skunk trapping

I'm going into trapping skunks for essense
I plan on using 160 conibears I hope will work to stop the skunk from spraying.but not sure on how to set the conis and whst bsit I should use thinking of just using bacon grease.

Any advise

I have been using a Belisle 120 set in front of an old plastic mail box. using marshmallows or peanut butter and crackers for bait. I get very little spray if any.

Thats great.then cubby holes should work.
Theres lot of brush philes And deer trails

I never thought of that. Put the flag up during the day and then at night put it down again. When the skunk comes to get his mail,

whamo! By the way, you guys aren't doing it right. I can catch a skunk in a Conibear style trap and get him to spray like crazy

nearly every time. It's a special knack I developed.

yes the flag works great.

Guess ill have to learn the hard way.either these conibears will be a qick kill are ill come home and run every one out
Thats just great bought the wrong traps.nice joke

So what im reading is conibears will cause them to spray.thanks Paul.

mugs, let us know how it went. Not everyone has my talent. I once had a skunk nail me right between the eyes with a large glob of

odor from so far away that I couldn't believe it. Fortunately my customer was a witness. She was also very impressed with the fact

that I had proper odor removing materials so that I could actually make myself presentable when I went up and asked her, "Did you see that?

You make me laugh out loud Wink!

, Guess I should of said it this way.
Dealing with a skunk there Is No Way to avoid the STINK,
What Im wondering is when a skunk is cought in a conibear does it spray all the essence out.
Even the best skunk trappers will get STINK.

Most times they will.

mugs, you have to think about the various body grip traps first, sizes, age, design, etc... All are not created equal and all will also have different
outcomes depending on the species, the age, the distance it gets into your trap before firing (a discussion Eric and I were just having).

I would not expect to not be seeing spray from most caught in the body grip style trap but others may have figured out something that works for
them.

If someone was saying it keeps them from spraying in their experience, I would want to know two things.

1) How many skunks have they trapped with this device without them spraying.

2) Exactly which model size and condition of body grip trap they are using.

I can say many things to folks, but if I don't qualify my answers with enough of how I came to them, I'm not providing enough for someone else to run
with.

Just saying, it would be best to ask any/all commenting that you are going to base your decisions on how they arrived at their conclusion and assure it
is with enough sample size (n) to give you great confidence in doing the same yourself.

If I had someone saying I trap roughly 50 skunks per year using a 220 body grip by belisle and set in a cubby that is X by X by X and in the end 1 out of
50 spray, the rest don't, well then you've got some serious backing to go down that road for your purpose, if though I tell you I've trapped 10-20 a year some with
body grips, some with cages or footholds and I think maybe most of the ones in body grips didn't spray, well I wouldn't be following my advice if I was a betting man.

(Disclaimer, this isn't to say anything stated already wasn't valid and guys don't have lots and lots of experience, just saying, go further and ask for some more info and you'll have a better outcome).

Just a thought....

If I was going to target skunks with body gripping traps I'd look for a small trap opening, sensitive trigger, and two very stiff springs. So the largest trap I'd use is the Bridger 155 (5x5) with the Besilie 120 Super X (4 5/8 x 4 7/8) being the next largest trap and would mainly use the Bridger 120 Magnum (4 1/2 x 4 1/2) as my number 1 trap type. I've caught around 10 or so skunks in 120's and 155's and some have sprayed while others have not. All of the ones that sprayed to date were "suit case" catches or a body only catch while the one's that have been strictly neck catches have not sprayed at all.

If you think about it, this makes perfect sense as a body only catch will be similar to a predator grabbing it initiating the self defense program. A "suit case" catch is not putting enough pressure on the windpipe and blood vessel area to cause quick loss of consciousness due to the body being thicker and thus not allowing the jaws to close as tightly on the vital throat area. Again, this will lead to the skunk initiating it's self defense program. However, when just the throat area is hit from below and above you 1) may knock the skunk out in the capture process allowing it to expire without struggle or 2) have the skunk quickly pass out due to lack of blood flow to the brain (i.e., sleeper hold) where again it will expire with minimal or zero spraying. Of course, if the springs are weak or the jaws do not close tightly (i.e., type of trap, foot or object caught along with the skunk neck, etc.) then I'd expect some sort of spraying to occur so I wouldn't say this type of catch is 100% spray proof.

As I'd want as much essence left in the skunk as possible, I'd be doing everything I could to ensure that I only get a head/neck catch which is why I'm going with a much smaller trap than the 160 where you have a higher chance of "suit case" or body only catches.

I know some bodygrips kill quick but in comparison how many of you have shot skunk w/ a perfect brainer when they were nice and calm and they still unloaded? I cage trap skunks so have no comparison but I would have to venture a guess that 50% spraying when hit with a 155 would be a good percentage.

IMO your guess is way high. I only had one out of the last 34 using 220s.

Maybe the rest of the way to 50 is going to be aromatic.

Buy the more expensive body grips. It is money well spent!!!

huntinjunkie, I had always heard a head shot was a 99% or higher given that they were going to unload the spray.

Many advocate other placement to at least reduce percentage though still no guarantee.

Sorry, Justin, no definitive statistics, only rusty memory. The few times I set a body grip trap intentionally for skunks on an ADC job it's one of the various double springer 5X5s or a 120 magnum. I get very little spray. On the other hand, most of the skunks I've conibeared during 50 years on the fur line were taken with a 220 in a trail. Again, very few ever "let go", though some would release a small amount. Almost as if it just "leaked" out in death.

BUT.........a 220 doesn't always kill a small skunk. Pretty exciting to check traps in the dark and pick up a live skunk suitcased.

Will cought my first skunk.Didnt Spray.
The bad side is instead of a neck break I got a whole body in the trap.didnt like that.but hay no spray

Will these skunks do let off some stench
No way around it, and im catching more opossums than skunks.using sardines for bait and sarieden oil for lure
The problem im having is the skunks are bleeding out the essence before I can get to them
So what am I doing wrong

Every skunk I caught this year was just as full of essence when I let him go as he was before I caught him. I use cage traps only and

I appreciate an animal that keeps his smell to himself. ( I try not to smell too badly either )

What traps are you using?

Got back into extracting the last couple of years as skunks don't spray in covered cages. When extracting, even without spilling a drop, I don't know how, but Judy seems to know exactly what I have been doing. It was $20 but now I think its back to $15 per ounce? It does count up and literally takes just a minute to do them.

So what's the secret with extraction? I could never get them to hold still for the syringe.