skunks

[tolson]

Caught 4 skunks so far this season. What kind of bait works best for bobcats?

[rasbo]

bobcat meat and beaver do well on bobs

[fatslinger]

Those are really pretty skunks! Are you going to sell them at the fur sale/Winter rendezvous?

[tolson]

No I didn't keep any of the skunks. How do you get the skunk smell out of the fur?

[hardkorrhunter]

There's a winter rendezvous?

[fatslinger]

Best way to keep the skunks from stinking is to be careful when you skin. There may be a faint odor after its off the carcass, but not too bad.
Winter Rendezvous and Fur sale is on March 15th in Elma. Check out the WSTA newsletter "The Fur Shed".

[Machias]

Start off by either drowning them or put a needle full of Acetone in their lungs and you'll have a nice clean pelt.  Next take a couple of hemostats and clamp off the two nipples to the scent sacs and then just skin carefully around the sacs.  Always wear gloves with skunks, number #1 carrier of rabies.  Nice pelts to work with.

[UrbanTrapper]

I did that only so far once but found that acetone was slow.  Does anyone know where I can get MEK in quantities less than 1 gallon (way more than I need and it's not cheap)?

[pnwmtnmn]

MEK is usually right beside the acetone at Home Depot in the quart cans.

[Humptulips]

Might consider CO2 and a kill box. I kill civets in my civet traps with CO2. Takes  30 seconds or less to render them unconsious. I have no trouble skinning them without the glands leaking.

[Smossy]

Might consider CO2 and a kill box. I kill civets in my civet traps with CO2. Takes  30 seconds or less to render them unconsious. I have no trouble skinning them without the glands leaking.

Yeah but we've seen you, your like a skinning guru

[Cougar125]

Drown them or use an air rifle.  Slowly skin around the anus and remove the gland.

To remove the skunk smell (before or after skinning doesn't matter) mix 1 qt hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, 3 tablespoons dawn dish soap.  Wash the skin like you would wash a dog.  Let the mixture work and fizzle on the skin.  The peroxide will break up the oil, the baking soda helps neutralize the scent, and the dawn dish soaps leaves it clean. 

[Huntlots]

When skunks are in your traps how do u get close enough to then without them spraying. To kill them . Will thy just not spray if u walk up to the trap?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Beartrap]

Nice looking skunks. Be nice to have a few of them. Skinning a skunk very simple, make a cut from heel to heel follow the hair line straight across. Then go to the center of the tail make a shallow cut on bought sides of the anal to your first cut. Peel the hide back to the tail and down past the glands. Make sure you skin the feet, once the feet are skinned pull the hide down so you can have room to work on the tail once you have the tail free, pull the hide down to the ears and finish the job. Good luck

[Cougar125]

When skunks are in your traps how do u get close enough to then without them spraying. To kill them . Will thy just not spray if u walk up to the trap?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I hunted skunks at night with a 22 in my waders when I lived in CA.  I would drive the dike roads at night until I saw them then I'd get as close as I could in the truck before I'd have to pursue on foot.  I've been within 2 feet of them for the headshot and I've never been sprayed even after chasing them.  With that said I've got a theory on this one. 

Skunks don't like the smell of their spray anymore than anything else, so they use it sparingly.  Also, foxes love the smell of skunks, so they don't spray unless absolutely necessary because it draws in other higher tier predators.