First off how do you somewhat ge the smell off in order to be able to stand to skin one?

then are the oil sacs under the skin around the back side? So as long as you don't penitrate the flesh you should be fine?

I was told to put the skunk in a bucket/tub of warm water and dawn dish soap for a day or two. And it did make it tolerable to skin. It even took the smell off the trap. When I skin I just cut around the whole sac and make a nice window from it. Hope this helps.
Jonny

There's a solution of baking soda, dish soap and hydrogen peroxide that will remove the smell in about 5 minutes.



http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/skunksmellremovalrid.htm

Just fill up a bucket with water and dunk the skunk in. When he's good and wet, mix the solution and quickly shampoo it into his fur all over. Just be delicate in the under-tail area. Rinse him off and smell him.
If he needs another go, shampoo him again.

It's amazing how well this stuff works. I shattered a vial of skunk essence in the garage before, and all I had to do was scrub the floor a little with this stuff and it was 100% gone.

When you skin him, just bear in mind that the glands are on either side of the anus. You can either syringe the essence out first, avoid the area with a coon-style "money cut" up and away from the gland area, or you can cut them out with a razor blade. You ring the anus with a razor, cut the membranes holding the intestines to the walls of the abdominal cavity, and simply pull out the intestines about 1/2 inch and cut it off below the glands. (I find that sitting in a chair, holding the skunk between your legs facing the floor is the best position.) You can then syringe the glands out where you can see them. And have no fear of cutting them while skinning. This is my preferred method, I learned it on the tape "On the Cat Line."

just dig in a bear the smell, soon you'll find you love it

This is the basic formula used by most for ridding skunk odor.

You can proportion this basic formula to cover your needs accordingly:

1 quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

1/4 cup of baking soda

1 to 2 teaspoons liquid soap (Softsoap or Ivory liquid preferred.) Dawn might work?

Do not fudge on the soap brands - shampoo and other stuff of that nature will not cut it as well as those mentioned. I am not a chemist and do not know why those brands are preferred.

Make up a batch of it and you should have enough. Put some rubber dish washing or latex gloves on, unless you are extremely adventurous.

Scrub the critter up good and let it "soap up" for 5-10 minutes, but do not squeeze the body in the process. Rinse it off thoroughly with lukewarm water and give it a good sniff test. Let your nose tell you how many more times you may have to bathe it before the odor is gone.

This method works on just about anything that comes in contact with raw skunk quill, maybe with the exception if you get it on your leather dancing shoes. If that happens, throw them out!

Have you ever skinned one before? If not, here is a link for your to review:

Skinning A Skunk

Take your time. After you do a few, you'll catch on to the precautions.

Jonathan

Thanks for the info........... I have manages to trap 4 in the last 2 nights

Just skinned my 3rd one this season...i let em partially freeze a little...the setting outside and being frozen keeps the smell to a minimum. When cutting, as already said, be careful around the hind legs on each side of the goodies. I haven't had a problem yet...i use the glands for more scent out on the line.


Bobcats 1
Coons 6
Grinners 12
Skunks 3
Other 2
Pinkies Almost one, but thumb stopped it