Backyard Visitors

[Markel]

A few minutes ago our dog was in the back yard barking up a storm. I look out to see what had him riled, and I got a bit concerned. He listened to us enough to back off and take a bypass route through his doggie door (an insert I have built that we can put into our sliding door). Here's what I saw out there:

http://www.raymondkwan.com/uploader2/files/1006/Skunks0.jpg

Someone reached out with a broomstick and moved the towel so we could get a better view.

http://www.raymondkwan.com/uploader2/files/1006/Skunks1.JPG

http://www.raymondkwan.com/uploader2/files/1006/Skunks2.JPG

http://www.raymondkwan.com/uploader2/files/1006/Skunks3.JPG

It was so dark that my camera was having trouble focusing. They were obviously very young (from their size) and they were playing around like kittens (but a bit wary of us). Eventually they went through the fence (a picket type) into the neighbor's yard. Thankfully, the dog didn't get sprayed.

[eSDee]

Thankfully, the dog didn't get sprayed.

Thankfully you didn't get sprayed! Nice job with the pics. Anything for G|A right? ;)

[Napoleon54]

Hah, no crap! I saw one in my driveway last night. It was just barely dark enough outside to trip the motion light, maybe 9:15ish. I was going to snap some pics as well but when I got out there my batteries were dead *grumble, grumble*. Mine had only a white blotch on his head and another on his rump/ tail... no stripes. Yours are way cuter. Skunks are cool (as long as nobody gets a stinky shower, that is).

[oblongmelon]

hey they are cute!..remember if anyone gets sprayed..wash with dawn dish soap then do a follow up rinse with baking soda and water...(tomato juice DOES NOT WORK)

[Markel]

Thankfully you didn't get sprayed! Nice job with the pics. Anything for G|A right? ;)
I was thankful that I have a fairly long zoom range (up to 10x optical) on my camera. I'm not sure how far zoomed in I was when I took those (I could check the EXIF info when I get home), but I would guess it was about 5x.

Skunks are cool (as long as nobody gets a stinky shower, that is).
I once had a thought of getting a pet skunk (descented, of course, from a skunk farm), but I found out that Illinois does not permit them as pets.

[DarkFury]

I once had a thought of getting a pet skunk (descented, of course, from a skunk farm), but I found out that Illinois does not permit them as pets.
Heh... so instead of a skunk, you ended up with a weasel eh? :heh:


(j/k)

[Kevster]

Skunks are very common here in California, particularly No. CA. I had a similiar encounter last summer when I was going out for an evening stroll in the moonlight (no street lights where my parents live) and I heard a rustling in the brush about 10 feet from me. I turn on my flashlight and guess who was walking around almost oblivious to me? One of the neighborhood skunks foraging around.

They are fine, as long as you see them at night. If you see them walking around during the day get your gun as they're likely rabid.

[Markel]

Heh... so instead of a skunk, you ended up with a weasel eh? :heh:

Actually, I did move from the idea of a skunk to getting the first ferret. :)

[Showtime]

Cute little things. I thought it was going to be a rattler... Lots of them coming down this year following food since it was so dry this winter. Also bears, coyotes, and other interesting critters have been seen and summer just started.

[johnnymk]

My sister's dog got sprayed two months ago. The dog came inside immediately.

You can not believe the job it was getting rid of the smell in her house and on the dog. It was tons and tons of work for nearly a month. There are still very faint odors lingering in parts of the house.

Whatever you do, NEVER get sprayed by a skunk.

[Markel]

You can not believe the job it was getting rid of the smell in her house and on the dog. It was tons and tons of work for nearly a month. There are still very faint odors lingering in parts of the house.
I've read that the remedy involving detergent, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide will work well:
http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/skunked_pets.html

[gwilks98]

when I was young, on a family camping road trip style vacation, we had two skunks get drawn into our screened in area of our tent in the middle of the night, apparently drawn to the trash we had propped up in there.

The two skunks were not friends. They didn't spray each other, but I'll never forget the sound two skunks make when fighting. They screamed at each other like they were dying.

[TofuNinja]

They are cute, great pics.

[Airencracken]

Sometimes when I'm driving in the mountains I'll get a faint whiff of skunk. I don't really mind it then, it's a bit nostalgic like the smell of childhood camping trips...

[Markel]

Here's a couple of more shots I took:

http://www.raymondkwan.com/uploader2/files/1020/Skunks4.JPG

http://www.raymondkwan.com/uploader2/files/1020/Skunks5.JPG

And here's a view of a skunk that you hope to never see:

http://www.raymondkwan.com/uploader2/files/1020/Skunks6.JPG

:heh:

[Prngr44]

Hahahaha. That's great.

Skunks gone wild.

[Houdini]

They are fine, as long as you see them at night. If you see them walking around during the day get your gun as they're likely rabid.

I've never seen a skunk around these parts, but the above also applies to armadillos, (which I like to kill anyway at night, as I don't like leprosy or non-indigenous creatures destroying the environment) and opossums (or as we say in the South 'possums, which doesn't sound right with my US Standard accent, though I've grown up in MS south of I10.

Rabid 'possums are scary. They just kinda stare at you and rock back and forth hissing. Rabid armadillos just sorta walk up to you. Then again, the ones I've seen may have just not noticed that it was daytime. They are dumb as hell.