I wanted to catch the local groundhog. He ate some chicory and I know he will eat my tomatoes.
So far I’ve caught 2 squirrels, 1 catbird, and 4 small rabbits, or 1 rabbit 4 times. And then there was today. Oh yea, there was something in the trap.
Of course I scared him when I approached the trap and he spayed off a little something. Not a lot cos young ones spray less and not as potent, and it wasn’t a direct hit on me. So a shower and change of clothes was enough, no tomato juice needed.
They are really cute little animals and nocturnal so he was probably in the trap most of the night. I opened the trap and then propped the door open with a stick and got back so he could feel safe coming out, and maybe, (please!) don’t spray me any more. Once he decided it was safe to come out, he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to get back to the woods; he just kind of walked along.
So he had a big adventure and so did I. He didn’t mean to get trapped, but he never had apples before and the apples smelled so good. But knowing that his parents and siblings could be in the woods, and the parents full size and more potent sprayers, I set the trap on the patio with the door closed, for now. Thinking about whether it might be ok to let that groundhog have a few tomatoes……………
Sarasin's thoughts....... 
Hahaha… great post and story! Thank goodness he didn’t ate all your tomatoes… 🙂
If the groundhog comes back, he might get some tomatoes, cos I’m not sure I’m going to set the trap again and possibly encounter an adult skunk the next time. We didn’t see any for so many years, and didn’t think any lived around here any more.
How nice that he or she did not need relocation. Apparently, relocation is so stressful to them that most do not survive. I feel terrible about relocating Pepe, even though he or she went to live outside of one of the big industrial kitchens here, were people who worked there left him or her goodies until he or she got settled in.
No relocation for him cos there’s no need; he’s not hurting anything. I wouldn’t even consider it. He can stay in his home in the woods. I didn’t know that many don’t survive it. That’s sad. But it sounds like Pepe went to a good new home.
Yes, and he has stayed there so far. He is really only a short distance away. Like other urban skunks, he is sometimes active during the day. That concerns me because I do not want him to think that he can approach people he does not know for food. That could really bother someone who is not acquainted with him.
Oh yea, just on the fact that he’s a skunk. And in this area, we think of rabies when we see some mostly nocturnals out in the daylight.
Skunks and some raccoons are less nocturnal if they adjust their schedules to those of the people they live with. Not many people are aware that they are supposed to be nocturnal.
Oh I guess ours around here don’t adjust to the peoples’ schedules, cos the rule here is that both are nocturnal. It’s a cause for concern if we see them in daylight.
They would be less of a problem if they stayed nocturnal. I suspect that there are more skunks than we are aware of inhabiting the public spaces. As long as no one sees them, no one asks us to relocate them.
You teach me things, like that so many don’t survive being moved. I’ll remember that when I hear people talking about them. If we don’t bother them, they don’t bother us, and they’re part of our ecosystem. 10 years ago we had 2 that were out back every night for a while. I would sit and watch them and enjoyed it. We just gave each other space.
Skunks are friendlier than raccoons are, and are not as dangerous. They can actually be rather playful. Instead of taking fruits and vegetables like raccoons do, they take unwanted snails, slugs and grubs. I just do not want them around here because of what they can do if startled. There is too much activity at night. They are certainly not the weirdest wildlife in the garden though. Have you seen Otter 841?
Yea skunks are actually helpful. We don’t ever have coons in town, only out in the mountains. I searched and read about that otter. The whole thing is so cute.
Yes; Otter 841 has become quite a celebrity.
Hello. Your story reminded me that my father, in the 1960s, set a trap to capture a squirrel that had become a big nuisance. The trap worked. My father and our next-door neighbor then drove several miles away and released the animal there. Neil S.
I had man who traps animals tell me if you take a squirrel over a body of water, even like a creek, they won’t come back. Thanks for visiting my blog, and for your comment.
Yeah, maybe share some tomatoes or bury some wiring some inches down and wrap the tomato cage and adhere with the twisty tie-like roll of, well, twisty tie.😁 I don’t know what to call it. It’s often green.
That’s a lot of work and I don’t have too many plants. And groundhogs are good at figuring things out. So I’ve told myself that a few tomatoes just need to be sacrificed.