I had this posted as part of a thread in the Around the Campfire subforum, figured some of you guys might find it interesting and worthy of its own thread
I've had a skunk problem for a couple of weeks and last night I'd had enough. Not only are the skunks tearing up stuff around the yard, they started jumping up on the deck railing and digging out the planters built in to the railing. They crossed the line from nuisance to destructive.
So I went out about 10-ish when they usually start coming around and sure enough there's one in the yard doing her thing.
I had just watched a video online where a guy killed a black bear with a dart. So I pulled out my .625 cal blowgun with a broadhead dart and began my backyard hunt. Stalked to within 10 feet of the muzzle end of my blowgun using the weakest flashlight setting I have. Shot the bugger and ran in to the house like the devil himself was chasing me. About 10 mins later I got my nerve to go out and check in the results, with trusty flashlight in hand. Cautiously round the corner of the deck, expecting and enraged zombie skunk to exact NBC vengeance at any moment.
Instead I see a cute little furball all curled up, looking like she's sleeping, about 5 feet from where I last saw her. Wait another 10 mins to make sure she isn't playing possum. Still not breathing or moving so it's time to poke her with a long stick. Long stick inspection checks out, she's definately dead.
Put on some gloves and inspected the area. The plastic cone popped off the back of the dart on impact. The dart itself went through and though and found it with the tip about an 8th inch stuck in a piece of wood nearby. Posted a pic of the dart below. It's not those half hearted attempts where they just flatten the tip to look like a broadhead. It has real beveled and sharpened edges (though like most broadheads from a factory they benefit greatly from a sharpening before deployment)
Not wanting to completely waste a life I went ahead and skinned her. I didn't go anywhere near the scent glands. I did a diamond cut around the posterior parts to avoid them all together. Took the two side points of the diamond up the rear legs. The other two points went up to the tail and up the abdomen and then just peeled her like a glove.
The dart went in through her left side and out the right, severing the little blood vessels of her heart. The way she reacted and the fact she didnt spray leads me to think it was very quick and most likely quite painless. She literally curled in a ball with her tail around her and went to sleep.
Yeah, I probably got lucky with this one, but it was interesting to find out that this weapon is actually very deadly to smaller animals. First time I've taken a critter with it. I've had it for years and practice alot in doors during the winter months, just never thought much of it beyond the novelty, since we don't have poison dart frogs in North America and whatnot.
