First skunk I’ve ever seen in garden in daylight. I’ve trapped a bunch of them over the years—tricky procedure—only when they impinge rudely. Was going to trap this guy because he’s been hassling chickens, but am now wondering if I can befriend him. We”ll see. Beautiful little critter.
About Lloyd Kahn
Lloyd Kahn started building his own home in the early '60s and went on to publish books showing homeowners how they could build their own homes with their own hands. He got his start in publishing by working as the shelter editor of the
Whole Earth Catalog with Stewart Brand in the late '60s. He has since authored six highly-graphic books on homemade building, all of which are interrelated. The books, "The Shelter Library Of Building Books," include
Shelter,
Shelter II (1978),
Home Work (2004),
Builders of the Pacific Coast (2008),
Tiny Homes (2012), and
Tiny Homes on the Move (2014). Lloyd operates from Northern California studio built of recycled lumber, set in the midst of a vegetable garden, and hooked into the world via five Mac computers. You can check out videos (one with over 450,000 views) on Lloyd by doing a search on YouTube:
First skunk I’ve ever seen in garden in daylight. I’ve trapped a bunch of them over the years—tricky procedure—only when they impinge rudely. Was going to trap this guy because he’s been hassling chickens, but am now wondering if I can befriend him. We”ll see. Beautiful little critter.
skunk out and about in daylight seems odd…Often heard it is a sign of sickness. Lots of Rabies and such around.
Possibly a sign of rabies.
Skunks actually make great pets- they can be quite docile around people and it's kind of like a cat as a pet. There are veterinarians who will remove their scent gland (it's illegal) and you're off and running. Waaaaay back when I was in high school, my art teacher had a pet skunk he used to bring to school. The thing walked around and interacted with the students like a friendly dog. I suppose you could befriend him and throw him a little snack once in a while; I imagine he his digging for grubs in your garden, is that the case?
Skunks are the coolest of creatures. I once saw a large aggressive tomcat considering attacking a smallish skunk. The skunk didn't even flinch. It slowly turned its rear end to the cat, lifted its tail and let fly. It then quietly walked away, while the cat had hysterics trying to handle the foul liquid that covered it. It must have been a young cat, because I expect that it treated skunks with the deepest of respect for the rest of its life.
As Some Other Dude says, a descented skunk can make an excellent pet, but it is probably illegal in most places. I knew a guy who used to carry his pet skunk draped around his neck like a fur stole. He reckoned it was a chick magnet. How politically incorrect of him!
Skunks are certainly better pets than raccoons, which some people unwisely attempt to domesticate.
A few things about skunks:
-Baby skunks are the cutest animals I've ever seen. Unlike, say, deer or dogs or horses, the babies are exact but miniature replicas of full grown skunks.
-They don't see well — maybe 10 feet max.
-In Mill Valley, they would visit our house. I'd sit out on the ground just after dark and mama and babies would check me out.
-If they do let fly, they aim for their opponents' eyes.
-They have to raise their tails before spraying. That's why a Havahart trap of the right size can be used to transport them elsewhere.
-I've got 3-4 skunk skins. Once in a while they'll be hit on the head by a car and not release the spray. You just have to be very careful in skinning not to depress the scent glands, which are on either side of the anus.
all interesting stuff re skunks, thanks Lloyd. I once read a newspaper article quoting a woman in Toronto (guess there are a lot of skunks in residential there)..and she said she often saw them in her yard in the evening. The key, she said, was to start/keep talking to the skunk in a quiet calm voice, so they knew where you were/you weren't a threat. As you mention, she said as they have very bad eyesight, they used their ears a lot. She said she had many come to her yard/was never sprayed. Just kept talking.
All that being said, that fellow does look a bit skinny. Take care. He may be ill.