People have asked me several times to write the story of how I was recently sprayed in the Face and all over by a Skunk. Here is the story....
Since Elk and Deer hunting are only a few months out of the year, I have taken up a new hobby... Trapping. I have been trying to catch Raccoons and/or Foxes. I put the trap out for 2 weeks with no success of trapping anything. I relocated my trap to a little Ranch in Bluffdale. The owner of the land said I would catch a lot of Raccoons, some Foxes and possibly a Skunk. Excited by the news, I laid the trap with Dog Food as the bait. To keep the trap from being tipped over by any varmint, I tied the trap tightly to a pole with some rope (This turned out to be a bad move). I set the trap and couldn’t wait to have my first raccoon hat. After my trap had been sitting for two days, I went to see if I had any success. To my surprise I had movement in my trap. My excitement was almost overcoming until I saw 2 white stripes down the back of the animal. There was a Skunk in my Trap and to make matters worse, there were 2 skunks in my trap. The owner would not let me kill the skunks right there in that location because of the smell and the wind blowing it into his house. I had to relocate the Skunks a good 200-400 yards away before I could send them back to their maker.
Preparation: I prepared myself for this adventure by putting clothing on that I knew I could throw away. I put on a garbage bag under my clothes to keep my skin from stinking if I got strayed. I cut eye holes in a beanie to cover my face but still see what I was doing. I put on gloves, long sleeve shirts, old shoes and rain gear to cover my body from any possible spray. I had a knife and tree trimmers to cut the rope that tied the cage to the pole. I attached two 20 foot ropes to 2 carabineers so I could drag the cage to the disposal destination. Then I had my 22 Rifle with plenty of bullets to complete the job. I turned out to be Underprepared for what was coming. 
To spare the full details I'll shorten the beginning of the adventure. I tried 2 times unsuccessfully to cut the trap loose and my clothes stunk, but I wasn’t directly sprayed. Needless to say, one Skunk was very aggressive and liked to Spray. The other Skunk was more scared and sprayed because it didn’t know what else to do. So I retreated on 2 different attempts.
THIRD TRY - SPRAYED IN FACE: I went back the next day with my father and a video camera. As we were about to approach the skunk, the Landowners son named Adam drove up for some entertainment. As I told him my plan he said “…look, if you’re going to play with skunks, you’re going to get sprayed. So just walk up there, get sprayed, cut the rope and drag it away…There is no way not to get sprayed…” Real easy to say, but not likely done unless you’re brain-dead or you have a odor proof space suit… That is like going up to a horse that you know is going to kick you... Anyway, My plan today was to go up, lean a plywood board up, move another board in place for protection and cut the rope from the cage off the pole. I walked up to the skunks, got 4 feet away and automatically the skunk sprayed about 8-10 ft in the air. The scent of a skunk that close is indescribable. Despite the smell, I leaned the board up against the cage. Then I tried to maneuver around the boards to cut the rope off the pole. It wasn’t working and the skunks were spraying over and over, in addition to false charging me from in the cage. Adam convinced me to just lay the board down, expose myself and just cut the rope in the wide open. I followed suit hesitantly and courageously, laid the board down and exposed myself to these putrid creatures. To make it easier to see, I lifted my make-shift face mask. I tried to cut the rope about 5 times and it wasn’t working. The Skunks lunged at me over and over again while in the cage. They had done this over and over before and I was fed up with it. It was frustrating and annoying and I couldn’t stand the smell anymore. So, I lunged my tree trimmers back at the skunk to get him to backoff. That was the fatal mistake. The Skunk stepped back and while looking at me, sprayed me right in the face, mouth, nose and my left eye with a little flick of it’s butt. (As an FYI, the taste is better than the smell). I immediately spun around, spit the oily film out of my mouth and my face started burning like I was in a fire. I tried to wipe off the oily liquid but it just kept burning, especially on my eye lid. My gloves had the skunk spray on them also, so I took off my gloves to wipe if off with my clean hands, and transporting that nice smell onto my hands. I went over to the water pump at that ranch and washed off the burning sensation, but the taste in my mouth couldn't be washed away. The stench went up my nose and masked all my nostril hairs so the smell would never leave me.
After another 2 attempts, I finally accomplished the task. I was sprayed on my arms and clothing, but no longer in the face. I drug the skunks off to their final resting place and made sure they will never spray anyone again. The one who sprayed last won.... ME. The better man finally won, but I am still smelling the affects of the battle. The smell is slowly going away, but when I am in the shower it gets really bad. Tomato juice doesn't work. I found a few things that helped remove a vast majority of the smell.
Everything you learn about Skunks on the internet is False. The only truth out there is that they Spray and they Stink. Nothing else.
Derick came with me and helped take care of the most recent Raccoon. He will also be hooked soon.
10 Pound Raccoon
13 Pound Raccoon.jpg)
14 Pound Raccoon
Stinky Skunk
Mean Skunk Brothers
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This was a mail box. So funny!
