skunk: now what?

[ceelove.livejournal.com]

ETA: how nice, AC called me back! They say that it's illegal to trap, move, etc a healthy wild animal and that I had to release it myself. It was nerve-wracking, but I tried to communicate that I meant no harm, and indeed the skunk did not act threatened by me.

I have accidentally trapped a skunk in a humane animal trap. When I called Animal Control about an opossum that broke into our house and slaughtered eight quails, I got no response from them, so I don't have high hopes about them bothering to return my call this time. Now what do I do? It doesn't seem an emergency, such that I would call the police department, but the skunk is kinda freaking out, and inexperienced me doesn't want to approach the trap and induce it to spray me and/or our yard.

Comments

[jwg.livejournal.com]

Call the Somerville Police department non-emergency number: 617-625-1600

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Wow, you're having Adventures.

[miss-chance.livejournal.com]

wait, what?? All those have-a-heart trapping of squirrels is illegal? So we just shoot them on the spot?

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

if it's illegal to trap and move a healthy wild animal, how are you expected to get rid of them when they get into your yard and/or house? i'm glad you managed to release the skunk without getting sprayed, tho.

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

I guess you're still allowed to engage them in single combat?

(All the mice in my house I just trapped, they were escaped domesticated mice. I'm sticking to that story.)

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Honestly, from all the stuff I have managed to find from various animal control departments in MA online - kill or release where trapped.

[ron_newman]

- It 's illegal to trap, move, etc a healthy wild animal

What are you supposed to do with mice and rats then, if not trap them? Or are they considered to be domesticated and not wild?

[en-ki.livejournal.com]

"Trap and move" = dump them where they become a problem for someone else. As opposed to "trap and kill", which is what most folks do with mice and rats.

[adaptively.livejournal.com]

> What are you supposed to do with mice and rats then, if not trap them?

Let your cat eat them.

[sandhawke.livejournal.com]

I was advised to make a lot of noise and bright lights where they were living and hope they left.

It actually worked. (This was raccoons.)

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

Did you play Twisted Sister?

[sandhawke.livejournal.com]

Much worse: talk radio.

[smammy]

That's how my dad got the raccoon family out of our chimney years ago! Right-wing talk radio at that!

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

moth balls also work if you know for sure where they are sleeping (like under porches and the such)

[hissilliness.livejournal.com]

My grandparents had this problem once. I understand that my grandfather solved it with a shotgun, but that's kind of an impractical solution in Somerville city limits, I imagine.

[rosiewoodboat.livejournal.com]

Were you raising those quail for eggs?

[ceelove.livejournal.com]

My housemate was.