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["Alan Haigh" <alandhaigh@gmail.com>]

Lisa's note made me feel bad for the skunks more than Lisa.  If she was going to work she should have left well enough alone and dealt with the skunk on her way back.  Always try to set traps in a shady spot so the animal won't die a painful death in the burning sun.  If you accidentally trap a skunk wait till it's cool enough to put on some rain gear and rubber gloves and approach the trap with a tarp in front of you.  If you approach the trap slowly you'll probably need none of this.  It's good to use a trap with a release door in back because it's much easier to discreetly release the critter.

 

I have released many skunks without exciting the animal to spray.  I have also released hundreds of coons before I started killing them and never had one come after me once it got out of the trap.  Lisa apparently had her trap set up so she wouldn't have to be too close when releasing- ironically that's probably why she got sprayed because she was unable to smoothely open the door.