. "Sometimes" a lung shot will not release. I still shoot them but a relatively sure way to avoid it is a jabstick filled with acetone in the lungs.

For a non-messy live catch put the box trap behind your exhaust and cover the trap and exhaust with a tarp, let it sit a few minutes.

I shoot a couple ever year. I have tried every gun in the safe and just about every vital zone on the animal...they almost always spray. The last one that didn't spray was shot with a .223 w/64gr PowerPoint. I shot him thru the side and out thru the neck - he ran quite a ways and laid down on his side and died. He was a huge son-of-a-gun walking thru our back yard in the middle of the afternoon!!

Johnny $

I can tell you two things not to do:

1) If the dog is barking like crazy on a dark night don't come up beside the dog and face the same direction it is. If you do, and the flashlight picks up a pink quivering ring about the size of a dime, it's probably too late...

2) Don't do like the neighbor kid did (it wasn't me - honest!) and shoot one with a bow, especially about a 20 pound bow with field points...

Back in the old days, when I trapped, we'd catch a few skunks, every year, while fox trapping. The only time I ever killed a skunk, without spraying, was shooting him about 2" above the base of the tail, and completely severing the spine. Back legs didn't work, no spray. Then I would shoot them in the head. Only problem was, if you didn't hit the spine exactly right....well you can guess the rest!


maddog

I shot one yesterday that did not spray. I aimed at the neck, shoulder junction since that was where I had the clearest area through the stubble. I did not go up to see if I hit where I aimed but there was no spray and no odor. I did make sure that I was upwind before I shot. Shot was with a 22 long rifle. miles

Slightly off topic, but have any of you ever seen an owl
kill and eat a skunk? They eat them like they have no sense
of smell, that or they enjoy the odor.