Shooting skunks without them spraying

[Javier730]

We have had a raccoon and skunk problem for a few years. They come on the property and kill our chickens. The raccoons pull and tear apart the chickens through their cages. The skunks come and spray near the house when they encounter our cats (rattlesnake killers) and also often have a few stinky dogs with yellow stains I gotta wash. I go out at night and take a few out with a 22 and set traps, but since there are a whole lot more raccoons, I never catch any skunks. I always take headshots on both and they both drop like rocks, only problem is that the skunks always spray. Last night after taking out two coons, I noticed a skunk was walking away a good distance from me at an angle headed toward the brush. The distance, angle and the skunks small head didn't let me take a good headshot so I took a shot at the body. It ran off under an old trailer we got and it didnt spray or appear wounded so I figured I missed. The trailer has some tall grass and weeds so i didn't go and try to get another shot at him because i didn't want to get sprayed. This morning I went and checked and there it was and it wasnt stinky! I hit it about 2 inches behind its left shoulder.

I read online that shots to the spine work but since it ran off this was obviously not the reason for not spraying. I dont know the anatomy of a skunk but I figure I might of hit the heart. Anyone here have any experience taking out these critters without them spraying? Like I mentioned trapping techniques will not work since I got so many coons and I have a greater chance of winning the powerball than trapping a skunk. Thanks.

[Beiruty]

Upscale to 50BMG

[Javier730]

Upscale to 50BMG

Should I use raufoss rounds?

[Jago668]

Nuke 'em from orbit...only way to be sure.

[rbwhatever1]

I've shot many skunks over the years but only if they're downwind of the house. I've never shot one that didn't release a cloud of mist and most were head shots. They usually go straight down and always spray. The last one was hanging around the tractor shed for almost two weeks before I finally caught him out and about downwind. My free range flock of chickens running on pasture with cattle sometimes drop eggs wherever they may be and skunks love eggs. Haven't had any skunks around in months. My LGD's tree the coons and we shoot them out but they don't mess with skunks. I wish my lazy barn cat would kill snakes.

[Javier730]

I've shot many skunks over the years but only if they're downwind of the house. I've never shot one that didn't release a cloud of mist and most were head shots. They usually go straight down and always spray. The last one was hanging around the tractor shed for almost two weeks before I finally caught him out and about downwind. My free range flock of chickens running on pasture with cattle sometimes drop eggs wherever they may be and skunks love eggs. Haven't had any skunks around in months. My LGD's tree the coons and we shoot them out but they don't mess with skunks. I wish my lazy barn cat would kill snakes.

I've always took headshots and they always sprayed too. This was my first body shot and no spray. I read online that heart shots are a good way to keep them from spraying. I also read on the Texas Department of State Health Services website that I'm in a "hot rabies pocket" which takes up like 20-25% of Texas so no more headshots on skunks.

Im taking my younger brother out tonight to get rid of some. I'll have him take heart shots and post the results.

[TxRVer]

I've only shot one skunk. .22LR HP behind the shoulder dropped him instantly without spray.

[rbwhatever1]

If this works for you i'll be changing my aim on skunks! Good luck out there tonight.

[Dragonfighter]

I've got a friend at the station that uses a live trap with a long rope tied to it. When he gets one he drags it out to the pasture and pops it, then gloves up and dumps the cage; buzzards handle the rest. I guess it depends on if you have any ground to work with, whether this would be a good solution for you.

Oh yeah, the one bait they evidently cannot pass up is stale Jack-In-The-Box fries. Go figure.

[loktite]

Well this doesn't help with shooting, but the other method often mentioned is taking said live trap and throwing it in a pond if available.

[maintenanceguy]

I've shot many skunks. Most have leaked a little but only a couple have actually sprayed. I always do a lung shot - at the recommendation of a taxadermist. His theory was that a head shot causes all sorts of electrical disruption and tensing of muscles. A lung shot does not. The skunk has no idea what just happened and doesn't bother to spray because there's no target to spray.

I also will only shoot if I'm upwind and if a drifting spray won't bother anyone else. If I have a skunk I'm after, I dig a hole with a post hole digger before I set up to shoot so I've got a place to dispose of the body as soon as it's done.

[dlh]

I usually just shoot em with the .410 and they stink...part of living in the country.

dlh

[jason812]

I always go for the body as I'm usually standing up and just got thru running or walking pretty fast to catch them before they disappear and its usually at night. Very few spray and I shot 5 in one night last year with one saluting me with his business end. It didn't spray even though I shot it straight up the stink hole. Maybe there is something to not shooting them in the head.

I leave them where they lay, buzzards got to eat too.

[rbwhatever1]

Good information. I'm going for the heart or neck on the next downwind skunk.

[Javier730]

My brother and I went it last night and stayed out until early this morning. I let him shoot with my ruger 10/22 lasermax with a tlr3 mounted on it. We saw a few coons walking and up in the trees and he took a few out. We also ran into 4 skunks but he only got a clear shot at two. Heart shots on both. One dropped right where he was and did not spray. The second one walked a few feet before laying down. He leaked a little but didn't really spray. We saw a hog but he got a pass since that isn't what we were out there for. They tear up the earth pretty bad but don't come to close to the house so they are really not a problem. I've heard they have an appetite for rattlers and that makes them okay in my book. He might of not been so lucky if I was hungry. Overall we had a good time, we got rid of some pests and learned heart shots are better than headshots on skunks. I also got to talk to my brother who I hadn't spent some time with in a while. I teased him a bit about the two skunks that got away and panicking when stumbling across the hog (we were walking around the brush not sitting in a blind). Good times.