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I am looking for advice, but probably not the type you would expect.
For what led up to this thread.
We live out in a very rural area, over 2 miles to the nearest paved road. No close neighbors in fact only 2 other houses within 5 miles of us. We do have quite a bit of wildlife. Deer, Turkeys, pheasant, hawks, eagles, owls, squirrels, etc and skunks.
We do not want to discourage any of them from venturing on or even living on our farm. They were here long before us. The issue is one skunk who is a bit too overly friendly. We have cats However two are strictly outdoor cats. A spayed female and a neutered male. They are older cats, well fed just do not want to come in the house. They prefer living in the mud-room that is attached to the house. have their own private pet door.
Now for the Skunk. It seems to have discovered the mud-room. there is even a possibility it had been living in the mud-room, before we bought the place. We have not had any confrontation between it and the cats. They seem to be ignoring each other. It is a very large older skunk, probably the biggest skunk I have ever seen. I come across it every evening at sunset. It exhibits typical skunk behavior with the early warning foot stomping. At which point I stop walking, slowly back up and act like I don't see him/her at which point it shuffles off into the under brush.
The problem is it has begun eating the cat food. I do not mind that but I do not want it to become dependent on us as a food source, also I doubt cat-food is a healthy diet for a skunk.
My problem is I want to do what is best for the skunk. Winter is coming upon us fast. My immediate plan is to bring the 2 cats into the house for the winter. Let the skunk have the mudroom for winter shelter and not put any food out for it. There are plenty of small rodents field mice, voles etc, along with plenty native shrubs and grasses for it's veggies. I believe it can find ample food. I do not think it is fair to the skunk to make it look for new winter shelter as it seems to have claimed the mud-room
Then come spring time if need be catch it in a live trap and relocate it to a wildlife refuge area
Sounds like a great plan. Although you may see the skunk very little in deep winter.
They use burrows to sleep in and block the burrow entries with leaves, etc. to try to keep wind out. Your mud room, while offering shelter from wind, snow and rain is not any where near as snug, warm and tight as a burrow.
I suspect the skunk is in the mud room because of the cat food. Remove the food source and the skunk may leave. If it doesn't your plan will work well .
Thank you. As we are now in a Blizzard watch I suspect the 2 outlaw cats will be willing to become winter house cats very soon at which time the food supply will be cut off.
Allegedly we have badgers here. They are supposed to be common here.
Quote:
Habitat and range
Badgers are found over most of Minnesota except in the heavily forested northeast. They are nocturnal creatures. During cold weather, they keep to their burrows, probably in a state of dormancy. They prefer open prairie, but will also make their homes in farmland. They dig an intricate den system and at the end of a long tunnel build a grass-lined nest.
We have not seen any but have found a few burrows large enough to be badger burrows. Possibly the skunk has adopted or will adopt a vacant burrow. Once we stop being a food source for it.
I have no objection to the critter but I do not want any wild creature to become habituated to humans. They either become a nuisance or easy prey for hunters and trappers. It is not fair to either the human or animal to encourage it to become trusting of humans.
My Pet Skunk would disagree. Pepe Loved Cat Food Yes Several Vets told me to feed him Cat Food. BTW in Heavy snow they hibernate.
Nutritionally cat food probably is ok for skunks. but I think it is more healthy for them to learn to find their own food in the wild. We have no shortage of small game and other assorted things that are a natural part of a skunk's diet.
I used to believe skunks hibernated. but I have often found skunks out in 4 feet of snow when we lived in North Dakota.
One thing we do not have is a shortage of heavy snow in Minnesota and the Dakotas. Yet I have come across skunks in the middle of blizzards.
Then again the winters here last almost 6 months, possibly too long for them to remain dormant as they are supposed to.
I'll try to remember to take pictures of skunks in the snow next time I see them. Right now we are at the start of our first blizzard of the Winter, crazy skunk was out in the donkey pasture just before dark. Expecting 9-12 inches of new snow before it is over.
Skunks do a simi hibernation. Most will stay in the borrow when its super cold or snowing But will come out once the sun is up. They don't tend to go too far from home. Pepe would curl up beside the heater & sleep a week! No food No Water in winter! Maybe it to reserve energy when nothing around for them to eat. I don't know I just know what mine did. BTW he was Born Tame. He was a great mouser! So I don't think you have any worries about him not feeding himself.
Skunks do a simi hibernation. Most will stay in the borrow when its super cold or snowing But will come out once the sun is up. They don't tend to go too far from home. Pepe would curl up beside the heater & sleep a week! No food No Water in winter! Maybe it to reserve energy when nothing around for them to eat. I don't know I just know what mine did. BTW he was Born Tame. He was a great mouser! So I don't think you have any worries about him not feeding himself.
This skunk is an older skunk. Quite large, I am thinking it is an adult male because of the size. I am quite certain he/she can be self efficient. I just don't know how long it has been a "pet food thief" the previous owners had a dog they fed out doors.
I am hoping it still has the skills to fend for itself. I also hope I can get a picture of it. It really is quite Beautiful/handsome very nice thick long coat. I'm actually a fan of skunks. they do domesticate and make great pets. But I think wild ones should be left wild.
Over the past 70+ years I have encountered very many skunks in the wild even had one crawl into a pup-tent I was sleeping in. but never been sprayed. Staying calm, not trying to shoo one off and staying relaxed is the best way to keep from getting sprayed.
If it's older, it may not be able to find its own food. That's just nature's way. Skunks can't jump as high as a cat so you could put the cat food on a table of some sort. Your outdoor cats can jump up and get it; the skunk won't. Of course there's the possibility the kitties are friends with mr skunk and knock the food off the table to help it.
Woodrow, you mentioned badgers. I just saw a documentary on the Honey badgers of Africa night before last.
The intelligence of this animal is amazing. I watched it in an enclosure, pick up a 4 or 5 foot limb, use it as a ladder at the corner of said enclosure, and climb out! When said limb was removed, this animal actually thought to make mudballs, stack against same corner of enclosure to try and climb out!
I have also had encounters with skunks, always ending in a good way. But if the lil' guy is bent upon overwintering in a familiar spot (your mudroom) there may not be much you can do to stop these very witty creatures.
If it's older, it may not be able to find its own food. That's just nature's way. Skunks can't jump as high as a cat so you could put the cat food on a table of some sort. Your outdoor cats can jump up and get it; the skunk won't. Of course there's the possibility the kitties are friends with mr skunk and knock the food off the table to help it.
Studies have shown that less than 20% of relocated wildlife survive after being removed from their home. They need to be released into their own established territory, within two miles or less of where they were trapped.
Time to think of an alternative. If it does not go on it's own after I get the 2 delinquent cats into the house. At the moment we are about half way through the Blizzard. Not light outside yet, but went out to check on the donkeys. They are warm and comfortable in the barn. No sign of the Skunk or the cats, we are in near white-out conditions heavy snow falling and about a 45 mph steady wind. Not very cold though hardly worth calling a blizzard. Temperature is 25 F
We have a very dense tree line that encircles the Farm as a wind break I suspect the trees were planted back in 1910 when the house was built. If Skunk would take up residence on the edge of the tree line we could all be happy. But I will see what happens once I can stop putting food out for the 2 cats.
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