Quiet Skunk killers

browning204 · August 14, 2007, 09:09:44 PM

So I have these Skunks raiding my trash trailer every night about 9 pm. It is only a matter of time before one of my dogs gets sprayed.

Now how can I "remove" them??

If I have to take so not so nice measures, and not be heard by to many people, are those .22 shorts or CB rounds really quiet?

Can they kill a skunk from a safe distance out of a bolt action rifle???

My new neighbor hood is mostly old people so that means lights out on the street by 8 pm. I don't want to meet them by one of them callin the cops on me.

Thanks for any help!!!

FinsnFur · August 14, 2007, 09:20:18 PM

22 with a two liter bottled duct taped over top of the muzzle. Shoot through the bottle

coyotehunter_1 · August 14, 2007, 10:26:23 PM

I removed one ONCE....

A few years ago we had a skunk roaming around the house. It had gotten to the point we were afraid to go out after dark in fear of being sprayed. One evening the skunk was in the driveway. I got the bright idea to sniper it with a 22, trying for a head shot. I connected but my aim was just a little off.

The skunk was mortally wounded but alive enough to crawl under my then new Corvette, where it quckly expired. :shck:
Only after death did the skunk release it's perfume.

Three weeks later we could still smell it

. The car survived but it sure took the fun out of driving for a while.

I have heard that they can be trapped too.

bushmaster · August 15, 2007, 04:06:28 AM

OK, Now here is where i have some REAL experience. Ranging from professional hits to getting sprayed (yes I've been sprayed). .22 CB LONGS are by far, the way to go unless you have an immediate body of water. CB longs will hold tight groups out to around 30yards and they are more quiet than a high powered air-rifle. (It was once my duty to keep the squirrels off of gramma's birdfeeders)

With my bolt-action .22, all i can here is the firing pin and contact with the target. Now, a shot to the lower back of the head will provide your best chance for NO release of the essence (try to picture the brain-stem as your aiming). If he starts doing the flip-D-flop, you blew it. Chances are that you will be offered this shot since they almost always take their time waddlin away.

Now, if you have a pond, brook, whatever around the house. You can trap em with a havahart trap, pick it up with a long pole, and drop his ass in the water. My uncle tought me that one, it aint pretty and I don't favor it. But there is no smell once the job is done.

Let me know what goes down.

browning204 · August 15, 2007, 07:54:37 AM

Quote from: FinsnFur on August 14, 2007, 09:20:18 PM
22 with a two liter bottled duct taped over top of the muzzle. Shoot through the bottle

I used to do that when I was a kid. That technique has gotten me into trouble in the past.

I was hopeing that the little .22 bullets would be quiet enough, to do the deed at night without me answering a bunch of questions to the local authorities.

If I shoot it and it sprays, well at least it will spray in my trash trailer. I can hose it down. But if my Dogs get sprayed that would suck totally.

Bushmaster, thanks for all the info! I have a bushmaster also, Love it!!!

bushmaster · August 15, 2007, 08:44:51 AM

Rock on my AR toting friend, Rock on

browning204 · August 16, 2007, 12:38:13 PM

so I bought some CCI CB short rounds and the function well from my bolt action. I shot my fire pit barrel thing.

It goes through one side of it and the loudest noise is when the bullet hits it targets.

I almost bought another kind until another worker at the shop said what I was buying would be to loud for what I needed.

So I got the CB shorts.

What are the difference in CB shorts vs. CB longs VS. regular longs as far as noise and uses??

thanks for any info!

Hawks Feather · August 16, 2007, 01:56:28 PM

The difference is the size of the shell casing - short vs. long. They both have the same bullet and same powder charge (if any powder is used). It is just easier to get a hold of the long casing. So if you don't have a gun chambered for .22 CB short only, and don't like messing with the smaller case, get the .22 CB long.

Jerry

browning204 · August 16, 2007, 03:11:21 PM

the shop had bunches of CB short but I didn't see CB long. The rifle is a bolt and chambers them fine. I was shooting them into a water filled soda bottle and it was barely going into it. I hope it can kill a skunk.

Hawks Feather · August 16, 2007, 04:29:36 PM

They will work. I have used the CB longs on coon, both in traps and trees, and if I hit them in the head they came down from the tree dead.

Jerry

Roundman · August 16, 2007, 10:08:17 PM

Browning
A buddy of mine has had some skunk problems at his house. He bought a trap (PVC type) and uses bait to bring them in. After he catches one we take it to the creek and (from a bridge) lower it into the water. The skunk comes out of the trap and swims off. The skunk is now 15 mile down the road and no one has been sprayed.

Mke

browning204 · August 16, 2007, 11:43:04 PM

well I went out at 9:30pm to see if it was there, just like clock work it was ready to get into the trailer. It saw me coming and went back under the fence, I started in on my best statue impression as it poked its head back out to look for me.

We were face to face at about 10 feet but I couldn't steady the light and aim at the same time. so I never got a shot

I havent seen it since.

I will get him another night!

p.s. Maybe I should go to the dump, that will solve the problem for a bit!!

browning204 · August 17, 2007, 09:22:50 PM

well I think that I got one of those little buggers, I heard it in the woods and I waited till it stuck its head under the fence and I popped it.

Now I heard it run along the fence and make some noise so I assume that I got it but. I went in the house to get my flashlight and went back to see another OR the same one thinking about crawling under the fence. It never did.

Would there be blood from a .22 CB short or wouldn't it spray if I hit it and it didn't die soon??

Either way it is fun to do some "urban" critter hunting.

Hawks Feather · August 17, 2007, 09:40:17 PM

I think blood and spray would both depend on where it was hit. Unless it was a head shot, I doubt if there would be much bleeding. I have hit a few that went down without a spray, but they usually stayed right there and didn't move. The ones that died shortly after being shot usually sprayed. I don't think I would go looking for one at night. It might be waiting to spray.

Happy hunting,

Jerry

browning204 · August 17, 2007, 10:17:50 PM

ya this one ran along the fence and made some squeeking sounds, then I saw another trying to come under the fence.

maybe I didn't hit it at all, maybe it ran and squeeked because it was scared??

who knows.

There is a simpler solution to this, I could patch the fence so they can't get under. But this is more fun!

bushmaster · August 18, 2007, 03:44:59 AM

you probably hit him and their are prbably more than 1. in my experience, shorts have not held any type of sufficient groups. Did you hear the hollow THUMP when it hit him? thats how I tell. By the way, chasing them down at night is how I've been sprayed!!!

browning204 · August 18, 2007, 07:52:01 AM

never heard any thump, I just wanted to shoot and move before it returned fire

but I did here squeeling as it ran.

it was like a 3 foot shot tops,

the only thing that was between us was a chicken wire type fence.

Maybe in the day light I will go to see if I can find a dead skunk back there.

bushmaster · August 18, 2007, 09:21:19 AM

Wow, he got personal with ya huh? Yep, I killed one and walked up to it. As I turned to head back toward the house, bam! another one got me, he was doin a handstand and I walked right into it. I got so pissed off that I kicked him a few times, then fed the lead. I had to sleep outside that night too. Grandparents would have no part of me comin' inside smellin like that. I'd like to say that you hit him, but I have opened the back door just to startle them and have heard that weird noise as they waddled off, did he show any body langauge?

browning204 · August 18, 2007, 11:48:42 AM

it was pretty dark, the only thing I saw was him book it after I shot. If I didn't get him, I will next time!!!

browning204 · August 18, 2007, 11:15:18 PM

well I got one of those buggers for sure tonight!!!

He was in my trash at like midnight (I should be in bed)

I took like 4 shots at him but kept hitting the side woodens beams of my trailer. Hard to see open sights at dark.

Then I landed a good shot and he like hunkered down and just moved his head to peak around so I took another shot and it

pretty much finished him after a couple of flinches. It is now very stinky in my yard, but it will go away.

The weird thind is, as I was engaged in battle with the one I shot, there was some more in the woods, I could hear them but

as soon as the smell was in the air, everything stopped! Maybe a warning sign to others???