Got ridiculed last time
#7780672
01/23/23 09:06 PM
01/23/23 09:06 PM
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 11,219 SW Georgia
Wanna Be
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 11,219
SW Georgia
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First of all, we don’t have many skunks down here. I don’t know why, but we just don’t. I can remember in my younger years they seemed to be dead every other mile on the roads, not anymore.
With that said, I’ve only caught one skunk in my life (knocking on wood right now) but when I did everyone told me to take that trap up and soak it is a running creek for a couple of weeks to get that skunk smell off. Someone even posted a mixture to soak it in.
Well, I got thinking…why??? I mean we buy skunky lures and even baits so why try and take that scent off. Apparently when I caught that skunk it sprayed everything it had and then some. You could smell that location from inside the truck a good 50+ yards away. I decided the heck with changing the trap, I just reset it. Within a week, without using lure or bait, I caught a fox, possum, fox, bobcat, and finally another fox. I eventually had to pull it because the catch circle looked like a hog wallow! I eventually moved to another property and you could tell that trap because of the smell. One of my first, first night catches, came off that trap and it was a coyote.
So before all this rain came my son calls and said I’ve got something really bad caught and since it’s “your” trap I’m using you can come let it out. I thought oh Lord he’s done caught a deer or one of their $25K bird dogs! When those guesses weren’t the answer I told him I give up. He sent me a pic of a skunk, lol!!
He said ok, I’ve ruined a pair of boots just killing it and getting it out of the trap, but I’ll come back tomorrow or this afternoon after the smell dies down and pull it…what you want me to do with it?
I told him to suck it up and just remake it. Don’t add anything, use a throw away pair of gloves and make it a flat set with minimal guiding. Well nothing Sat or Sun morning (2” of rain), but this morning he had a coyote bouncing in the set. He said it still smells of skunk, but not quite as bad. I told him I know he has to pull or trip by Wednesday, but just reset it and don’t add anything and see what tomorrow morning or Wednesday morning brings.
So I guess I’m asking again, never got a good answer, why do y’all pull a skunk smelling trap? It’s not like the trap is the only thing smelling of skunk, so why replace or try and clean it?
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Re: Got ridiculed last time
[Re: Wanna Be]
#7780673
01/23/23 09:14 PM
01/23/23 09:14 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960 Northern Nevada
Bob
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960
Northern Nevada
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I don’t, I’ve caught a lot of fur in skunked up traps. Red fox especially, they can’t seem to resist a skunk remake. In fact, I love catching skunks, if for no other reason than I know that set is now a fox magnet.
"I have two guns, one for each of ya."
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Re: Got ridiculed last time
[Re: Wanna Be]
#7780757
01/23/23 10:45 PM
01/23/23 10:45 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 12,904 South Ga - Almost Florida
Swamp Wolf
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 12,904
South Ga - Almost Florida
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I've never pulled the trap either. Just remake set. Pull trap on pull day with all the rest of em. Never had any problems. SEGa is like SWGa....don't know where all the skunks went a few years back....probably distemper as the grey fox all but disappeared about then too.
Thank God For Your Blessings! Never Half-Arse Anything!
Resource Protection Service
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Re: Got ridiculed last time
[Re: steeltraps]
#7780780
01/23/23 11:11 PM
01/23/23 11:11 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960 Northern Nevada
Bob
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960
Northern Nevada
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I dont touch a skunky trap. Dont want that trap anymore. Just going to contaminate everything I own. Last year kill the skunk. Left brand new = MJ 600 Sterling JC Conner shock bar 4 swivels and 8 ft of chain Saber Tooth drag. Im not kidding. I am NOT driving homw with that stinking mess for no 1055 miles smelling up my truck. I catch a skunk. You can have that trap. NEVER want it back! Its yours!!! I have caught lots of coyotes when I was young in = Skunky traps but now? NO !!! Want touch them. Aint worth it to me for no 70 dollar trap rigge Man I wish I lived near you! I’d have a new trap every time you caught a skunk!
"I have two guns, one for each of ya."
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Re: Got ridiculed last time
[Re: Bob]
#7780787
01/23/23 11:24 PM
01/23/23 11:24 PM
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 806 Western New York
Tony1967
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 806
Western New York
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I dont touch a skunky trap. Dont want that trap anymore. Just going to contaminate everything I own. Last year kill the skunk. Left brand new = MJ 600 Sterling JC Conner shock bar 4 swivels and 8 ft of chain Saber Tooth drag. Im not kidding. I am NOT driving homw with that stinking mess for no 1055 miles smelling up my truck. I catch a skunk. You can have that trap. NEVER want it back! Its yours!!! I have caught lots of coyotes when I was young in = Skunky traps but now? NO !!! Want touch them. Aint worth it to me for no 70 dollar trap rigge Man I wish I lived near you! I’d have a new trap every time you caught a skunk! I know! I was thinking I’d provide postage for him to send them my way!
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Re: Got ridiculed last time
[Re: Wanna Be]
#7780824
01/24/23 12:23 AM
01/24/23 12:23 AM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960 Northern Nevada
Bob
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960
Northern Nevada
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Lol if I tossed every trap that caught a skunk I wouldn’t have any left. I only fur trap, and I usually end up with close to a dozen of them. I don’t mind the smell. I’ve been sprayed 3 times, twice directly in the face. It burns something fierce when it gets in your eyes! Tomato juice is a wives tale. 1 quart peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda and a tablespoon of dawn dishsoap, scrub down with that and it’s like it never happened.
"I have two guns, one for each of ya."
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Re: Got ridiculed last time
[Re: Wanna Be]
#7780825
01/24/23 12:24 AM
01/24/23 12:24 AM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960 Northern Nevada
Bob
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,960
Northern Nevada
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I even skin the stinkers. I’ve got pretty good at it, usually after I’m done I come inside and my wife can’t tell I been anywhere near one. They sure make a pretty pelt
"I have two guns, one for each of ya."
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Re: Got ridiculed last time
[Re: Wanna Be]
#7781016
01/24/23 10:39 AM
01/24/23 10:39 AM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 17,385 Central Ohio
LT GREY
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 17,385
Central Ohio
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Here might be a better question. . . How come more trappers aren't dispatching their captured skunk, without incident ? Meaning : without the skunk spraying ?
I seldom ever have a skunk spray in a trap, regardless of the trap used. That technique was widely shown back in the 1980's using a syringe pole and acetone , still used by many trappers today. Skunk essence is worth good money and worth saving. If you have good clean essence, you can't keep it in stock. Every lure maker wants it . The drained pods (scent glands) are in high demand as well. Even the fat scraped and the skinned carcass itself is worth money.
But I digress . . . Skunk essence spayed DIRECTLY on the trap can, and I say CAN, cause a 'bare metal' spot to rust. Skunk essence on a trap can allow a canine to detect it, beneath the soil, causing a digging response. Now, everything being equal and, the entire area smells like skunk . . .and you will too, before it's over, then you do your best to clean the trap off and reset the area In most cases , you'll do fine But every now and then, a canine picks up the overwhelming spot of the essence and at times NEW RUST and digs out the trap.
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Re: Got ridiculed last time
[Re: Yes sir]
#7781102
01/24/23 12:09 PM
01/24/23 12:09 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,004 alabama
steeltraps
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,004
alabama
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If u trapped where there was more skunks you would learn a better method of dispatch. Lol I actually like catching skunks. Not a lot of catches on skunk remakes here but they are better than possum and coon remakes. Maybe cause they are more common here they don't get as much interest....??? I have only had to dispatch 3 or 4 skunks in my life. I feel lucky!!!!!! Just shootem. Kill them . Come back month later for trap. Alabama actual has or had = Hunting Fish reg book = kinf you get at Wal- Mart = inside it had = Have you seen this skunk picture? Had call 1 800 # and everything. Endangered Skunk?? I say = good redence! LOL!
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Re: Got ridiculed last time
[Re: Wanna Be]
#7781222
01/24/23 03:37 PM
01/24/23 03:37 PM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 5,584 West Central MN
20scout
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 5,584
West Central MN
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I absolutely love to catch skunks! Sorta like being in a suspense movie where you have to defuse a bomb. Once you learn to properly dispatch them, it's all profit!
Common sense is a not a vegetable that does well in everyone's garden.
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Re: Got ridiculed last time
[Re: 20scout]
#7781355
01/24/23 06:45 PM
01/24/23 06:45 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,004 alabama
steeltraps
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,004
alabama
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I absolutely love to catch skunks! Sorta like being in a suspense movie where you have to defuse a bomb. Once you learn to properly dispatch them, it's all profit! I get that ~20scout. But its like = modifing traps. One guy loves it because it saves money. Another guy. Like me looks at it like this. With traps I dont have to modifiy. I can spend more time trapping and make morw money. So is it worth it ? I honestly have no idea. 3 or 4 skunks in 15 years or more aint gone to make it worth it. So seriously? What a skunk worth? Essance ? Skin? Fat ? What is the = total all in value of a = Alabama skunk. Case I catch 1 in March ?
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Re: Got ridiculed last time
[Re: 20scout]
#7781357
01/24/23 06:46 PM
01/24/23 06:46 PM
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Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 7,475 W NY
Turtledale
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 7,475
W NY
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I absolutely love to catch skunks! Sorta like being in a suspense movie where you have to defuse a bomb. Once you learn to properly dispatch them, it's all profit! I agree
NYSTA, NTA, FTA, life member Erie county trappers assn.,life member Catt.county trappers
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