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A friend of mine who regularly traps skunks and other pests has found a way to live trap skunks without them having a chance to spray. He takes a Havahart trap and removes the back. A piece of 8-10 inch plastic pipe about 18-20 inches long is then attached to the trap. Put a pipe cap or plug over the rear opening. Between the opening in the trap and the front of the pipe, a sliding door is located.
After the trap is sprung, you can identify the animal from a distance to determine what you have in your trap. Unless you choose to release the animal immediately, approach the trap from the rear or side. This will cause your game to hide in the pipe. Just reach over and close the sliding door. The animal is now contained in the enclosed pipe. If it is a skunk you can pick it up and move it, the skunk will not spray in a small-enclosed place. My friend has caught over 100 skunks and has never had a problem with them spraying.
The pipe with front closed can then be separated from the trap and the skunk or other animal can then be moved to an area in which you wish to release it, turn it over to the Humane Society or otherwise dispatch it. My friend does not do this, but rumor has it that other people who have similar traps sometimes stand the pipe straight up and fill it with water, drowning the skunks. This is a method I would not recommend. My friend says he has had the best results on raccoons and skunks with peanut butter and bread.
Hope this will solve some of your critter problems.
Howard
As a professional wildlife control operator I love seeing good information being written about DIY efforts for wildlife control and trapping. We use a very similar method in our business. Great tip , well written, love the pictures!