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["Donna &/or Kieran" <holycow@cookeville.com>]

The skunks live across the field from us, in and around a huge sinkhole, and much to our disappointment seldom seem to come over our way.  Yellow jackets are getting awfully thick for so early in the year, and I'm really hoping that the skunks will find some of the nests.  We do see every year where nests have been dug out in the woods.  One year in March I found a lot of small narrow holes in our garden and got curious.  I got out our mammal book and sure enough, one of the favorite foods for skunks in early spring is nests of baby voles.  The vole population seems to explode every year in March, and I have hoped in vain year after year since then that the skunks would come over and dig up our voles again.  Is there a way to actually encourage skunks to move closer?  I really don't mind the smell if the dogs get skunked, the old one won't fall for that trick again but the young one hasn't discovered what they can do yet.  We lost one duck to a skunk a few years ago, nothing compared to all the ones we've lost to coons and snakes.  Donna