Last night was a first in over 30 years! I hope it never repeats as my poor ole heart can't handle these traumatic events!

I was standing in between a couple mares and taking a couple burrs out of a tail. All of a sudden I caught a "white" movement out the side of my eye. It didn't alarm me because one of my siamese cats often shows up wandering with me along with others.... All of a sudden a mare moved and I realized there was a SKUNK running toward me full tilt and only 15-20 away max! Talk about freak out! I can't run do to a disability but tried to no avail. I was soooo afraid he'd spray and I have bad reactions to the aborne skunk stench to the point I get physically ill and it makes my nose and throat prrickle and then swell.

This fella had his very white tail up over his back and he was very very white. My cat is very long haired so with horses moving I didn't realize what was up. I was also afraid he could be rabid or have distemper to come so close/ be the aggressor of the situation. So then I was worried about the horses who just ignored him the same as they ignore the cats.

Thank heavens I didn't have any dogs out with me or it'd have been a whole lot worse!

Do you suppose he didn't "recognize" or notice me with the horses there or what?? We've been having a lot of skunky nights this summer so he must be the culprit. I was between him and the compost bin which has had some "unusual" activity this summer. Maybe he was heading for dinner and didn't notice me.....

Question:
IF you shoot a skunk, do they die without spraying or will I have to endure that if I had to shoot him? I don't plan on it and yet if he's ill and becoming an aggressor then I have to do something due to being an area with bat rabies and possibly skunk.....

YUCK!

What other encounters have you all had?

My hubby thinks that it will spray... can you trap it... LOL he said that if you grab it really quick and hold the tail down it cant spray ya... I aint testing it.. I smell skunk once in a while have not see it here tho.. Oh once Hubby and I were camping and a stinky one walked under the trailer lol it smelled for a while... then was gone... Maybe Google "How to catch a skunk"
LOL I know I am no help...
MizSaige

My hubby thinks that it will spray... can you trap it... LOL he said that if you grab it really quick and hold the tail down it cant spray ya...

Tell hubby never fear, I don't intend on being close enough to hold the tail up or down! lol I highly suspect he has found my compost bin so I think I need to move my composting.....way far away! Then he'd have less reason to come up so close! I'm just afraid if I call animal control they'll say call some wildlife trapper/expert and that costs..... Plus with most wild life, when one leaves a territory vacant another will show up to take over the territory.....

This skunk makes the coyote IN my barn last summer a non issue! I think the coyote startled me more than me startling him but he sure did try to run up the wall of the barn!

Thanks for the reply!

The problem with trapping a skunk is this...."What do you do after it's trapped?" We once caught a skunk in a foot trap and thought we would wait it out and let it die in the trap. It didn't happen and after about a week my husband shot it. By the way....it did spray when shot.

If you shoot it , yes it will spray. If you trap it in a small live trap wair it can't lift it's tail, you can remove it from your property and not worry about getting sprayed. When releasing it just tie a rope to the trap door and stand off a bit, it will leave the trap without spraying.
I do have to add this little story: Yes if you grab it real quick and hold the tail down it can not spray, My brother had a teacher that had it in for him big time and to prove it to my mom he took a written paper from another student that had recieved an A and copied it, needless to say my brother brought home an F.
Not wanting to go the right route and take the proof to the school my brother and his friend decided to get even themselves. long story short, they skiped school after traping a skunk in a live trap. placed the trap in the back of there truck, drove to the teachers house and with gloves on my brother grabed the skunk quick holding the tail down while his friend open a window in the teachers house and low and behold the teacher called in sick for two weeks!
Cathy C

The skunk is probaly used to running around with the horses there, so he probaly didnt notice you there. Besides you are bigger than he is, which is why they spray. He could also be hanging around if there is any new construction going on around your place. His natural home might be getting disturbed. Trapping is the better way to go. Just my two cent opinion!

Jax