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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Skunks good or skunks bad?

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  • From: "Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Skunks good or skunks bad?
  • Date: Tue, 11 May 2004 10:20:18 -0700

We have skunks in our area, and we have a bunch of cats. We've learned to
feed the cats early enough in the day that all the food is gone before dark,
otherwise the skunks come around after dark looking for leftovers. They are
not a problem for us and do help by eating a lot of insects, mice, etc.
otherwise. We get a certain amount of entertainment at mating time when
males will square off in the yard. They have an odd squeaky voice and it
sounds like oversized mice going at it. If they get too rambunctious, it's
good to stay clear as they can spray during such fights. I'd rather have
them than raccoons, as they stay out of my fruit trees, but the raccons will
climb and break small limbs.


>> I live in suburbia. The answer might be different in a more rural or
>> urban setting.
>>
>> Skunks are good because:...
>
>> Skunks are bad because:...
>
> That, I believe, is a pretty fair assessment of skunks. Out here in the
> rural area, we have to be careful of skunks wandering about in the day
> time. They are mostly nocturnal and when they wobble around in the day,
> it pretty much means they are sick, most likely with rabies. In such
> cases the usually docile skunk can be quite aggressive, and my father
> and I both have been chased by rabid skunks.
>
> When I was a child, I had a skunk as a pet. It had had its musk gland
> removed by a vet. It was a clean animal, and was quite tame, having
> been around me since shortly after its birth, and its mother killed in
> a tractor mowing incident.
>
> Skunks are OK generally, a pest at times, and should be approached with
> caution always. They are fun to watch.





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