Evening journal., 1898-12-28
CURE FOR SKUNK PEST.
\ Peculiarly Of the DkalOdOreuH An
III imals shown when Caught
In Hox Trnpa.


Having read with much interest in
the Sun two articles concerning skunks.
without finding in either Of them any
intimation of the merits of one excel
lent method of capturing and dispos-
irg of these offensive animals, i think
: may perhaps render useful service
10 some of your readers in briefly set
ting forth the details of my recent ex-
perience in this line Of operations"
writes correspondent.
During the past summer the neigh
borhood in which live in Massaehu-
setts was infested with skunks. Almost
every day they became niusance-
They invaded the cellar ana woodshed
Of my house, and one, on an otherwise
PLEASANT evening, Joined the family on
the piazza, suddenly stampeding all the
company who had been sitting there
Their frequent visits and intimate re-
iations became at last intolerable. and
we began TO devise measures for geti
ting rid of them. Two ordinary box
trnps were set, one in the woodshed
aud one Just outside the kitchen door.
Early in the evening the outside trap
was sprung, and investigation showed
Immediately that an animal Of consid-
erable size was in it. The captive, how
ever, made no sound, and there was
absolutely no perceptible smell indicat-
ing the presence of a skunk.
Il raised suddenly first one and then
the other end of the box, fitting ii up
and down, so that the animal within
icll violently from one end to the other;
but the creature remained perfectly
silent and inodorous, evidently seek
ing, | think, 10 conceal its presence.
had read and have been told that
slunks thus trapped are usually dis
posed Of by shooting. We adopted
much simpler process. Having at hand
tank Of water large enough TO con
tain the trap, we simply submerged the
trap and its contents, pihng bricks on
the top Of the trap TO insure its instant
cnd complete submersion. Not sound
proceeded from the trap, and only a
faint odor became perceptible fer a
moment, as the bubbling water quickly
filled the box, which we left submerged
till next morning, when our expecta-
tions were fully realized by finding a
lnrge skunk inside.
1.-The traps were set again the Iext
evening as before, and on the following
morning both were occupied by cap
fured slunks. The same experiences
were again repeated in both instances,
without any odor or unpleasantness OF
any sort A few nights later, about
two n. m, heard the closing of the
trap near my window, and, shortly aft
er, violent scratching and gnawing
could be heard within. ! went ON to
place some bricks on the trap to keep
il closed till morning. The moment
touched the box the animal within be-
came perfectly quiet, and it was impos-
sible TO perceive any odor whatever.
The next morning the box was sub
merged IN the immersion tank, and on
u being opened little later was found
TO contain, as before, fine specimen.
altogether we have caught five or six,
and have laid them where the violets
blow, out in the garden. We have not
since perceived the smell of a skunk
in the neighborhood They seem, at
least for the present, to have disap-
peared entirely. This experience goes
tc show that skunks cannot only be
trapped by this simple method, but
may also be most easily disposed cf in
"a tub of water on the 'hardshell' plan OF
| total immersion IN Y Sun