# Baby skunks under garage



## wyldkat49766 (Apr 21, 2007)

So my landlord calls me today asking for my husband. Well he is still downstate in GR until tomorrow evening. But they have discovered about 7 baby skunks around their house and they and the neighbors, in the city limits, have seen them coming from various points along the foundation. She has tried putting more dirt and rocks into the holes but they keep getting in there. She called this guy from Alpena Wildlife service ( I think that was the name ) but he said he came down from Oscoda. Well anyway he told her that the baby skunks wouldn't be going around like that if the momma was alive. He thinks she got killed or whatever but she isn't around. He really didn't help her at all by telling her to cement up the holes and put down on the invoice, 'baby skunks running around' and charged her $150. He didn't offer to trap them or any more info. 

Well I figure if hubby and landlord find one active hole and leave that open while he cements all around the rest of the foundation. Then that night after they have seen the babies go out from that hole, she could put up a hunk of wood and cement blocks so that they can't get back in that way. And then the next day my hubby will go back and seal up that entrance with cement. 

So do you guys think that would work so that 'hopefully' all of the babies get out safely and then our landlords would not have to deal with them under their house? 

Also, IS it normal for them to go in and out without the mother around? My landlord says that they are not that big. She guesses they are about the size of a 6 week old kitten.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Get yourself a live trap cage and relocate them. Bait it with cat food or chicken liver. Put a gunny sack or something similar over the cage. They will not spray with the trap covered.


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## wyldkat49766 (Apr 21, 2007)

My landlords are in their late 60's. I don't see them dealing with trapping AND transporting them. But I dont want to even think about moving them if the mother is still around.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

FYI, relocation is not legal in Michigan, without an ADC license. 
The law says immediate dispatch or release.


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## WoW. (Aug 11, 2011)

wyldkat49766 said:


> My landlords are in their late 60's. I don't see them dealing with trapping AND transporting them. *But I dont want to even think about moving them if the mother is still around*.


 
Seriously, you need to stop being so concerned about the health and well being of a bunch of skunks. Kill the danged things while you can.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

wyldkat49766 said:


> My landlords are in their late 60's. I don't see them dealing with trapping AND transporting them. But I dont want to even think about moving them if the mother is still around.


I hope I can still wrestle with a skunk after I retire 

The mother is not like a bear or a mafia boss, she's not going to hunt you down for revenge.


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## wyldkat49766 (Apr 21, 2007)

WoW. said:


> Seriously, you need to stop being so concerned about the health and well being of a bunch of skunks. Kill the danged things while you can.



I understand and if they were at my place in the country, it would not be a problem. But my landlords live in the city limits and close to other houses so Im pretty sure if I even started shooting a .22 I would have cops showing up on me and I don't need the ticket. 

My main question is would the plan to cement along the edge of the foundation with one opening, allow them to get out and not trapped under the garage?


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

Skunks are rather easy to trap. Cover trap with rug or tarp, keeping the rug between you and trap as you approach. Have a hole cut in rug to grad the handle. Carry to trailer or open truck bed. Take to a lake, tie rope to handle, walk to the end of the dock and drown.
So far, no spray.

L & O


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

wyldkat49766 said:


> I understand and if they were at my place in the country, it would not be a problem. But my landlords live in the city limits and close to other houses so Im pretty sure if I even started shooting a .22 I would have cops showing up on me and I don't need the ticket.
> 
> *My main question is would the plan to cement along the edge of the foundation with one opening, allow them to get out and not trapped under the garage*?


If you patch every hole but one, they'll continue to use that hole. If you patch all the holes, then the problem is rather they are in there or not. Unless you can verify that they ARE NOT in there, then you're spinning your wheels. Most likely born under there. The above post is probably the way to go.......


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## wyldkat49766 (Apr 21, 2007)

ohhh drowning sounds so cruel and long suffering. but will probably borrow friends live trap and then take them out of the city to dispatch them with a .22. thanks


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## Creek-Chub (Apr 15, 2004)

Your idea will work, but you would have to know exactly how many skunks they have, and then spend some time watching them all leave. Possible, but maybe not likely. 

Believe it or not, drowning is a very quick and painless death. Do a search on here and you'll find there have been a number of threads with the same consensus. 


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## Grizzyaries (Jan 10, 2005)

Stick the garden hose in the hole and flood em out should run outa there like a water sprayed cat. Then close da hole.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## sswhitelightning (Dec 14, 2004)

Grizzyaries said:


> Stick the garden hose in the hole and flood em out should run outa there like a water sprayed cat. Then close da hole.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


That's how I get the chipmunks at my house. No hole plugging just flooding and catch them with a my hands. Well with welding gloves in case they get toothy!


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

wyldkat49766 said:


> ohhh drowning sounds so cruel and long suffering. but will probably borrow friends live trap and then take them out of the city to dispatch them with a .22. thanks


Two behind the ear is better than drowning?


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## eucman (Jan 24, 2009)

Plug all the holes except one. If they come out to forage at night you can plug the final hole in the middle of the night. There is no way of knowing that they are all out of there unless someone goes under the house and looks. Perhaps someone can help them plug all the holes late summer to keep it from happening again.

Re: dispatching trapped animals, I've tried all the methods previously mentioned. A decent pellet gun is very quiet and effective. If I don't want a bloody mess I will cover the trap and drag it to the driveway. I start my car outside the garage and slip the hose from my shop vac over the tail pipe. I slip the other end of the hose under the tarp and gently tuck everything in to make sure the trap is relatively sealed under the tarp.

They seem to just quietly go to sleep after a minute or two.
Good luck!


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## eucman (Jan 24, 2009)

petronius said:


> Two behind the ear is better than drowning?


.22 is dramatically instant. The kicking appears to be reflexive. The kicking from a submerged, trapped critter is sheer panic!


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

A slow and easy shot of actone in the ribs with a hypodermic needle on a stick puts them to sleep. Then simply drown them.


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## wyldkat49766 (Apr 21, 2007)

petronius said:


> Two behind the ear is better than drowning?



its quicker so yes. But hubby did seal up all but 1 entrance. They did the water bit too, thanks. After the cement had cured for a couple of days, they watched and counted 6 skunks go out the single hole. After about 15 min, they went and let the hose run under the house for about 45 min. They didn't see any more skunks come out of there so went and covered up the remaining hole with a hunk of board and 2 cement rocks moved in front of it. 2 days after that, my hubby went back and sealed up that last hole. He could see where they had walked all around the edges of the foundation. But they didn't move or get into that last hole. 

So thankfully no skunks had to be dispatched by him or the landlords and that made both happy.


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## Captain Tan Can (Nov 9, 2005)

My wooded suburban neighborhood is inundated with skunks. I paid a "relocation" company $50.00 to trap the first one under my deck but after seeing several others I went online and ordered the best trap ever. go to www.theskunker.com. Its pricey but no spray problems. In 18 months I trapped 9 raccoons, 7 possums. and 19 skunks. Bait with small pieces of Little Debbies oatmeal cookies, and for the tough ones put on a little chocolate syrup. I modified it a little by installing a screen door bolt on the outside to hold open the spring door to let the critters out. I also made a rack out of a trailer ball insert for my 2" receiver hitch. All the critters seem to relieve themselves in the trap so you don't want it leaking in the bed of your truck or worse on the carpet in your SUV.

After dropping them off I head to the quarter car wash, wash out the trap and set it again. The trap is all aluminum and it top quality.


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## thumbgoodfisherman (Dec 6, 2005)

Chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter works real well. With the price of ammo drowning the critters is way less expensive.


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## Copper15 (Oct 17, 2012)

Grizzyaries said:


> Stick the garden hose in the hole and flood em out should run outa there like a water sprayed cat. Then close da hole.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


When whey come up hit them with a shovel! Flat nose shovel makes it easier. Then you already have the shovel to pick them up and move them to where ever (trash or dig a hole). Rinse the shovel and repeat. That many of them I would have more than one person with shovels...


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