Skunk Problems

It is important to know that it is ILLEGAL in the state of Massachusetts to capture a skunk or raccoon (or any furbearing mammal) in a trap on your property and move it to someone else's property - which includes the State Forest. If it is a problem animal - you are simply transferring your problem to someone else. If it has a disease - you are transporting that disease to a new area. Finally, many people think it is humane to take skunks and raccoons and place them in the State Forest or another “wild” location where they believe all animals live in peace together. This isn't the case. Animals have home ranges where they are familiar. Within their home range they know where to find food and shelter and where roads are located. They also know their place in the social hierarchy. When you transport them to an unfamiliar location they are disoriented and find themselves in the midst of unfamiliar, and typically occupied, territory. They are oftentimes attacked and run out of the area by its residents. This can be particularly harsh in the late fall or winter.
If you weren't trying to catch a skunk, and want to release it, know that it is possible to do so without getting sprayed.

Never have your dog nearby when trying to release a skunk
Work alone - having two or more people around a trap makes the skunk nervous
Get a long piece of wire or a clip or a stick that will hold open the trap door.
If the skunk is sleeping, move slowly and quietly towards the trap. You may be able to wire the door open before the skunk awakens. They tend to sleep hard.
o If the skunk is awake and restless, talk softly and move slowly towards the trap. Squat low to the ground as you approach the trap to make yourself appear smaller and watch the skunk closely. Skunks will typically move away from you in the trap. It may arch its back and stomp its feet at bit, but if you stay at the opposite end of the trap from the skunk and move slowly, things will not escalate. They sometimes stomp and lunge, but most of this is just bluffing.
o Open one end of the trap slowly, and wire it open. Back away from the trap and give the skunk time to find its way out. Sometimes they will curl up and go back to sleep. You might have to encourage them to leave. This can include walking around behind them so they move to the open end, and/or even picking up one end of the trap and sliding the skunk down to the ground.
You may also try covering the trap with a large tarp, opening one end, and removing the tarp. However, if the skunk sees you approaching the trap with a tarp it will oftentimes spray.

Skunks do not eat grass. Thus, they are digging in your lawn because there are grubs for them to eat. If the digging is extensive, then the grubs are extensive. You might consider the skunk activity free lawn aeration and grub removal service. Crows and raccoons also do extensive damage to lawns in search of grubs. Raccoons roll-up the sod.
It doesn't take much of a fence to deter a skunk - so you might try and place a low flower bed fence along the perimeter of your yard for a few weeks to resolve the problem.
You may always call your local Public Animal Control Agent (PAC) to remove your problem skunk(s) - Walter Wlodyka or T.J. Hegarty. Know that as soon as one is removed, another will most likely appear (Nature loves a vacuum).

Remain calm, and remember the skunk is probably more frightened than you.
Open any and all doors and back away to give the skunk a chance to leave.
If the skunk retreats to a dark corner, consider allowing it to stay for the day. The skunk will awaken an hour or so after sunset and make its way outside to begin its nightly foraging. You will be able to close your garage a couple of hours after dark.

It is illegal in Massachusetts to trap a furbearer in a live trap and relocate it to another area. You may capture and kill it on your property. Or, you may capture it/them and seal the access area, then release the animals on your property. You may also try some things to make the area less attractive to skunks.
The “no kill option.” - Late summer and early fall are the best times for evicting skunks and skunk-proofing your foundation, porch or shed. Young of the year are typically independent by this time, the weather is mild, and there is plenty of time for skunks to find a good winter den before the cold weather begins. Here are some tips:

Locate the primary entrance during the day, when you have plenty of light to find it. Typically, there are signs of digging and a hole.
" Return a couple of hours after sunset, and peek in the hole with a flashlight to assess your options. If it is a large space, you can first try using a floodlight to light the space all night so that when the skunks return in the early morning they will not want to stay. You can also try sprinkling mothballs in the space or playing music.
" Sprinkle flour on the ground so that you can see if skunks have come or gone from the hole. Once you are sure they are no longer using the space, seal it with chicken wire (> 12 inches down & bent 6 inches out) or concrete and watch for signs of digging.

o If it is early spring - Feb. or March - the skunks have most likely been there all winter but only now are noticeable because they are spraying. You may try the above suggestions, but know it is a difficult time of year for skunks to find a new home. Thus, your best option may be to hire a PAC agent to take care of your problem. This means lethal control, but it may be your most humane option.
o If a single skunk is coming and going from your porch or shed in April or early May, it may be a female searching for a den in which to have her kits. She may have also whelped and now has a litter she is nursing. If it is mid-May - June, a single skunk coming and going frequently is likely to be a mother with babies. Once the weather warms, male skunks do not regularly sleep in the same place. You will need to consider whether or not you want to remove a mother with young or wait until the young become independent to skunk-proof the area. Females typically nurse young in the natal den for 6-8 weeks.

Use a crab net to lift it out or provide it with a plank to use to climb out of the well.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me:
Luanne Johnson
Coastal Skunk Ecology Project
Antioch University New England
Email Luanne

Last Updated: 12/23/09