I've got skunk troubles. With the cold weather upon us a skunk is getting into the crawl space under my house. Last night there was clawing & scratching under the floor as my dog barked continuously. The smell was strong in the house. Impossible to sleep. I have a live trap but have some questions:

>>> What do I use for bait?
>>> If I trap one, what's the best bullet placement?
>>> Any special instructions in handling the stinking thing (dead or alive, preferably dead).
>>> Is there something that I can sprinkle along the narrow crevice they seem to go to? (Someone mentioned lime. Is that safe & non-damaging to my house?)

Caught 10 last year in a live trap. Used sardines in a small cup cut in half and left juice in it so would not dry out.. When you catch one take a small tarp or blanket and hold it up and ease it over the trap..They thank it's getting dark and we never had one spray. The guys that work for the city come by and get ours and carry out to the dump and shootem. Go get trap bout week later. Guess I put a hurtin on them cause ain't caught but one so far

I buy a ton of mothballs and throw them under my shed where they used to leave. Might smell up,your house though. I get mine at tractor supply and Lowes.

Very carefully

I've caught them in Dukes dog-proof traps too. Also used sardines.

I caught one in a live trap using sardines. Snuck up and shot it in the head with a gamo pellet gun, thinking it wouldn’t spray.

I was wrong. Oh so wrong.

Great advice
It works

Sardines. There are videos on the internet on how to pickup and move the trap once you get one. Move slowly. They moved in under my house a couple of years ago. It was bad. I won.

Trapping them is the easy part

Shooting them in the head almost never worked for me. Shooting them in the belly with a .22 short seemed to work best.

Perhaps put some chicken wire over any spots where they get under the house? Maybe they will just go away?

PM SA Hunter since he is the resident varmint trapper. I have caught them in live catch, leg hold and dog proof traps with a variety of baits. Sardines and corn have worked the best at deer feeders. Around the house any potted meat or fishy smelling catfood or food will work. Like mentioned above I have used the blanket over the live trap and attached a wire to the trap to slowly drag it to the edge of the yard. Then shoot them in the trap. I have spined a few in the neck/base of the skull and they did not spray. If you miss the exact spot they will spray. I have heard on rare occasions that they will still spray you even with a blanket over the trap. So video this if you try it

When i shoot them I use a 12 gauge with a pleasant load. They just leak a little and don't spray.

I use a skunk trap baited with catfood or chicken. The skunk trap is skinny and short so they can not lift their tail to spray.

I’ve been told the double lung shot works best and reduces the chance of being sprayed. I can tell you a head shot does not stop it

Where would one get one of those traps?

I use a Havaheart trap, comes in different sizes.

Get a smaller live trap, just big enough for one to go in but not raise it's tail.
Cover it with something , wrap it in a feed stack etc and attach a rope to the handle.
Almost anything for bait will work as stated.
The smaller trap will not allow it to raise it's tail to spray you. Spouse has trapped 3 skunks out of yard in town here.
Fill a trash can or bin large enough for the trap to fit with water and when you catch the skunk just put it in the water filled bin and drown it. May not even spray but if it does the smell will not be strong.
You can pick up the trap by the handle and not get sprayed or use the rope drag it to a creek or pond if nearby.
Don't pick up the trap with the skunks butt pointing towards you.

They do make skunk traps but they are expensive. A 7 inch live trap will work with a cover.

My Dad trapped a few. I asked if he got sprayed when he dropped the blanket over the trap. He said “not much”.

I’ve shot a bunch, and it’s my opinion that there is no place you can shoot them and stop them from spraying.

As for getting them out from under a house, I do have a proven answer. After reading up on options, it seems that skunks don’t like light. I put a couple of those high intensity work lights under our guest cottage and the skunks left town. After doing that twice, they never came back in following years (yet).

I hear using a ferret as bait works best.

Hahah! The HUD is always on point!

Get it trapped. Slowly approach trap with sheet. Drop sheet over trap. Pick up trap and haul to remote location. Have someone quickly remove sheet while you shoot the skunk I'm the trap. You lose the trap, but the skunk is gone too. Has never failed

I read somewhere that they don't like cayenne. I had one take up residence under our cabin up in OK. I poured half a bottle of cayenne at the entrance and tossed the rest back as far into the den as I could. He vacated his residence and didn't come back...at least not yet.

Guys, they don’t like light. Put those bright lights under the house and they will leave. This is something I do, when necessary, and it works.

How do you stop them from feeding under the bright outside lighting around the house and barn? Add even more bright lights there? Asking for a friend.