Do Skunks smell bad?

Bradlee · Jul 8, 2009

This may sound like an odd question but, in all seriousness, I'm curious what the consensus is. I've personally never minded a mild dose of their odour (as you might get driving by a dead skunk) and I found out several other members of my extended family feel the same way.

So, is this a genetic anomaly or does a fraction of the population just not mind it?

Monocrom · Jul 8, 2009

Do fat kids like cake? :grin2:

Illum · Jul 8, 2009

they only smell bad if they start chirping and you haven't started running:green:

Sgt. LED · Jul 8, 2009

OK further away from the site of the incident the smell changes and while strong is not totally offensive. The closer you get the more evil it is.

Driving by a fallout zone is distinctly scented but not really bad. Standing right there when one of these stink bombs goes off is a whole nother experience! It is very very puking, eye watering, can't breathe - bad. WV has a lot of skunks.

chew socks · Jul 8, 2009

I dont think its particularly bad, there are just other things id rather be smelling.

DaFABRICATA · Jul 8, 2009

Sometimes (if mild) it smells like some fresh gonja or reefer if you will.:ironic:
Reminds me of high school and I don't mind it.

If it is the full on SKUNK smell...I hate it!:sick2:

Norm · Jul 8, 2009

Crossin' the highway late last night
He shoulda looked left and he shoulda looked right
He didn't see the station wagon car
The skunk got squashed and there you are!

You got yer
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
You got yer dead skunk in the middle of the road
Stinkin' to high Heaven!

Take a whiff on me, that ain't no rose!
Roll up yer window and hold yer nose
You don't have to look and you don't have to see
'Cause you can feel it in your olfactory

You got yer
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
You got yer dead skunk in the middle of the road
Stinkin' to high Heaven!

Yeah you got yer dead cat and you got yer dead dog
On a moonlight night you got yer dead toad frog
Got yer dead rabbit and yer dead raccoon
The blood and the guts they're gonna make you swoon!
You got yer
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
You got yer dead skunk in the middle of the road
Stinkin' to high Heaven!

C'mon stink!

You got it!
It's dead, it's in the middle
Dead skunk in the middle!
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
Stinkin' to high heaven!
All over the road, technicolor man!
Oh, you got pollution
It's dead, it's in the middle
And it's stinkin' to high, high Heaven

Sgt. LED · Jul 8, 2009

lovecpf Sweet.

Oddjob · Jul 8, 2009

I don't mind the smell but I'm sure it is worse the closer you get. It probably smells worse to animals whose sense of smell is much more acute than ours but who knows?

LEDAdd1ct · Jul 8, 2009

Yes, yes they most certainly do smell bad. I come home late at night to see them creeping about the yard, and try and tiptoe to the front door so as not to inhale the magic stench.

gswitter · Jul 8, 2009

The "drive by the roadkill skunk" smell never bothers me too much. The "freshly sprayed fox/dog/raccoon/whatever crawling under your cabin and feeling sorry for itself directly beneath your bedroom in the middle of the night" smell is another story - bad in a completely obliterate you senses and makes you wanna vomit kinda way. Not a pleasant memory.

There was a mother skunk and her six kids that came and fed below our bird feeder every night one summer. A skunk's senses of sight and hearing are pretty lousy, so we could sit on the deck about five feet away and watch them and they never once noticed us. We'd run into them while walking around periodically. The mother never seemed to be bothered, but the kids would stamp their feet and do their best to look fierce. We'd laugh and give them a wide berth.

smflorkey · Jul 8, 2009

I used to work graveyard-shift security for large church campus. Only about 10 acres were developed in the middle of over 100 acres. That generous greenbelt encouraged some wildlife. There were a lot of small rabbits around after the people left; some of the rabbits and a few birds became coyote chow. I came to enjoy seeing occasional skunks, usually one or two each night.

The skunks always impressed me as intelligent and seemed to dislike their chemical weapon as much as the rest of us. As gswitter mentioned, young skunks are very cute when given respectful clearance. I quite agree with several others here who point out that proximity has a lot to do with how bad skunk spray smells, but you'll never get my wife to say that even the slightest whiff of skunk is tolerable. :green:

Illum · Jul 8, 2009

smflorkey said:
I used to work graveyard-shift security for large church campus. Only about 10 acres were developed in the middle of over 100 acres.

we need to get you an HID pal...

LuxLuthor · Jul 8, 2009

It is one thing to have a passing whiff blowing for a few seconds in the wind. It is quite another scenario when your dog get sprayed, or they spray in the next yard. Your poll should discern between the two.

The best thing for treating your dog are the Skunk Off or "Nature's Miracle" solutions. The wise man will always keep a bottle on hand. They have an enzyme that breaks down the putrid skunk protein thiol smell. The tomato juice is a worthless "old wive's tale." Another alternative is a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, & dish soap which must be applied while it is foaming, as the oxygen process is what helps neutralize it...but it is very easy to get it in their ears, eyes, and mouth...so I prefer the commercial products.

In the wild, a skunk's spray is a death sentence for any animal that preys on other animals for food, since the prey can now smell them in advance of their attack.

stitch_paradox · Jul 8, 2009

I knew a girl before that loves the musky smell of skunk. I thought she's weird... now I know shes not alone!

smokinbasser · Jul 8, 2009

Living in the country I notice that skunk and fox have very similar odors, that being said I'd rather avoid being "sprayed " by either

RA40 · Jul 8, 2009

You might attract Pepe Le Pew:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEdBndu0YUM

LEDAdd1ct · Jul 8, 2009

On the way home tonight, I caught a nice healthy whiff of skunk spray. I immediately thought of this thread, and will not be retracting my vote.

LuxLuthor · Jul 8, 2009

stitch_paradox said:
I knew a girl before that loves the musky smell of skunk. I thought she's weird... now I know shes not alone!

I'm guessing she's thinking of Patchouli Oil which is quite an interesting smell. People mix up the two when talking about musky scents...but again the passing, distant skunk whiff is not hard to deal with...kind of like driving through a stretch of highway where a nearby farm was just freshly fertilized with cow and/or pig poo.

Up close and personal spray on your dog is extremely nauseating, waters your eyes, triggers asthma, blocks your ability to smell anything else for a long time.

I'll never forget the time we had about 20 people over for dinner, and dear little Scottie came inside through the doggie door, and people started screaming and reaching for pillows, towels, napkins...anything to block the smell of his freshly skunked fur. All the people left within 5-10 minutes, and the party was over.

Patriot · Jul 9, 2009

Originally Posted by stitch_paradox
I knew a girl before that loves the musky smell of skunk. I thought she's weird... now I know shes not alone!

LuxLuthor said:
I'm guessing she's thinking of Patchouli Oil which is quite an interesting smell. People mix up the two when talking about musky scents...but again the passing, distant skunk whiff is not hard to deal with...kind of like driving through a stretch of highway where a nearby farm was just freshly fertilized with cow and/or pig poo.

Either that or she was just thinking about this guy.........

Do Skunks smell bad?

Do you dislike the smell of a skunk's spray?

Yes

No

I wouldn't know.

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