Unusual for this time of year

[BowEd]

We were going to town for supplies today and came across these guys.A pair of skunks walking down the gravel road.Had to stop as Robin has her camera along.Usually these guys are holed up when it gets into the single digits in temperature.Along with possums and coon.They all will come out on warm enough sunny days in the winter though if it gets into the 40's.Today was only into the teens though which is kinda odd.It looked to me like one was chasing the other really like they were mating maybe but I've always thought that was done later into late winter or early spring.At least past january anyway.Notice the different type of stripes on each.They all are'nt exactly the same.

[Pat B]

Is that one striped and one spotted skunk together?
 Around here they bread in the winter. That's when we see(smell) most as roadkill.

[BowEd]

Their both striped skunks.Our spotted skunks have been non existent for quite a few years,we use to call them civet cats back then.It really looks to me like they are mating though.You see the matted tail of the forward skunk.
Coons usually don't breed till past january.Opposums either.Gestation time on coon is the same length as dogs at 63 days give or take a few days.That way they are all born in april when things are more plentiful.

[osage outlaw]

Cool picture Ed.  I almost hit one on the way home from work last week.  It was still in the upper 40's.  We have a bunch of them around work but hardly ever see them at home.  They are so bad at work one of the bosses bought some fake foxes to put out.  He thought that would keep them away.  I tried to tell him they don't have the best eyesight.  Didn't take long for us to see the skunks walking all around his foxes. 

[BowEd]

No their eyesight is'nt their forte for sure.They don't depend on that.....Ha Ha.They make wonderful pouchs/hats or even quivers.Their hair is almost like a bear.These are furred up pretty good but it's getting past the stink that's the problem.....Ha Ha.I've skinned them before skinning out that stink gland but it's a touchy deal for sure.I would of shot 1 but Robin was along.One of Robins dogs has'nt learned to stay away from them yet either.

[osage outlaw]

I picked up a beautiful roadkill on the way to work one morning.  I didn't notice any smell until I got back in the car and it was on my hand.  I ended up pitching it out of the truck before I got to work.  If I find myself in need of a skunk hide I'll gladly pay for one that someone else had to skin and tan.

[BowEd]

I forget how I did it in the past but I've made a hat and pouch out of them before.I sold them though at rendezvous.I think it just takes some time.I know Robin uses hydrogen peroxide to take the skunk smell off of her dog.That might be a solution.

[Marc St Louis]

When I was a kid my dad found a baby Skunk so he brought it home, when they are quite young they don't have a scent gland.  It stayed with us for quite awhile and became part of the family, never had any trouble with it spraying.  The one day he was talking to a school teacher and told her about our pet Skunk.  She asked him to bring it to her school to show the kids.  The kids were very excited....too excited.  The school stank for awhile  .  After that episode my dad figured it was time to bring our pet back to the wilds.  He drove down to the end of a road and then brought the Skunk out a little ways from the car.  It was a difficult to leave it behind since whenever he tried it would just follow him back to the car.  He finally had to run as fast as he could to the car and take off before it could catch up to him

[upstatenybowyer]

Marc, that's kinda sad man.  Hope the little guy found a nice skunk family eventually. That whole story sounds like it could make a great children's book.

I would think the way to get a stink free hide would be to place a perfect shot to the head when the animal is least expecting it. That way it wouldn't release it's scent prior to kicking the bucket. From there it would just be a matter of avoiding the scent glands while cleaning. 

[BowEd]

I've heard of skunks making very good pets.Coons too but when subjected to something out of their normal enviornment the wild will come out of them.Most of those wild animals made into pets are ok for the first year of their life till they get to be fully grown.Then they get to be a bit more than what most people care to handle inside a house.Myself I've had pet coons before.After so long it stayed out in a large cage outside.It was still very friendly but I could'nt totally trust it yet.One of my neighbors had a pet badger.Never heard what became of that one though.My other neighbor picked up a baby skunk crossing his driveway once.Put it in his trunk to take home.The road got a little bumpy while driving home and the little fella sprayed all inside his trunk.
I seem to remember now how I got the smell off those skunk hides to make a hat and a pouch.First while skinning it care needs to be taken skinning around that scent gland.I tanned the hide myself so after fleshing it multiple baths in water and dish washing soap to clean it up of oil or fat residue before tanning was the procedure.I think now I would add hydrogen peroxide to the bath solution too.I tanned those hides in an aluminum sulfate pickling salt solution also of which there is a how to do that on the primitive skills thread.Through all of those soakings and rinsings the smell disappeared actually completely.

[Mounter]

Hydro peroxide, dawn and baking soda works good. I don’t remember the ratio’s, but found the recipe on -line. Had a female chocolate lab that killed everyone she found and bring it home. So not only did I have a “ house” dog to clean, but a dead skunk to dispose of too. Always had to happen at dark too.

[bjrogg]

Bet she was proud as could be Mounter. We had a lab that would find days old placenta from the cow pasture. She would proudly place them right by the door to our house. She was a outside dog, we never had a inside dog. Man we're those things stinky. I think my mom would have preferred a skunk.lol.
Bjrogg
I've had better luck shooting them in the lungs then the head. Seems they always spray when they expire with a head shot for me. You hear so many stories you wonder if people aren't trying to get you Sprayed. One of the old timers I know swears you can pick them up by the tail and as long as their back feet can't touch anything they can't spray. Never tried that one yet, but maybe someone wants to give it a try.lol. I've heard a syringe pole and rubbing alcohol injection in the chest calmly puts them to sleep. Then you can take a syringe and remove essence from scent glands and even sell it to purfume makers. I never tried that either, but I think I'd try it before the picking em up by the tail.lol

[ohma2]

Theres a kid that runs around mo jam, the first time i saw him he was about 3 feet tall he was carrying a bow and had on a skunk hide quiver that drug the ground beside him as he walked.he always had a look on his face like he was one proud pup.

[BowEd]

Cool...I think I saw him there.The size of them is just right where 1 hide can make a quiver/hat/or a pouch.

[Hawkdancer]

Heard many times that tomato juice would remove the smell, but that may be because you have to wash out the tomato juice afterwards!  Supposedly, a couple brands of car wash will also do the job, I think one was "Jet Spray" or some similar name!
Hawkdancer