Late Fall Skunks

A few weeks ago I got a bunch of calls on skunks at once. Got one the first night, nothing on the others, which did not surprise me. A few days ago I called about one positive set left in place that still had nothing. I told them I would be up to get the trap soon. And now after 25 days, a skunk. Wonder if others find it a bit different late in the season.

Skunks will stay active very late into winter if there is something for them to eat.
I have seen skunks and skunk trails around large carcass piles in the bush well into late December and that is very cold here at that time of year minus 30 c.They make a den close to the food source and shuffle back and forth between the den and the feed on a daily basis.If they can they will try to bring a chunk of food into the den.
Bears are the same.They hole up early if feed is scarce but will stay active much later if they have a reliable food supply.

In my area skunks are usually holed up by the end of October. I seldom see any activity in November.

This year the first 10 days or so of November were unusually warm and produced a few skunk calls for me. I was glad to get them.

I am getting several skunk calls a week still, the only thing with catching them now when typically they would be hibernating is there will be that much less breeding stock in February.

Not getting any more calls here now as this is similar to SGS in terrain I believe to what we have. I do miss getting them, but happy to be able to focus on beaver. Amazing that in Canada they seem to act more like fox, out into the winter, still feeding in the cold. Had to convert to C to F which is -22, "chilly." It was surprising to catch so many skunks in the deep woods when we trapped Quebec in '74. The Adirondacks don't seem to have many. Do enjoy the late Feb. early March breeding season.

Theres a lot of difference between trapping skunks around homes than trapping them out in a pasture
The weather does play a huge roll in when skunks move.skunks Dont hibernate.they just den up when the temp drops.or its raining.

If the animal is going to expend more energy than they will take in they aren't going to move.


I don't think we have any skunk jobs going at the moment. I bet your skunk just wandered through.

Just got the fattest skunk I ever saw. Will weigh it if I don't forget.

He weighed 9 pounds.

The rain seems,to bring them out where I am at, a rainy day almost garaunteess a skunk.