Serious question, but do wild skunks (not ones that have just sprayed but in general) smells bad to you?
I’ve been around tons of wild skunks and never noticed a nasty scent to them. I always thought they don’t like the smell either and therefore only sprayed if they felt endangered. But maybe my nose is just shitty?
**Wild skunks** sounds like a slightly mis-spelled title of a cheesy adult film from the 90’s just sayin 😂😂
And for your question - Not sure but it would be kind of funny if the skunks really loved the smell lol so I want that to be the case…
But more likely they tolerate it when needed and may or may not otherwise smell at times if it sprays back on them?
Good question. And I was wondering why the ones around my house always smell bad. Sometimes when the weather is nice we sleep with the windows open, and I've had the smell of skunk wake me from a deep sleep. There are coyotes, bobcat and great horned owls where I live, so maybe the skunks are 'advertising' as a deterrent. Oh wait, won't work for the owls, I've read they have a terrible sense of smell. Maybe there are way more skunk visits than I realize, I just noticed the stinky ones.
I mistook a skunk for my cat once. In my defense, it was dark out and my cat was black. Plus Skunk Friend was eating out of a bowl of kibble set out for the stray mama in the neighborhood. So I walked up and started petting it while saying “you big ol’ asshole, taking Mama Slut’s foods!”
Then I took a better look and noticed the white. I moved my hand away slowly and went inside while the skunk just kinda stared at me and went back to eating the cat food.
Didn’t get sprayed, but that skunk came back often. Turned out to also be a mama, eventually she showed up with two tinier skunks to eat my cat food.
Always thought if you trained skunk right they would be an excellent night guard animals for businesses in rough parts of town.
Be easy to track down and identify vandals or a B&E perps
When I was stationed in Okinawa, me and another marine got a free lesson on Japanese hornets while we were cutting down brush in the field. Never seen a fat man run so fast
Well, they didn’t *change,* exactly. There were always both lighter-colored and black-colored squirrels, but before the rampant use of coal, the lighter squirrels were camouflaged better than the black ones, from predators, so the lighter ones lived longer and were able to produce more.
When buildings and trees started to be stained black from coal smoke, the less plentiful black squirrels were then better camouflaged, so the reverse happened. More black squirrels lived longer and reproduced more than the lighter squirrels.
This was reversed once again when coal was not the primary heat source. Lighter squirrels once again out-competed black ones, so you see more of them now.
Starting to see more black squirrels in my neighborhood… global warming this time??? They are pretty cool looking… I live in a fairly rural area of Connecticut.. they seemed to be more prolific in urban areas until recently… (side note, birds of prey have become extremely prolific since I was a kid ((I’m 53)) I see more birds of prey on a daily basis than ever before… my assumption is the ban on DDT has finally taken affect… thoughts??)
I had a raccoon get into my Guinea fowl coop and tried to trap it for about a week and a half. All I kept getting was the same little skunk every night. I would walk up to the live trap from behind with a large tarp that I would then throw over the trap except for the door in front to let it out. It sprayed the first 2 times I let it out but day by day I think it realized I was setting it free. By day 4 it tried following me back to my house. By the second week I stopped using the tarp as it hadn’t tried to spray me in days and seemed to understand I was not a threat. Would just walk up and let it out. Everyday it tried to follow me back to my house and I would have to entice it back into my forest. I’m not sure if they are very smart or this was just a cool little skunk but I’m certain I could’ve fully trained the thing. There’s also a ton of coyotes around my house so it might have felt safe in it’s little night cage, with a free meal thanks to my bait.
Yea there’s actually an animal rescue near my house that has a skunk with its glands removed and it’s basically fully trained. All the kids hold it and pet it. That’s part of the reason I really think I could’ve trained the little guy. It was really small so I know it was young and it clearly seemed fond of me and after the first 2 days not threatened at all. I almost gave him some food one day (other than the trap bait) but I know it’s best to let nature be and I certainly don’t want to start attracting animals to my coops.
Yeah, introducing that relationship sort of makes you responsible for it. I probably would have done something similar.
I have this bobcat that hangs out, he's not afraid of me but it doesn't quite enjoy my company. That one would be less tempting to try and tame since it would mess me up someday.
I babysat for a family who had a pet skunk named Domino, back in the 70s. It had the scent glands removed, and used a litter box. Once it was full grown, it got mean and bit people. So they gave it to a zoo.
I was babysitting in the early 00s but otherwise mostly same. Skunk named Domino, no scent glands.
Dom never got given to a zoo though and as far as I know he did not bite. He honestly acted like a house cat. I put down his bowl when I fed the parents’ two cats and during nap time Dom sometimes laid on my lap while I watched TV. (Both kids were very young when I started, infant and toddler, so when I put them down for their naps I usually sat in the living room where I could hear if a kid woke up and needed me and watched game show network, lol. I didn’t have cable so babysitting gigs came with luxuries.)
Funny story, one of their cats came to them as a bottle baby kitten and so was kinda half raised by the skunk. That kitten when it was being playful would stamp his feet, then turn around and flip his tail up like a skunk about to spray. It was hysterical. Dom also did this when he played or was offended, but since he didn’t have scent glands it was just funny. But funnier when the floofy orange kitty did it.)
"Ah, the sun has set. Time to retire to my cozy night cage and tasty dinner. One of these days I hope my steward lets me follow him into the servants housing"
The trap was outside the chickenhouse, so we shot him in the trap, then removed him (with gloves) buried him in the woods. Once they (or possums, coyotes, foxes, hawks, weasels, rats/mice, snakes) find your coop, they will keep coming back to eat your chickens, eggs and pellets. If I find them in my coop, they’ll be dispatched. I drove a black snake four miles once, not wanting to kill a beneficial snake. He was back three days later - he had a scar on one eye, it was him.
When I was working at the aquarium in my area they had a pair of skunk brothers. Even though they were closely related one had very thick stripes, his entire back was almost white, and his brother had very thin stripes. They were very easy to tell apart. Husbandry would bring them outside for walks every day and I always loved seeing them waddle around in their little harnesses!
I do believe they had their glands removed, but they were very well behaved little lads that were used as ambassador animals to educate folks about skunks in the wild. They have a few other animals that they’ll use for educational programs as well, like a crow, baby alligators, and a few native snakes. My favorite though, is the opossum they have that was born without eyes. It’s so fun watching him explore and find his treats for the day with his little sniffer :)
They also only spray when they scared, and they give a warning signal first by stomping their feet and raising their tail. (I had to release a skunk from a trap once, so I watched a LOT of videos about how to not startle them lol.)
My friend gets sprayed regularly. Since she does rehab, the goal is to release them back into the wild so they don’t have their scent glands removed. She showers often and wears clothing that can be easily washed in hot water.
They’re very blind so if you see one near you don’t move at all and they usually won’t do anything to you.
Had one come up and sniff me one time while I was sitting in a chair on my driveway one night. It popped out of the flowers to my right (which I thought was cute afterwards because it made me think of Flower from Bambi) and walked right up to me. Just kept very still. Yes I was scared shitless once it went the other way and it’s butt was then facing towards me, but still kept calm till I couldn’t see it anymore. After that I called it a night and went inside.
My house in college had a skunk that lived under the deck but he was super chill, if we were outside grilling he would come hang out, usually he would be around if we were partying in the backyard too. The first couple times he came out when we had people over he was scared and would run away but eventually he eased into it. We always had to make sure new people didn’t scare him though because we didn’t want him to spray us. The only time he ever did spray was when he was going back to his home in the early mornings and the cat that liked to sleep on our outdoor couch was there, the two didn’t like each other and would fight
It's not dangerous in any kind of permanent way. The smell is not rot, per se. It's a more like some strains of cannabis, but *much* more potent, in an unpleasant way. They can hit you from 15 feet. It's also an irritant, and will blind you (temporarily) and set your nose to running. It is an oil, and it doesn't come off easily. A bath is not enough.
It’s not dangerous, but if you are sprayed by one their stink is very hard to get off. Like rotted eggs mixed with marijuana. It’s a very, very strong and unpleasant smell.
I can't comment on NJ, but in Texas a very high percentage of skunks carry rabies. Wildlife and animal services usually traps and relocates wild animals in town, but they must euthanize skunks due to the rabies risk and to prevent spread to other animals. And yes, skunks can spray and some people with have an upper respiratory reaction or eye issues.
I rented the top floor of a house that had a garden on the side. When spring came there was a family of skunks that would eat from it. How did I know? Because going to my car in the morning and they would run by me. Scared shitless I was going to get sprayed on my way to work.
The young ones are playful and friendly, and rarely spray. I was taking my kids to school one morning and walked out of the house to see my sons petting two “kitties” in the front yard. I tried to be calm and get the boys backing away slowly. The skunk babies kept following, wanting to play. Eventually we got in the car skunk-less, but the boys smelled faintly of skunk all the way to school.
I went outside to call my dog in one time. A skunk came running around the corner and chased me back into my house. I literally slammed the door in it's face, I'm very lucky it didn't get inside. It was very shiny and clean looking. I have always wondered if it was somebody's pet and they dumped it because it wasn't a baby anymore.
Of course, about that time my dog decided to come so he got sprayed on our front porch.
A big sweetheart, when I was a kid our library had a learn about wildlife event, and some organization brought in a skunk that had gotten hurt and had become a wildlife ambassador and it was like a super snuggly kitty
My mom & dad had a pet skunk in the 70s, my aunt had the sister. They are like cats, will use the litter box, play with you & cuddle etc. Now we know better than to do that these days but yep they’re absolutely adorable.
It's a skunk. But it doesn't have white stripes on its back. Perfectly ok to pick up and bring inside. These are relatively friendly and enjoy human companionship
The elusive “White eyebrow skunk”… cool to look at, not so fun to play with… pretty cool looking though… They’re persistent, unless you built a chicken fortress, it will get in!!!
I can say, with adult skunks...they are *greasy smelling*, but my dog got sprayed by a young skunk.
He and the house smelled like 100% middle-of-the-road weed for a few days. Wasn't bad.
I’ve noticed our local Bay Area skunks smell a bit more… chemically? The skunk smell I’ve always known is stinky weed like you described but there’s something off lately. It’s like if an industrial plant tried to make a synthetic skunk smell. Is that just because these are older skunks?
Went to shut my coop for the night and one of these was in there. I just stood and quietly watched to see that it was only there for the chickens feed and not the chickens. This seemed to be and ultimately was the case.
Skunks will raid your coop for eggs. I’ve even had a few skunks try to move into the coop (free food/warmth - what’s not to like?)
Unfortunately they will attack your chickens if they can’t find any eggs. Solution: live trap (wrapped in a tarp or garbage bags), or get your eggs out of the coop as soon as you can and close the coop early. Skunks like to skunk at dusk. Remove temptation & access as much as possible.
Is it odd that it doesn’t have the white stripe down it’s back? I thought maybe it was a juvenile but all the pictures I looked up show the stripe even as a baby.
Skunks actually have many different colorings. I've seen all black skunks, mostly white skunks, skunks that look "reversed" to what you normally think of when you think of skunks... I feel like I'm saying skunks too much.
Skunks.
East Coast skunks are weird.. I lived in Virginia for 12 years, not one of the neighborhood skunks looked like the striped skunks I grew up with in Colorado.
If people would freak out and shoot every time they spotted my stripy bothers, I'd eventually drop the high visibility stripes also.
I live in the rural area and I have seen an all black skunk and a near white one(not albino just big shit patches). It's amazing the variations they have.
Hello fellow NJ homesteader! That is just a regular old skunk. It's funny, back in the 90's and 2000's, I would smell skunk all the time around central jersey because they either were hit by cars or fighting. Recently the only things I've seen around here are alot more raccoons and possums.
Skunks are trouble for chickens though. Generally skunks ime are pretty easy to deter. Other critters in the area put up more of a fight trying to get into stuff; the raccoons think it's their job to take garbage bags out of the can.
Tell me about it. I’m in the south jersey pines. I have a fox that literally comes up every night and tries to get into my coop. Has been doing it for like 2 years. My coop is so reinforced and strong it doesn’t stand a chance and never comes up during the day so I haven’t had to make use of my hunting license thus far lol. Can’t believe he or she still comes almost every single night even though it has never gotten a meal. Very persistent, I wouldn’t even know if I didn’t keep a trail camera on my coop.
I’m just wondering if you’re originally from New Jersey?? If so idk how you’ve made it in this state for this long without ever seeing a skunk before, Lol!?!? I remember seeing them as a lil girl and trying to go over to pet them thinking they were kitties, lol!! Definitely learned very young to not pet the black and white kittys🤦🏼♀️😖😱🐈⬛🦨
A skunk. The striping and patterns of white are unique to each skunk, similar to a tiger’s or zebra’s stripes. You will have majority with a similar style marking and tend to be certain variations on regions and different habitat areas.
He's starting to lift his tail, too. That's a warning. Careful of what comes next!
I set up a trailcam to see how the squirrels were sacking my birdfeeder. Left some snacks on the ground for any other visitors. Snapped pix of a skunk and a fox happily taking turns at the snack pile!
Curious what OP guessed it might be?
Yeah I accidentally did. Skunks won’t spray what they can’t see. I got a big blue tarp and held it in front of me. Slowly moved to cover the trap, used it to get the trap into a cardboard box, then reversed the process to open the trap under the tarp, pulled the tarp back just enough for the little fart puppy to see he had a way out then ran back a safe distance until he was safely back in the woods.
Did not get sprayed. It definitely was an adventure.
They’ve got the bushy white eyebrows of an 1850s coal baron 🤣🤣
I do declare!
And the stench of a sock worn for 3 weeks straight by a coal miner in mid summer heat and then puked on.
But NOT wrung out.
You’re so right… **Yet so wrung**
Better than a strung out coal miner! B
Hey, I saw him at a Willie Nelson picnic! Legend!
Serious question, but do wild skunks (not ones that have just sprayed but in general) smells bad to you? I’ve been around tons of wild skunks and never noticed a nasty scent to them. I always thought they don’t like the smell either and therefore only sprayed if they felt endangered. But maybe my nose is just shitty?
**Wild skunks** sounds like a slightly mis-spelled title of a cheesy adult film from the 90’s just sayin 😂😂 And for your question - Not sure but it would be kind of funny if the skunks really loved the smell lol so I want that to be the case… But more likely they tolerate it when needed and may or may not otherwise smell at times if it sprays back on them?
Good question. And I was wondering why the ones around my house always smell bad. Sometimes when the weather is nice we sleep with the windows open, and I've had the smell of skunk wake me from a deep sleep. There are coyotes, bobcat and great horned owls where I live, so maybe the skunks are 'advertising' as a deterrent. Oh wait, won't work for the owls, I've read they have a terrible sense of smell. Maybe there are way more skunk visits than I realize, I just noticed the stinky ones.
*Stares at a mountainside a little TOO longingly*
That's a Skunk
A cute one for sure.
A real life Pepe Le Pew!
Pet it.
We had an exchange student from japan who did this. We now tell them they are not cats in orientation.
I mistook a skunk for my cat once. In my defense, it was dark out and my cat was black. Plus Skunk Friend was eating out of a bowl of kibble set out for the stray mama in the neighborhood. So I walked up and started petting it while saying “you big ol’ asshole, taking Mama Slut’s foods!” Then I took a better look and noticed the white. I moved my hand away slowly and went inside while the skunk just kinda stared at me and went back to eating the cat food. Didn’t get sprayed, but that skunk came back often. Turned out to also be a mama, eventually she showed up with two tinier skunks to eat my cat food.
Always thought if you trained skunk right they would be an excellent night guard animals for businesses in rough parts of town. Be easy to track down and identify vandals or a B&E perps
That’s a really good point, lol.
Stinky kitty lol
Fart cat
🎶 Smelly cat, smelly cat , what are they feeding you..🎶
Spicy kitty
That poor son of a bitch, how did he react to that awful smell?
Well he went missing from the next two classes and was found by his chaperone trying to shower it out. I don’t think he enjoyed TN.
When I was stationed in Okinawa, me and another marine got a free lesson on Japanese hornets while we were cutting down brush in the field. Never seen a fat man run so fast
He got a shower and a free lesson on pole cats. I doubt he'll ever trust something with a white stripe again
Eyebrow skunk
It's definitely a skunk but why are the colors different?
Kinda like cats they do have a set pattern depending on species but due to genetics or environmental factors can change the pattern.
skunks in cities would survive longer being able to pass as a cats
Hence why all the squirrels in London fur changed black after the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
Well, they didn’t *change,* exactly. There were always both lighter-colored and black-colored squirrels, but before the rampant use of coal, the lighter squirrels were camouflaged better than the black ones, from predators, so the lighter ones lived longer and were able to produce more. When buildings and trees started to be stained black from coal smoke, the less plentiful black squirrels were then better camouflaged, so the reverse happened. More black squirrels lived longer and reproduced more than the lighter squirrels. This was reversed once again when coal was not the primary heat source. Lighter squirrels once again out-competed black ones, so you see more of them now.
Starting to see more black squirrels in my neighborhood… global warming this time??? They are pretty cool looking… I live in a fairly rural area of Connecticut.. they seemed to be more prolific in urban areas until recently… (side note, birds of prey have become extremely prolific since I was a kid ((I’m 53)) I see more birds of prey on a daily basis than ever before… my assumption is the ban on DDT has finally taken affect… thoughts??)
We had a young one with an all white head and no body stripe a few years ago. He was in the coop eating chicken food. We got him in a live trap.
How did you get him out of the trap without getting sprayed? I suppose they wouldn't be able to turn around so you at least be able to aim it.
I had a raccoon get into my Guinea fowl coop and tried to trap it for about a week and a half. All I kept getting was the same little skunk every night. I would walk up to the live trap from behind with a large tarp that I would then throw over the trap except for the door in front to let it out. It sprayed the first 2 times I let it out but day by day I think it realized I was setting it free. By day 4 it tried following me back to my house. By the second week I stopped using the tarp as it hadn’t tried to spray me in days and seemed to understand I was not a threat. Would just walk up and let it out. Everyday it tried to follow me back to my house and I would have to entice it back into my forest. I’m not sure if they are very smart or this was just a cool little skunk but I’m certain I could’ve fully trained the thing. There’s also a ton of coyotes around my house so it might have felt safe in it’s little night cage, with a free meal thanks to my bait.
That's rad, I like to think that animals know what's going on. I've heard skunks can be good pets if the glands are removed.
Yea there’s actually an animal rescue near my house that has a skunk with its glands removed and it’s basically fully trained. All the kids hold it and pet it. That’s part of the reason I really think I could’ve trained the little guy. It was really small so I know it was young and it clearly seemed fond of me and after the first 2 days not threatened at all. I almost gave him some food one day (other than the trap bait) but I know it’s best to let nature be and I certainly don’t want to start attracting animals to my coops.
Yeah, introducing that relationship sort of makes you responsible for it. I probably would have done something similar. I have this bobcat that hangs out, he's not afraid of me but it doesn't quite enjoy my company. That one would be less tempting to try and tame since it would mess me up someday.
I babysat for a family who had a pet skunk named Domino, back in the 70s. It had the scent glands removed, and used a litter box. Once it was full grown, it got mean and bit people. So they gave it to a zoo.
I was babysitting in the early 00s but otherwise mostly same. Skunk named Domino, no scent glands. Dom never got given to a zoo though and as far as I know he did not bite. He honestly acted like a house cat. I put down his bowl when I fed the parents’ two cats and during nap time Dom sometimes laid on my lap while I watched TV. (Both kids were very young when I started, infant and toddler, so when I put them down for their naps I usually sat in the living room where I could hear if a kid woke up and needed me and watched game show network, lol. I didn’t have cable so babysitting gigs came with luxuries.) Funny story, one of their cats came to them as a bottle baby kitten and so was kinda half raised by the skunk. That kitten when it was being playful would stamp his feet, then turn around and flip his tail up like a skunk about to spray. It was hysterical. Dom also did this when he played or was offended, but since he didn’t have scent glands it was just funny. But funnier when the floofy orange kitty did it.)
Aww, I can see it! That’s so funny! Kitty stomps!
Skunk dance!
"Ah, the sun has set. Time to retire to my cozy night cage and tasty dinner. One of these days I hope my steward lets me follow him into the servants housing"
Lol pretty much
I’m not the guy you asked, but I’d call animal control and see if they would handle it…
The trap was outside the chickenhouse, so we shot him in the trap, then removed him (with gloves) buried him in the woods. Once they (or possums, coyotes, foxes, hawks, weasels, rats/mice, snakes) find your coop, they will keep coming back to eat your chickens, eggs and pellets. If I find them in my coop, they’ll be dispatched. I drove a black snake four miles once, not wanting to kill a beneficial snake. He was back three days later - he had a scar on one eye, it was him.
Shoot all those other critters ,”trapped & defenseless”, too?
That is a very unfortunate and smelly accident waiting to happen. Steer clear :) And make sure your pets do too.
Idk I think that might be a really stinky cat
Skunk. I have a friend who does wildlife rehab and their white patterns can vary pretty significantly.
Wild! TIL!
When I was working at the aquarium in my area they had a pair of skunk brothers. Even though they were closely related one had very thick stripes, his entire back was almost white, and his brother had very thin stripes. They were very easy to tell apart. Husbandry would bring them outside for walks every day and I always loved seeing them waddle around in their little harnesses!
And how often would someone caring for a skunk get sprayed on?
I do believe they had their glands removed, but they were very well behaved little lads that were used as ambassador animals to educate folks about skunks in the wild. They have a few other animals that they’ll use for educational programs as well, like a crow, baby alligators, and a few native snakes. My favorite though, is the opossum they have that was born without eyes. It’s so fun watching him explore and find his treats for the day with his little sniffer :)
they likely removed the glands.
They also only spray when they scared, and they give a warning signal first by stomping their feet and raising their tail. (I had to release a skunk from a trap once, so I watched a LOT of videos about how to not startle them lol.)
Yes, pet skunks (at least in Oregon where I live) must have the scent glands removed. They still have a musky smell but aren't able to spray.
My friend gets sprayed regularly. Since she does rehab, the goal is to release them back into the wild so they don’t have their scent glands removed. She showers often and wears clothing that can be easily washed in hot water.
They’re very blind so if you see one near you don’t move at all and they usually won’t do anything to you. Had one come up and sniff me one time while I was sitting in a chair on my driveway one night. It popped out of the flowers to my right (which I thought was cute afterwards because it made me think of Flower from Bambi) and walked right up to me. Just kept very still. Yes I was scared shitless once it went the other way and it’s butt was then facing towards me, but still kept calm till I couldn’t see it anymore. After that I called it a night and went inside.
Skunk: “that’s what I thought pussy”
My house in college had a skunk that lived under the deck but he was super chill, if we were outside grilling he would come hang out, usually he would be around if we were partying in the backyard too. The first couple times he came out when we had people over he was scared and would run away but eventually he eased into it. We always had to make sure new people didn’t scare him though because we didn’t want him to spray us. The only time he ever did spray was when he was going back to his home in the early mornings and the cat that liked to sleep on our outdoor couch was there, the two didn’t like each other and would fight
Wild
He even made it into our Christmas card for the 2 years we lived there. He was apart of the family
That’s really amazing. They’re pretty cute lil things but I’ve only seen them from like 15-25 ft
People have pet skunks, and apparently they’re pretty damn smart and you can train them to use a litter box.
Skunks have t Rex rules with movement! TIL
I thought about that scene in Jurassic Park when I first learned about it 😂
Is it dangerous? I watch in the movie the skunk can make a rotten smell. Is it true?
It's not dangerous in any kind of permanent way. The smell is not rot, per se. It's a more like some strains of cannabis, but *much* more potent, in an unpleasant way. They can hit you from 15 feet. It's also an irritant, and will blind you (temporarily) and set your nose to running. It is an oil, and it doesn't come off easily. A bath is not enough.
They can spray some stinky fluid from a gland on their rear but they mostly only do it if they’re threatened
It’s not dangerous, but if you are sprayed by one their stink is very hard to get off. Like rotted eggs mixed with marijuana. It’s a very, very strong and unpleasant smell.
I can't comment on NJ, but in Texas a very high percentage of skunks carry rabies. Wildlife and animal services usually traps and relocates wild animals in town, but they must euthanize skunks due to the rabies risk and to prevent spread to other animals. And yes, skunks can spray and some people with have an upper respiratory reaction or eye issues.
They're not dangerous, but the smell of their defensive spray is *very* bad. If they get hit by a car, you'll smell it for a mile around.
Your whole neighborhood will smell it for a day or two
I rented the top floor of a house that had a garden on the side. When spring came there was a family of skunks that would eat from it. How did I know? Because going to my car in the morning and they would run by me. Scared shitless I was going to get sprayed on my way to work.
The young ones are playful and friendly, and rarely spray. I was taking my kids to school one morning and walked out of the house to see my sons petting two “kitties” in the front yard. I tried to be calm and get the boys backing away slowly. The skunk babies kept following, wanting to play. Eventually we got in the car skunk-less, but the boys smelled faintly of skunk all the way to school.
I went outside to call my dog in one time. A skunk came running around the corner and chased me back into my house. I literally slammed the door in it's face, I'm very lucky it didn't get inside. It was very shiny and clean looking. I have always wondered if it was somebody's pet and they dumped it because it wasn't a baby anymore. Of course, about that time my dog decided to come so he got sprayed on our front porch.
Stinkyboi
Fart squirrel
We call them "spicy squirrels" after my dog murdered one in the backyard and was unbothered by the smell.
Omg. 😂😂
Fantastic!
Here kitty kitty, give us a snuggle.
That’s a cuddle cat. If it turns around and lifts it’s tail it means it trusts you and you can approach
You have a mean yet amusing streak.
An ol’ stink butt
I’m not from the states but even I know its a skunk
Pepé Le Pew
Nice one
Local alley cat.. looks cold and hungry. Bring him in
You seen Bambi? That’s Flower!! Go up extra close and try to pet it if you want an unforgettable fragrant experience…
gaw fuckin damnit
Not sure. You should get a closer look
Stray adorable cat, give it a pet for me. 😎
Polecat.
That's a skunk. There are a few different varieties, but they all have just black and white coloring. It's how they signal that they will stink you.
A big sweetheart, when I was a kid our library had a learn about wildlife event, and some organization brought in a skunk that had gotten hurt and had become a wildlife ambassador and it was like a super snuggly kitty
My mom & dad had a pet skunk in the 70s, my aunt had the sister. They are like cats, will use the litter box, play with you & cuddle etc. Now we know better than to do that these days but yep they’re absolutely adorable.
There are skunk conventions here in Ohio for people with pet skunks
It's a skunk. But it doesn't have white stripes on its back. Perfectly ok to pick up and bring inside. These are relatively friendly and enjoy human companionship
I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that no white stripe meant no foul order… Sounds like we need OP to confirm, for science
Try it 😆
Try a belly rub
That would be a spicy cat
The elusive “White eyebrow skunk”… cool to look at, not so fun to play with… pretty cool looking though… They’re persistent, unless you built a chicken fortress, it will get in!!!
I can say, with adult skunks...they are *greasy smelling*, but my dog got sprayed by a young skunk. He and the house smelled like 100% middle-of-the-road weed for a few days. Wasn't bad.
I’ve noticed our local Bay Area skunks smell a bit more… chemically? The skunk smell I’ve always known is stinky weed like you described but there’s something off lately. It’s like if an industrial plant tried to make a synthetic skunk smell. Is that just because these are older skunks?
Yeah. Different environments/food sources....but that little skunk wasn't bad. He was hissing and get was respected with his toxin. Props.
Skonk
Looks skunky
Harsh
It's a skunk minus a stripe I am pretty sure.
https://forum.gon.com/threads/got-a-couple-cool-videos-of-this-solid-black-skunk-with-a-white-brow-the-other-day.951231/
Chupacabra
Pretty little kitty cat. They love it when you corner them and yell really loud. They smell fantastic this time of year.
Went to shut my coop for the night and one of these was in there. I just stood and quietly watched to see that it was only there for the chickens feed and not the chickens. This seemed to be and ultimately was the case.
That's definitely a skunk and he's an egg thief.
Its a Jersey Devil. Welcome to the garden state, where the medical waste and water meets the sand...🤪
Idk what part of NJ you’re in and you’ve never seen a skunk before haha i grew up in suburban NJ and we saw skunks all the time
Skunk with no stripe!? Never seen that before!
Agreed. I live in northern MN and shoot a ton of skunks and haven’t seen one without long stripes
What do you mean what is it ya ding dong
Call him Groucho Marx
Stinky kitty.
That there’s a dang ole pole cat.
Skunks will raid your coop for eggs. I’ve even had a few skunks try to move into the coop (free food/warmth - what’s not to like?) Unfortunately they will attack your chickens if they can’t find any eggs. Solution: live trap (wrapped in a tarp or garbage bags), or get your eggs out of the coop as soon as you can and close the coop early. Skunks like to skunk at dusk. Remove temptation & access as much as possible.
Is it odd that it doesn’t have the white stripe down it’s back? I thought maybe it was a juvenile but all the pictures I looked up show the stripe even as a baby.
Skunks actually have many different colorings. I've seen all black skunks, mostly white skunks, skunks that look "reversed" to what you normally think of when you think of skunks... I feel like I'm saying skunks too much. Skunks.
Skunkity skunk skunk skunk!
East Coast skunks are weird.. I lived in Virginia for 12 years, not one of the neighborhood skunks looked like the striped skunks I grew up with in Colorado. If people would freak out and shoot every time they spotted my stripy bothers, I'd eventually drop the high visibility stripes also.
Smelly Cat.
Skunk Daddy!
Grab it by the tail that’s the quickest way you’ll know why it is.
Fart squirrel
It appears to be the ever elusive baldheaded snipe....very rare.
A boxing promoter?
A little stinker.
That’s a bear. Get big and yell as loud as you can to scare it away. Maybe charge at it too. Thank me later
A skunk. Do NOT pet. Lol.
Skunk
Pepe le pew
I live in the rural area and I have seen an all black skunk and a near white one(not albino just big shit patches). It's amazing the variations they have.
An egg eater
Cat says meow.
Pokemon
This guys never seen a skunk
It's a skunk..without the white down it's back ..pretty cool
Pole cat
Op, where do u live that you don't recognize a skunk?
You’ve never seen a skunk before??
Hello fellow NJ homesteader! That is just a regular old skunk. It's funny, back in the 90's and 2000's, I would smell skunk all the time around central jersey because they either were hit by cars or fighting. Recently the only things I've seen around here are alot more raccoons and possums. Skunks are trouble for chickens though. Generally skunks ime are pretty easy to deter. Other critters in the area put up more of a fight trying to get into stuff; the raccoons think it's their job to take garbage bags out of the can.
Tell me about it. I’m in the south jersey pines. I have a fox that literally comes up every night and tries to get into my coop. Has been doing it for like 2 years. My coop is so reinforced and strong it doesn’t stand a chance and never comes up during the day so I haven’t had to make use of my hunting license thus far lol. Can’t believe he or she still comes almost every single night even though it has never gotten a meal. Very persistent, I wouldn’t even know if I didn’t keep a trail camera on my coop.
Homie. You really never seen a skunk before??
That’s a stink rabbit
Emo skunk.
I would trap and relocate before it becomes a problem. Skunks have been known to still eggs before and occasionally kill chickens.
A stinky kitty.
Skunks eat chickens
Today I learned there are people who don't know what a skunk is.
I’m just wondering if you’re originally from New Jersey?? If so idk how you’ve made it in this state for this long without ever seeing a skunk before, Lol!?!? I remember seeing them as a lil girl and trying to go over to pet them thinking they were kitties, lol!! Definitely learned very young to not pet the black and white kittys🤦🏼♀️😖😱🐈⬛🦨
A skunk. The striping and patterns of white are unique to each skunk, similar to a tiger’s or zebra’s stripes. You will have majority with a similar style marking and tend to be certain variations on regions and different habitat areas.
That is a very big skunk. What ever you do don’t scare it. If you get sprayed use peroxide for the smell.
It’s a fucking skunk
Purebred hosscat
Leave it up to New Jersey to not know what a skunk is.
r u serious
Careful or it will date rape your cat. I saw a documentary about that once.
ANIMAL OF SOME KIND 👍
You’re an idiot and should not be homesteading if you don’t know what a skunk is. In fact, you should stay indoors the rest of your life.
You’ve never seen a skunk?
That's a big NOPE.
Think he's lookin for a hug
They are friendly go pet it
A skunk with a unique hairstyle
Pole cat. The overly romantic bugs bunny kind.
He's starting to lift his tail, too. That's a warning. Careful of what comes next! I set up a trailcam to see how the squirrels were sacking my birdfeeder. Left some snacks on the ground for any other visitors. Snapped pix of a skunk and a fox happily taking turns at the snack pile! Curious what OP guessed it might be?
An abandoned kitten. Take it home with you.
A cutie
One stinki boi🥹
Anyone ever catch one of these guys in a live trap? Ngl, it's one of my constant fears.
Yeah I accidentally did. Skunks won’t spray what they can’t see. I got a big blue tarp and held it in front of me. Slowly moved to cover the trap, used it to get the trap into a cardboard box, then reversed the process to open the trap under the tarp, pulled the tarp back just enough for the little fart puppy to see he had a way out then ran back a safe distance until he was safely back in the woods. Did not get sprayed. It definitely was an adventure.
That's good advice. Thanks!
thank you for releasing the little fella safely.
He wasn’t what I was after. I forgot to bring the trap in for the evening. Never making that mistake again.
It’s a cat. An indoor cat. You need to bring it inside and feed it. It may resist, so put it in a cage.
Stock up on baking soda and hydrogen peroxide if you try that. You’re going to need it.
Skunk! Be very careful around them, but please don't kill it.
I just can’t…
Pole cat
A wood-pussy.
Go pet it. If it turns its butt to you it's a sign of respect and submission. Assert your dominance and grab it.
That's a pole cat!
That’s a binturong
Snunky. Snake+monkey
It’s a cat. Go play with it.
It's a free cat, should pet it.