Party at my house.....Well If you really want too...

Lakesrider · 10-08-2009, 08:29 PM

Might get a bit smelly.....

Pineedles · 10-08-2009, 08:38 PM

You must be feeding them to get this huge a group of them in the same shot!

ACutAbove · 10-08-2009, 08:39 PM

My guess is you have grubs in your lawn...Skunks love them and between the grubs eating the roots from below and the skunks digging for them for a snack your lawn wont be in very good shape...

Lakesrider · 10-08-2009, 08:43 PM

Not much grass there because that is where all the lumber had been sitting for the new deck. But these guys are all living under my deck. We stand there each night and watch them come out. I was worried but they really don't seem to be bothered by us and we don't bother them. I thought they would smell the place up but I only noticed an aroma when it rains and they get wet. I'm hoping they will be moving on soon as they are getting bigger and fight with each other a lot now.
All I know is my fox gets quite perturbed when they are around. Just look at her face.....

Pineedles · 10-08-2009, 08:46 PM

I really can't tell from the photo, but it looks like vegetable scraps have been scattered around the area? Or is it just fall leaves? Nice looking fox!

jetskier · 10-08-2009, 09:17 PM

It is clear that the picture was taken with a flash. It really takes a brave soul to take a flash photo of a group of skunks.

Jetskier

Lakesrider · 10-08-2009, 09:19 PM

No table scraps. I don't want them to stick around. I do admit I threw out a few dog treats to get them all in one shot. (But they didn't like them. Too crunchy or something.) Otherwise they run around the woods digging in the leaves and I can't keep track of them. This means I am relegated to my deck as I don't feel like "surprising" one of them.....

Rattlesnake Guy · 10-08-2009, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetskier

It is clear that the picture was taken with a flash. It really takes a brave soul to take a flash photo of a group of skunks.

Jetskier

That was my first thought.

RLW · 10-09-2009, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACutAbove

My guess is you have grubs in your lawn...Skunks love them and between the grubs eating the roots from below and the skunks digging for them for a snack your lawn wont be in very good shape...

It is just free and no work by the homeowner aerating.

hoopdawg · 10-09-2009, 07:03 AM

Diet
Skunks are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material and changing their diet as the seasons change. They eat insects and larvae, earthworms, small rodents, lizards, salamanders, frogs, snakes, birds, moles, and eggs. They also commonly eat berries, roots, leaves, grasses, fungi, and nuts.

In settled areas, skunks also seek human garbage. Less often, skunks may be found acting as scavengers, eating bird and rodent carcasses left by cats or other animals. Pet owners, particularly those of cats, may experience a skunk finding its way into a garage or basement where pet food is kept. Skunks commonly dig holes in lawns in search of grubs and worms.

Skunks are one of the primary predators of the honeybee, relying on their thick fur to protect them from stings. The skunk scratches at the front of the beehive and eats the guard bees that come out to investigate. Mother skunks are known to teach this to their young.

Behavior
Skunks are crepuscular, and are solitary animals when not breeding, though in the colder parts of their range they may gather in communal dens for warmth. During the day they shelter in burrows that they dig with their powerful front claws, or in other man-made or natural hollows as the opportunity arises. Both genders occupy overlapping home ranges through the greater part of the year; typically 2 to 4 square kilometres (0.77 to 1.5 sq mi) for females, up to 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi) for males.

Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. They often overwinter in a huddle of multiple (as many as twelve) females. Males often den alone. The same winter den is often repeatedly used.

Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing—vital attributes in a crepuscular omnivore—they have poor vision. They cannot see objects more than about 3 metres (10 ft) away with any clarity, which makes them vulnerable to road traffic. Roughly half of all skunk deaths are caused by humans, as roadkill, or as a result of shooting and poisoning. They are short-lived animals: fewer than 10% survive for longer than three years

An individual's territory may span 30 to 40 acres. In the wild, skunks tend to den in shallow burrows or hollow logs. They are hardly ever found more than two miles from a water source. In urban territories, skunks den beneath buildings, decks, dumps, and woodpiles. They are capable of burrowing a den a foot or so underground, with well-hidden entrances. They like warm, dry, dark, and defensible areas; most house basements and crawl spaces qualify.

Lakesrider · 10-09-2009, 07:13 AM

Today I am going to put up landscape timbers arond my deck. (I just happen to have about 15 of them.) and leave one small opening where they normally come out. Then I will try to coax them all out like I did last night with some bread or something. When I see all 5 out I am going to slam that hole shut. I have several packages of moth balls and two gallons of amonia that I plan to soak towels in and put around the deck....Hey, I have to try something......

If you look closely at thi picture you can see the fox at the tree line....

10-08-2009, 08:29 PM	#1
Lakesrider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,129 Thanks: 380 Thanked 1,016 Times in 345 Posts	Party at my house.....Well If you really want too... Might get a bit smelly.....

10-08-2009, 08:38 PM	#2
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,545 Thanks: 1,072 Thanked 668 Times in 367 Posts	Group picture You must be feeding them to get this huge a group of them in the same shot!

10-08-2009, 08:46 PM	#5
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,545 Thanks: 1,072 Thanked 668 Times in 367 Posts	I really can't tell from the photo, but it looks like vegetable scraps have been scattered around the area? Or is it just fall leaves? Nice looking fox! Last edited by Pineedles; 10-08-2009 at 08:48 PM. Reason: Fox picture posted afterward.

10-08-2009, 09:17 PM	#6
jetskier Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North Reading, MA and South Down Shores Posts: 851 Thanks: 57 Thanked 183 Times in 114 Posts	Brave Soul It is clear that the picture was taken with a flash. It really takes a brave soul to take a flash photo of a group of skunks. Jetskier

10-08-2009, 08:39 PM	#3
ACutAbove Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Holderness Posts: 219 Thanks: 7 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts	My guess is you have grubs in your lawn...Skunks love them and between the grubs eating the roots from below and the skunks digging for them for a snack your lawn wont be in very good shape...

10-08-2009, 08:43 PM	#4
Lakesrider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,129 Thanks: 380 Thanked 1,016 Times in 345 Posts	Not much grass there because that is where all the lumber had been sitting for the new deck. But these guys are all living under my deck. We stand there each night and watch them come out. I was worried but they really don't seem to be bothered by us and we don't bother them. I thought they would smell the place up but I only noticed an aroma when it rains and they get wet. I'm hoping they will be moving on soon as they are getting bigger and fight with each other a lot now. All I know is my fox gets quite perturbed when they are around. Just look at her face.....

10-08-2009, 09:19 PM	#7
Lakesrider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,129 Thanks: 380 Thanked 1,016 Times in 345 Posts	No table scraps. I don't want them to stick around. I do admit I threw out a few dog treats to get them all in one shot. (But they didn't like them. Too crunchy or something.) Otherwise they run around the woods digging in the leaves and I can't keep track of them. This means I am relegated to my deck as I don't feel like "surprising" one of them.....

10-09-2009, 07:03 AM	#10
hoopdawg Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 64 Thanks: 0 Thanked 30 Times in 13 Posts	Diet Skunks are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material and changing their diet as the seasons change. They eat insects and larvae, earthworms, small rodents, lizards, salamanders, frogs, snakes, birds, moles, and eggs. They also commonly eat berries, roots, leaves, grasses, fungi, and nuts. In settled areas, skunks also seek human garbage. Less often, skunks may be found acting as scavengers, eating bird and rodent carcasses left by cats or other animals. Pet owners, particularly those of cats, may experience a skunk finding its way into a garage or basement where pet food is kept. Skunks commonly dig holes in lawns in search of grubs and worms. Skunks are one of the primary predators of the honeybee, relying on their thick fur to protect them from stings. The skunk scratches at the front of the beehive and eats the guard bees that come out to investigate. Mother skunks are known to teach this to their young. Behavior Skunks are crepuscular, and are solitary animals when not breeding, though in the colder parts of their range they may gather in communal dens for warmth. During the day they shelter in burrows that they dig with their powerful front claws, or in other man-made or natural hollows as the opportunity arises. Both genders occupy overlapping home ranges through the greater part of the year; typically 2 to 4 square kilometres (0.77 to 1.5 sq mi) for females, up to 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi) for males. Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. They often overwinter in a huddle of multiple (as many as twelve) females. Males often den alone. The same winter den is often repeatedly used. Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing—vital attributes in a crepuscular omnivore—they have poor vision. They cannot see objects more than about 3 metres (10 ft) away with any clarity, which makes them vulnerable to road traffic. Roughly half of all skunk deaths are caused by humans, as roadkill, or as a result of shooting and poisoning. They are short-lived animals: fewer than 10% survive for longer than three years An individual's territory may span 30 to 40 acres. In the wild, skunks tend to den in shallow burrows or hollow logs. They are hardly ever found more than two miles from a water source. In urban territories, skunks den beneath buildings, decks, dumps, and woodpiles. They are capable of burrowing a den a foot or so underground, with well-hidden entrances. They like warm, dry, dark, and defensible areas; most house basements and crawl spaces qualify.

10-09-2009, 07:13 AM	#11
Lakesrider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,129 Thanks: 380 Thanked 1,016 Times in 345 Posts	Today I am going to put up landscape timbers arond my deck. (I just happen to have about 15 of them.) and leave one small opening where they normally come out. Then I will try to coax them all out like I did last night with some bread or something. When I see all 5 out I am going to slam that hole shut. I have several packages of moth balls and two gallons of amonia that I plan to soak towels in and put around the deck....Hey, I have to try something...... If you look closely at thi picture you can see the fox at the tree line....