Skunk Spotted! In my yard.

91FromStars

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Apr 17, 2010
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I was walking outside my wall heading to the gate after a walk with one English mastiff, one dachshund, and one sister when I detected the first sign that something wasn't right. My other English mastiff, who was left at home, was barking rapidly. The mastiff I was walking pulled me inside the yard as soon as the gate opened. She wanted to make sure her friend had backup.

There in the driveway was a very worked up hundred and ten pound dog barking at a rustle beneath the ficus trees. Illuminated by my Solarforce L2 equipped with an LF EO-9 was a creature. It was a furry black and white thing, but it wasn't my cat. That's not good. :crazy: Skunk!

My light was overheating before this started, and I had three dogs and garage to secure. I handed my quark mini 123 ww to my sister so she (She never brings the light I gave her for her birthday.) could keep track of the skunk while I took the mastiff I was walking inside. As I walked inside, I mentally went through my lighting options. Within seconds I made my pick. A quark 123^2 ww tactical, already set to high and max (whew:thumbsup:), and an eagletac m2xc4 nw would do.

It took some battery swapping since all but two of my 18650s were sleeping in the refrigerator but a minute later, I emerged from the house to finish my securing operation. My mom was holding the remaining mastiff to prevent her from attempting to play with the furry thing. That dog is a party girl. She wants to play with everything. I didn't want to get sprayed; so I asked my sister where the skunk was located. It was no problem lighting up the skunk with that m2xc4. Now that I knew I was hopefully out of range, I put the leash on the remaining mastiff. I gave my quark 123^2 to my mom so she could see and went along with my dog to close all the doors to the garage. I didn't want that place smelling like :green:.

With the garage secured and the skunk last spotted behind the garage in the far corner of the yard, we all went inside. As in all my encounters with skunks, we all felt a little :sick:.
 

TedTheLed

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Feb 22, 2006
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Ventura, CA.
skunks won't spray unless you upset them, like with barking dogs.

if you are calm, they will remain calm.

they're friendly little weasles basically..very intelligent..
give them a way out and they'll take it.
 

91FromStars

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Apr 17, 2010
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I have noticed that skunks are calm. Last year if I remember correctly, my sister's dachshund was standing right next to one in the same spot in the yard. He was barking at it, and the skunk just kept walking.
 

alpg88

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Apr 19, 2005
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5,343
some ppl keep them as pets, they are very smart animals, thou when they are born, their glands (or whatever produces that stinky fluid) is surgically removed. not all of them are black, there are grey ones too.
 

Flying Turtle

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Jan 28, 2003
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Location
Apex, NC
I came across a few of them on some trails in a New England nature preserve. They were not bothered at all by my presence, until I got within a few feet of them and they began their little dance. I've got some good pics around here somewhere.

Geoff
 

Black Rose

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Mar 8, 2008
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Ottawa, ON, Canada
It seems every time I go in te back yard to test my lights, the neighbourhood skunk comes over to see what I'm doing.

I've stood within 5 feet or so of it and it doesn't really seem to care that I'm there.
When I shine a light at it, it actually comes closer.

Haven't been able to determine if it prefers LED or incan yet :)
 

LuxLuthor

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Nov 5, 2005
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MS
Yeah, I see skunks several times a week, and it takes a lot to trigger their spraying. My dog has been sprayed four times, which is the real nightmare...especially when he comes in through his swinging doggie door, announcing to everyone's dismay: "Guess what I just found?"

I keep that white Nature's Miracle on hand at all times, because you can't use baking soda/peroxide/dish liquid on their face where they always get sprayed with the butt juice. Tomato juice is an old wive's tail myth.
 

Lynx_Arc

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Oct 1, 2004
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Tulsa,OK
My mom told me she had a pet skunk when she was growing up, I think she had the sprayer removed also. Told me stories of pranks she pulled with it too :D
 

Linger

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Feb 17, 2009
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Kingston ON
In Kingston, skunks are endemic in the student housing area (referred to as 'The Ghetto'), mainly b/c the huge amount of free food that goes out with the garbage. Every late-night walk home had a few "Wait: is that a Cat? or a Racoon? or a Skunk!?"

Of course, its just as common to be walking and smell some of that other skunk.
 

Monocrom

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
20,200
Location
NYC
It seems every time I go in te back yard to test my lights, the neighbourhood skunk comes over to see what I'm doing.

I've stood within 5 feet or so of it and it doesn't really seem to care that I'm there.
When I shine a light at it, it actually comes closer.

Haven't been able to determine if it prefers LED or incan yet :)

A flashaholic skunk! :lolsign:
 
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