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HOW TO TRAP A SKUNK
Trap with steel protective skunk shroud
There is a lot of advice out there on how to trap skunks and I am going to help you sort it out. First, you will need to pick a trap. Kill traps are an option. See our video on Using Kill Traps. I don’t consider this to be a good option. You can also utilize a box tap that is raccoon-size or smaller. Raccoon traps are about 10x12 in cross section.
Skunk Living Under a Building
If the skunk is going under a building, that is a good and a bad thing. Getting the skunk out from under a building is not too hard if you know what you are doing. However, if the skunk sprays the whole building, it will stink to high heaven for at least a week or two. Lots of people decide to go stay with family when this happens. My dad blasted a skunk with a shotgun outside my bedroom window when I was a kid. He and the skunk fired at the same time. We stayed with my grandparents for a while. He hung his clothes in the attic to air them out, but we ended up burning them. I don’t remember what his friends and coworkers said when he showed up. He may have had a lot less people who wanted to be around him for a while.
End view of trap set against building.
Catching a skunk from under a building isn’t as complicated as verifying that there are no more skunks under the building. A high percentage of my calls involve females denning under buildings to raise their young. If you find a skunk under a building during birthing season, this may be something to consider. Removing mom may leave you with three to five more little skunklets trapped inside. Dead skunks under a building is much worse than a spraying. Dead skunks under a building puts the “epicenter of stench” right under your house. There is just a lot more stinky fluid there to cause problems. Skunks don’t release their entire load in a spraying. If the skunk dies, the full entire load of stink is right there and the offensive aroma will last longer and is much stronger. Plus it combines the stink of skunk with the stench of death.
Best Way to Get the Skunk Out
The best way to get a skunk out from under a building is to not trap it at all. Now, you are thinking “this guy has lost his mind”, but think about it. If you don’t ever trap the skunk, the skunk won’t spray you. To do this, I use a one way door apparatus. This gizmo lets the skunk out, but it can’t get back in. I picked this little ditty up from a commercial wildlife control supplier. If you set it up right, it is worth its weight in gold. For it to work it HAS TO BE INSTALLED CORRECTLY. Skunks don’t take no for an answer and will work diligently to get back to their den. They will bypass your efforts and slip back in if you don’t know how to install the one way door. This won’t take more than a few minutes.
Video shows skunks trying to get back in the next day after being once forced out from under home.
The Skunk has Already Been Trapped, What Do I Do Now
Often the question is what to do if you already have a skunk in a trap. As a professional I feel that this is much harder and riskier to deal with a trapped skunk successfully if I trapped it myself. I greatly prefer that customers call me from the start. I can take special precautions as I set the trap based on each client’s environment so this is the best way to proceed. Some of my traps have special shrouds to keep the skunk from having a clear line of sight as you approach. The shrouds are metal and easier to clean up than my clothes. What I decide to use depends on the situation. I have several different options on the truck.
Other wildlife articles I have read say that if you approach the skunk with a large towel or sheet between you and the skunk, he or she won’t spray. I find that this is true, but only part of the time. I have not found the success rate to be consistent. One benefit to this plan of action is if the skunk “goes off”, you won’t be hit directly and that will assist with clean-up. A direct hit in the face would be particularly bad because skunk spray can blind. These animals get more agitated the closer you get and you are more likely to have a problem. I used this technique once and had the animal wait until I was about three feet away to go off. I didn’t get hit directly, but I still stunk to high heaven. Skunk stink has a way of working its way into clothes, skin, etc. and staying there for a while. A little practice at reading the skunk’s mood helps too.
You might consider approaching the skunk from around the back side of a bush, wall, or other visual obstruction. This will help keep the skunk calm as you approach. Be careful when you “pop out” that you don’t startle the skunk into spraying - calm and easy does it.
Signs a Skunk Is About To Spray
The skunk is about to spray if:
1. It raises its tail straight up over its back. This is a sign that it is agitated.
2. Turns its rear end in your direction. (Hope you wore your running shoes…)
3. Starts to stamp its tiny little front feet. (Check out our page on How to Deal with Skunk Stink.)
If the skunk starts to do these things, it is becoming more stressed and may be ready to spray. You can wait to see if it will calm down or you can run. I can’t really guarantee what it will do, so maybe you should just run. Generally speaking, if the skunk looks agitated it is more likely to go off. If the skunk is pacing back and forth this is a good early sign. Being right out in the open will also add to the animal’s stress.
I Have My Skunk in a Trap, Now What Do I Do
Once you have the skunk, you will need to do something with it. I recommend that you check our Relocating Wildlife page if you are considering that option. But, in short it is illegal for you to relocate the skunk. It is illegal to be in possession of native wildlife species in general. Moving skunks can potentially mean relocating an animal that is infected with a Zoonotic Disease, particularly rabies. Rabies does not show symptoms for several days after infection. Skunks cannot be relocated and must be put down.