Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Shoot a skunk without it spraying?

Hello all!
What is the trick to shooting a skunk without it spraying? I sleep with my bedroom door open and have a skunk which has dug under my pool slab just around the corner. I smelled him all night last night. What is the trick?
Thanks all,
Rick

There's no surefire way to do it, but shotgun at 15 yards seems to have the best odds of no-spray.

If you can get by without shooting him flush him out and pour ammonia in his little hideaway.

Otherwise no sure fire way. I have been lucky, killed a very few in a catch cage and never got sprayed.

Long story about 1 though. Shot him in my cage and my buddy says, just dump him NE of the barn about 100 yards. I had been trapping cats, possums and coons from his barn.

He decides about a week later to try to run along and scoop the skunk up in the skid steer bucket, still no smell at all.

Bucket was curled back just a little and said varmint went under getting smashed between the ground and the heel of the loader bucket!!!🤣🤣🤣

Took him a bit to get over that one.

Double lung shot.

Double lung 22 short.

Double lung, 22 CB cap or air rifle. Even then you are only slightly above 50/50 for not spraying.

The best method is to give them "the blue shot" of whatever the vet uses to put down animals. That is in the 90% range for me. The trick is sticking the skunk without spooking it into spraying. Best way is to use a live trap just big enough for the skunk to enter. If it can't lift its tail out of the way it usually won't spray if you approach slowly.

If you have the shot, give it to him otherwise cover the trap with a tarp or thick blanket. Once in the dark the skunk will calm down some if not jostled. Take it to a water source deep enough to submerge the trap and leave for at least 15 minutes.

Done correctly it is mostly odorless and fairly clean.

If you have a large syringe, 20 cc's of cheap Vodka to the chest cavity puts them to sleep without spraying. Attach the syringe to a long pole and move slow to keep them from getting excited.

The double lung works best if the skunk doesn’t know you’re there.If he’s feeding or just moving they usually just make a short death run without spraying

I have dispatched several in a live trap ,22 to back of the head.

I catch several in coon dog proof traps. I usually head shoot. Just be sure to stay up wind even on light breeze days. Im not sure they ever spray, I think it just releases.

Live trap it. Put tarp on top of trap. Drown in your pool.

Or a connibare

Throw dry ice in his hole while he's there and cover the opening. Fill with dirt the next day.

For what it's worth, I've plugged a couple skunks with no spray, upper chest shots.
Both were with supersonic projectiles, a close 22 LRHP and a not-so-close Fireball. I point that out because hydrostatic shock waves seem to matter in terms of zapping the nervous system, including reflexes.
Other skunks I've popped elsewhere stunk up a storm.
If I have a choice, I'll go for the upper chest just below the neck because gophers seem to die deadest that way as well. Brain them, they do the dance, gut them, they suffer. Chest, they're just dead. It was the same way with the skunks, no run or any dramatics, just a dead skunk with no perfume.

I wanna be a fly on the wall when this idea was hashed out….😂

Only one I've shot that didn't spray was with my blowgun. Dart through the lungs and he took 4 steps and fell over, nice and peaceful like.

I have actually done it 100's of times and even have an aluminum pole and syringe for doing it. People in town will pay GOOD money to have a skunk removed from their live trap on the deck if it doesn't spray.

Live trap on their DECK?

Now, THAT's good planning. Jeeze.....

Evnin, when we got a skunk in a coon or fisher set we had a looong pole we left at each set with a snare on the end. Sneeek it around the neck & lift him of the ground quick!!! Seems they need to have hind legs on the ground to spray. Take over to nearest pond & hold him under till, well you know. Not in your pool, they can spray in the water you just can't smell it because it's diluted. Turns the water blue, purple,.... like an oil slick, don't think ya want to swim in it. GWP. 🐾👣🇨🇦

I have shot dozens of skunks trapping.....shot to the head, will spary everytime. .22 behind the shoulder, most of the time won't spray. Nothing is 100%