Hurricane Farm

Upon returning from a much anticipated and highly successful "boys only" camping trip with my son, Liev, to the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, we remarked that we still smelled the odor of the skunk that took up residence under the porch last week. 

You see, sometime over the weekend the skunk got into the cat food and "leaked" some of its skunk odor all over the place.  Yuck.  It seeped into the house, the outside boot-wiping carpet, and even my hat that was hanging nearby.

Naturally, the fresh air in the mountains helped to clear my nasal senses.  But they were all that much keener when I made it back to the farm.  The skunk must still be about, I thought.

Tonight, then, I noticed something rustling in the entryway near the cat food.  After locating the cat with a mini, pink mag-light, we all rushed back inside.  The skunk was afoot!

Liev and I grabbed our boots and hats (now skunk-free after a thorough washing!) and raced to the barn (out the skunk-free front door) to get our trusty "skunk catching trap."

This is my fourth skunk trapping, and it went pretty smoothly.  Violet had a friend over, so I had a nice little viewing audience cheering me (or the skunk?) on.

We set the trap, baited it with some wet cat food, positioned it about three feet from the little guy and in he walked!  Much easier than some of my earlier attempts which resulted in five or six "cat catchings" before the skunk finally waddled in.  I stood in the doorway and watched him circle the trap, smell the food, and walk right in.  SNAP!  He started eating the food right away, seemingly obvious to the predicament at hand.

Catching it, though, is the easy part.  Next one I must get to the trap and move it somewhere.  Tarps are used here, along with bailing twine and a poking stick.  Here I am ready to go take care of this task.

"1, 2, and 3!  Go, quick, while he's aiming away!"

It's just like wrapping a gift for someone's birthday, or even Christmas.  Remember to tuck in all the edges and get the wrapping ALL the way around the "package."  Erica helped me to get the bailing twine on, urging me not to "rustle him too much."

Anyone order a free-range skunk?

How about those bows!  Now THAT'S a great present.