Foo - Cripes, it's only the 3rd of March....

Way too early for skunks to be in the backyard!

The dog was out barking and when I opened the door to call him in, I got a blast of skunk odor. This dog is pretty smart... except when it comes to skunks. He got hit 3 times in as many weeks last fall when one took up residence under the shed.

Fortunately, he only spooked the thing but it wasn't "aimed" at the pooch. Or maybe he was barking at a coyote who was getting hit. Either way... I'm glad I didn't have to clean him up tonight! I'm sure there'll be enough time to do that this summer.

Sure it wasn't a skink?

Sure it wasn't a skink?
Skinks are small lizards. Yes, we really call them skinks. Not to be comfused with skanks, those are usually found around the bars outside the military bases around the 1st and 15th.

Um. I didn't want to say "skanks." I know that sometimes there's a (female) human connnotation.... :rolleyes:

Um. I didn't want to say "skanks." I know that sometimes there's a (female) human connnotation.... :rolleyes:
I'm helping the masses with common Southern vernacular.

I'm helping the masses with common Southern vernacular.
As any Suth'un gentleman should. ;)

Way too early for skunks to be in the backyard!

The dog was out barking and when I opened the door to call him in, I got a blast of skunk odor. This dog is pretty smart... except when it comes to skunks. He got hit 3 times in as many weeks last fall when one took up residence under the shed.

Fortunately, he only spooked the thing but it wasn't "aimed" at the pooch. Or maybe he was barking at a coyote who was getting hit. Either way... I'm glad I didn't have to clean him up tonight! I'm sure there'll be enough time to do that this summer.


You don't want a 104# SGDS. (smelly German Shepard dog) . :D

A common worry on the East Bay Path after dark is skunks. Many close calls, no problems yet.

You don't want a 104# SGDS. (smelly German Shepard dog) . :D

A common worry on the East Bay Path after dark is skunks. Many close calls, no problems yet.

Funny thing is, once he gets hit... he hangs his head in shame and just stands there with his hears down and tail low while I scrub him with my de-skunk rememdy. He doesn't squirm or protest or anything.

But once he's done, he'll forget and chase the damn thing again! One of the 3 times last fall, the skunk waddled across the driveway while we were out there and he did start out after it... until I zapped him.

Funny thing is, once he gets hit... he hangs his head in shame and just stands there with his hears down and tail low while I scrub him with my de-skunk rememdy. He doesn't squirm or protest or anything.

But once he's done, he'll forget and chase the damn thing again! One of the 3 times last fall, the skunk waddled across the driveway while we were out there and he did start out after it... until I zapped him.

Your thread makes me realize that I do have skunks once in a while and this is only the second spring for this dog. I think I may start turning on the light and carefully looking aorund before letting the dog out in the dark. I had a border collie once that used to chase squirells and ran straight into a skunk at top speed. They rolled over a few times, the skunk looked dazed, I called the dog, he came and the skunk staggered off. Whew !!

There's been a skunk living under my porch for at least 10 years now. I saw the little beast for the first time last week, luckily I was behind a window:eek:

Wait hold on. So you are saying that the skunks are out early and it's only the third of March...

First of all, you need to make sure they can read a calendar. If not, you have two choices. You can either get them one or take yours and shake it furiously as you point out the date. That'll teach 'em. ;)

You know, once a skunk sprays it takes about 16 hours for the thoile (the stinky stuff in the liquid spray) to build back up. So if you time it right, you can have some mideval fun with the skunk if you catch it directly after it sprays. :D

Well, from personal experience, that's not an absolute. I don't know if they can "hold" some when they go off or what, but one of the 3 times last fall, the little stinker was in my neighbor's basement and he blasted up there. It was about an hour or two later that he hit the dog. Admittedly, the smell wasn't full strength skunk, but I'm not going out there to mess with one no matter when he went off last!!!

We're supposed to get down to the mid-single digits this week; maybe if they're up and about from hibernation or wherever they go in the winter, they'll freeze to death this week!