[TxCajun]

Well, this is right on time for the grand opening of our newest forum.  Sometimes the Great Outdoors is right in your back yard.  Just minutes ago, I heard my sometimes fearless Pic-A-Poo Rudy barking up a storm out back.  It was not his usual bark.  He was barking and growling and he sounded really serious.  I could tell he was onto something.  I figured some neighbor's cat had climbed the fence and Rudy was giving it hell, so I grabbed a flashlight and went out to investigate.  

Low and behold, he had this pair cornered under an overgrown honeysuckle bush that climbs up a trellis.  He was dashing in and out, barking and growling, not quite knowing what to do with them.  The fearless little pair was holding their own, taking turns making feigning lunges at Rudy who would back off and then dart back in.  It was quite the choreographed dance they were doing and a downright comical little standoff.  My yard is completely enclosed by a privacy fence, so I don't how they got in.  I guess they squeezed in somewhere back behind the shed in a corner that has a small gap.  

Fearing their mother was around, I grabbed up Rudy, closed off his doggie door and plopped him in the house.  I grabbed my camera and cautiously went back outside shining the light around, ever cautious that the mother might show up and really put up a stink, no pun intended.  I got down on the ground just inches away and got these shots of the little invaders.  In the pics, it's a little hard to tell tell how small they were, but they were little guys, maybe 8 or 10 weeks old and not yet able to spray.  Note their size relative to the leaves and blades of grass.  I have to say, they were extremely cute little buggers.  When I got down near them with the camera, they resumed their battle positions and made a couple of fake rushes at me until the flash scared them off back behind the trellis where I could no longer see them.  Geez, I sure hope they find their way out of my yard before their mom finds her way in.  :-/

And the mighty baby skunk hunter, Rudy, not happy to be stuck in the house with all that cool action going on... in the Great Outdoors.  [smiley=smiley.gif]

 

[3wbdriver]

Rudy's a killer, that's a fact! Held my lap down so hard to be petted it was almost painful. ;D

 

[haugrdr]

I used to have a house that was on the ancient skunk migration path.

Wife even stepped on one, at night, barefoot.

Can't tell you how many times the dog got sprayed.

Then I found what attracted them to my yard.......birdfeeders, they love the seeds under them.

Got rid of the birdfeeders and got rid of the skunks.

 

[GoldenLoki]

Very cool pics.

Thanks for risking your life to get them.... well your social life anyway.
Getting skunk sprayed will make you a social outcast for a good long while.

GL

 

[Bear76]

They are so cute! Skunks are on my top 5 favorite animals list. I would have one for a pet if it was legal in Kansas(although there are a group of us lobbying to make it legal!). They really are one of the worlds most misunderstood creatures. I actually like the smell of skunk essence...mainly because it smells like money to me lol and brings back a lot of memories. Back when I was trapping in NY, pure skunk essence was going for $25 an ounce.

 

[Bert]

skunk essence...mainly because it smells like money to me lol and brings back a lot of memories. Back when I was trapping in NY, pure skunk essence was going for $25 an ounce.

Really....

How much can you harvest from a typical adult ? I got seven of them a few years ago.

B.

 

[Bear76]

How much can you harvest from a typical adult ?  I got seven of them a few years ago.

Depends on if the skunk sprayed before it was dispatched or not. Even if they didn't you usually only get an ounce or a little less. It is pretty difficult to extract though.

You need to either hang the skunk by one leg(hanging by both legs places pressure on the bladder & the gland and limits your odds of getting anything useful. One you have it hanging you have to very carefully skin the hind end, a surgical scalpel is good for this because it's super sharp and cuts small amounts at a time. Once you get to the gland(which if the skunk hasn't sprayed you'll have no trouble finding), you insert a 18g. needle into it and withdraw the essence into a syringe. It's best to start at the top and work your way down with several insertions than to stick the needle in the bottom of the gland and risk loosing some. Once it's in the syringe you inject it into a vial with the plastic caps(like the ones doctors use for injectable medicine) and you are good to go! Anyway, that was probably WAY more information than you wanted to know ;-)

 

[Bert]

Perfect level of detail.

Illustrates technique, supplies required, and need for advance preparation.  At an ounce each, definitely worth the effort.  None of the seven I shot in the head had a chance to spray.

We have a decent crop of them this year, so I may have to get further detail from you and start harvesting.  I could have had four this year, just by walking outside and shooting, much less trapping.

What is the shelf life, and does it need to be shipped quickly, or just stored cool ? Does it matter whether spotted or striped species ?

Are the pelts marketable ?

Ryan....You need to treat her better (regardless of what you currently do). You are living the dream, dude.

B.

 

[haugrdr]

I found them pretty easy to "dispatch" (not harvest, I kilt them).

Shine a really bright light at them, they faced the light as I walked up to them and shot 'em in the head with a .22 revolver.

They never sprayed, think I got rid of 40-50 of them in 4 years.

Tied the body up in a plastic trash bag, and put it in the dumpster behind the used book store down the road. :

 

[Bert]

I found them pretty easy to "dispatch" (not harvest, I kilt them).

Shine a really bright light at them, they faced the light as I walked up to them and shot 'em in the head with a .22 revolver.

They never sprayed, think I got rid of 40-50 of them in 4 years.

Tied the body up in a plastic trash bag, and put it in the dumpster behind the used book store down the road.     :

Wait a minute!!!! > You are supposed to shoot'em before putting them in the bag ??? :-?

 

[haugrdr]

[quote author=haugrdr link=1280726820/0#8 date=1280791171]I found them pretty easy to "dispatch" (not harvest, I kilt them).

Shine a really bright light at them, they faced the light as I walked up to them and shot 'em in the head with a .22 revolver.

They never sprayed, think I got rid of 40-50 of them in 4 years.

Tied the body up in a plastic trash bag, and put it in the dumpster behind the used book store down the road.     :

Wait a minute!!!! >  You are supposed to shoot'em before putting them in the bag ??? :-?[/quote]

Less smelly my way. ;D

 

[Bear76]

What is the shelf life, and does it need to be shipped quickly, or just stored cool ?

I couldn't tell you the shelf life. I never had to store mine very long. I had a gentleman several towns over that bought it to make trapping lures, that I in turn bought to go trapping with. You need to have a market for it, a specific buyer that is interested...otherwise you are just going to have a bunch of skunk essence hanging around with no use for it.

Does it matter whether spotted or striped species ?

This is going to depend on your states trapping regulations. I know here in Kansas I can take striped skunks but the harvest of spotted skunks is strictly forbidden. You are also going to need to check your states regulations regarding the sale of animal by-products. Some let you with no restrictions, some allow you to sell in state only, & some don't let you sell at all. You will need a trapping license in order to take skunks because as far as I know they are classified in every state as a furbearer.

Are the pelts marketable ?

An honest answer? No. There is no fur that is selling worth a crap right now. The prices in the fur market dropped about 7 or 8 years ago and have never come back up. The only things that are still bringing in a decent amount are otter & south western state bobcats(better spots on their bellies than northern cats). You also have to contend with deciding if you want to sell the pelts raw or tanned. If you sell raw, you'll get less for them however if you sell tanned you still aren't going to make much after paying the tanner. If you can find someplace like a country store or a souvenir store that would carry the finished product you may be able to make a little more but honestly nothing is going to bring you enough to cover the funds of producing the product.

Ryan....You need to treat her better (regardless of what you currently do). You are living the dream, dude.

He has no idea what a good catch he got  

 

[Bert]

Thanks!  Good info.

"...otherwise you are just going to have a bunch of skunk essence hanging around with [highlight]no use[/highlight] for it. "

You never know.....

- Sportsman License ($136) covers trapping and everything else here in TN.
- Seasons here for both spotted & striped (and bobcats)

B.

 

[thunderbutt]

 

[Checker4Tix]

I had a colleague a few years ago whose wife found some orphaned skunk babies. She kept the, took them to a vet to have their stinkers removed, and then kept them as pets. Cute little buggers.

 

[224lps]

WOW.. I just ebay'ed skunk essence ... Yup.. It's for sale...

 

[thunderbutt]

i give up what the heck would someone do with skunk essence other than get even with someone you hate
;D

 

[Bert]

i give up what the heck would someone do with skunk essence other than get even with someone you hate
;D

-Hunting game that has a sensitive sense of smell.  A drop on your boots covers up human essence
- Train your dogs to leave skunks alone

 

[guru2sum]

I went into some gift shop, must have been in Wisconsin. Looked around for a while and then spotted a big one under a bench. After my heart slowed down and I got brave, it turned out to have a temperament a lot like a cat.

 

[Grizzly]

Greetings All,

Isn't Skunk essence used as a base in some of the more expensive perfumes? I am positive Whale puke is. I believe it makes the perfume smell last longer. I can only imagine how they get rid of the original odor.

Grizzly