What to know during the season of the skunk
Jimmy Wallner described it as the “summer and fall of the skunk.” Wallner traps nuisance animals in Cook County, and has seen an increase in the number of skunks in the area and interacting with people.
Skunks are found across Minnesota, but Wallner said that their population has grown as winters have become milder. He said that the extremely mild winter of 2023-2024 meant that a lot of skunks survived the season, and that “it definitely was a good year for for raising their young.”
Wallner said that things like livestock feed, open compost or garbage, and fruit trees can attract skunks. He added that they may also dig for grubs in septic mounds, and scavenge gut piles left behind by hunters. While skunks are wild animals, they are generally most active close to where humans are present. As winter approaches, skunks are looking to put on fat, and Wallner said that more people are seeing skunks as they pursue human sources of food.
Skunks are less active in winter, but will still emerge on mild days. Rather than hibernating, they enter a state of torpor, but they do still create a den. Wallner said that common denning sites for skunks include under porches, inside culverts, and under chicken coops. He recommends preventative measures, sealing those kinds of sheltered spaces when possible. The MN Department of Natural Resources website provides a recipe for skunk repellent, which may help in areas that cannot be sealed. If a skunk does make a den, however, Wallner said that the best policy is just to leave it alone, since they can be dangerous.
According to the MN DNR, most skunks in the state aren’t carrying rabies, but it is still best to avoid them. Wallner pointed out that they can also carry distemper, tularemia, and round worms. He said that while staying away is the best policy, in the event that a skunk seems diseased, they may want to have it removed from their property. If an animal is disoriented, aggressive, uncoordinated, or foaming at the mouth, especially during the day, those could be signs of rabies. Both rabies and distemper can result in paralysis in infected animals.
Beyond the potential health risks for animals, another great reason to avoid an encounter with a skunk, is the risk of being sprayed. As Wallner put it, ” You’re going to be sleeping in the garage and the old remedies of getting skunk smell off of your clothes and everything, trust me, doesn’t work.”
WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Jimmy Wallner about nuisance skunks and how people can avoid an encounter with the animal.
Kirsten Wisniewski October 15, 2024
