If you have trapped a skunk in a live trap, what are you going to do with it next? You have several options but if you are unaware of what your choices are, then you may have no other choice but to kill it in the cage. Before you even trap a skunk in a cage, you will need to check your local laws to see what is permissible in your state. Because the laws differ from state to state, it's important to know what your options are prior to placing a skunk inside of a cage before deciding to kill it or do something else with it.
Skunks have a bad reputation for spraying a strong scent that is not so pleasant when they are scared. The scent is a natural defense mechanism that will be triggered when the skunk becomes frightened or angry. The scent is so strong that it makes it too difficult to be in the direct area around the skunk. Skunks also have a bad reputation for carrying diseases that can not only be passed on to your domestic pets but also humans as well. If you come into contact with any body fluids, including blood, from an infected skunk, there is a chance that the disease can be transmitted from the blood or body fluids over to you or whoever is helping you. Diseases such as rabies can be easily passed on and cause a human to feel really sick.
When discussing humane methods to kill an animal, an animal being trapped in a cage and shot should not feel any pain and should never be allowed to lay there and suffer. Making this choice to kill a skunk should not be considered light and quick. The skunk should not be in distress, panic, or even pain. The skunk should be instantly rendered dead with no chance of coming back.
The individual responsible for killing the skunk should have had training on how to appropriately kill an animal so it doesn't suffer. Observers and operators standing close to the area that the killing takes place should not be impacted heavily by the killing of the animal. They shouldn't witness any type of suffering so the animal is quickly put out of its misery without any period of suffering.
The easiest way to get rid of skunk is to trap it in a live trap and then remove it from the immediate area. You can relocate the animal out of any path of a human to avoid the need to kill it in order to get rid of it.
Handling a Dead Carcass
If you didn't have a choice but to kill a skunk that came near you and your family, you want to make sure that you handle the dead carcass in a manner that is not only respectable but is also safe for you. Remember, the body fluids from a dead skunk could be filled with diseases so you want to wear well layered gloves on your hands when you are handling it. This will ensure that you won't get the body fluids on your hands and make yourself sick or anyone else in your home sick by touching the fluids.
If you are in doubt about killing a skunk in a cage, you can call the local Department of Natural Resources to find out more information about alternatives to killing a skunk or any animal while it's in a cage. They may also have a professional that can not only take care of the skunk for you but also relocate it so they don’t have to experience death.
Go back to the Austin wildlife removal home page.