Seems like Friday since hubby is home sick. Not a bad day though since I did catch my skunk that jumped in a circle and chased the neighbor before taking up residency under our shed. No, it isn't a pet skunk, just a young one and they can act silly. In this terrible drought, skunks are coming in and causing all kinds of havoc like the one that killed our chicken and was sucking eggs in our chicken coop. Funny that this one at the house, three-quarters of a mile away, arrived a few days later. We've been so.... blessed lately with irritations.
Anyway, I couldn't set the trap I borrowed on Tuesday because I had all four of the grand babies and the youngest is a handful. We've had the older girls overnight Monday and Tuesday and all the girls except the youngest went hothe baby until late on Tuesday night. As a side note, the youngest today at her well baby checkup was in the fiftieth percentile for weight and ninth percentile for height. Kirk added that her lungs are really good too. LOL My word that child has a temper. It's no wonder I call her chunky monkey with her thunder thighs and kanckles for ankles.
So with all the uproar, I set the trap on Wednesday and TADA, I caught the black and white kitty. Funny, but the local dog catcher said I'm the only one that has borrowed a skunk trap and caught one in all the years she's worked in that position.
Seriously people, it isn't hard. It is a rectangular cage with a swing door that all you have to do is throw in some cat food, pull the rod to the side to hold up the door, and wait. The rod keeps the door open and the trip plate in position to drop the door when stepped on. Hardly rocket science and good thing for I've never used one in my life. I have trapped in the traditional way a little with my dad but this is not in the least as complicated as trapping bobcats.
When the county trapper came to pick up the skunk, I asked him lots of questions. After all he had eight in his truck today before picking up mine which makes nine and HE IS the expert. He said the calls had slowed down a bit as he was getting twelve to fifteen calls a day wanting skunks trapped for the past two months. Wow, that's a lot of stinky perfume. Which reminds me, he said Hydrogen Peroxide with baking soda and a touch of dish soap mixed and scrubbed thoroughly into your already wet dog did a pretty good job on eradicating the smell from your pet.
He should know, he said he has to frequently do it with his coyote dogs. No, not as in coyote/dog cross but as in dogs that run out and attract the coyotes which in turn chase them and then the dog runs for the safety of the trapper who gets rid of the coyote.
He also said grape jelly works super as an enticement for baby skunks and he once caught four in one trap. They must of crowded right in. He agreed that cat food works the best for older skunks and the best place to set a trap is around a corner.
Interestingly, before he picked up the cage, he made a funny noise with his mouth, not loud but different, to make sure the skunk was awake before moving the cage. He made the same noise when he went to shift the cage to go through the gate and to put the cage into the truck. He said it wasn't the particular sound but a warning to the skunk that he was about to do something and to make sure the skunk was awake so he doesn't get startled. He also said that the movement of the truck always put the skunks to sleep so he doesn't worry about them spraying in transport.
They are nocturnal after all and moving them in the daytime disturbs their sleep schedule. An awake and calm skunk isn't as likely to spray. As a FYI, he told me that baby skunks have a tendency to let her rip with their entire supply while older skunks spray a little and then spray a little more if need be, and save a little encase they are caught to give a final blast. And if you have to carry a skunk in a skunk live trap, carry it with the door facing backwards.
I wonder if his little truck has been dubbed the Skunk Mobile. LOL If he was transporting 12 to 15 a day what would you call it? I'm just grateful I didn't have to do anything with the skunk. Reminds me of those diaper services that pick up the dirty ones. Wouldn't that have been nice when our kids were little?
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