The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-11-01
Lawns Dug Up by SkHnks
(By Roland T. Pattern

OH my lawn. discovering one OF
two I paid little attention to the mat
ter but when these, on succeeding
mornings, increased to several hun
| dred, | took a very lively interest.
| The damage to the grass roots and
the turf itself commenced to be i'm
portant Had never seen anything
| like ii before SO was quite puzzled to
know what insect. bird, reptile or ami
NAL was responsible. Ny usual re-
sources, when confronted with prob
lem of this kind is to send some sort
| Of a sample TO the University of Maine.
| In this case there did not seem to be
a good chance to carry out that idea
| A piece of turf could be sent to be
| sure but, when taken out of its i'm
mediate surroundings, it perhaps
could not be expected to fairly rep
resent the situation and thus enable
| the experts at Orono to give an in
telligent answer.
So | commenced TO talk with my
neighbors and others. In process of
| these several conversations | have
| learned that skunks were responsible.
Morris Clough of East Maple street
tells me that they dig for crickets.
| Others claim that they are after grass
| roots. Perhaps both theories pre-
correct.
The holes were little over an inch
| in diameter, usually went in a little
slanting and sometimes to depth of
two inches. | found tops from the
| grass by the edge of the holes, indicat-
| ing they had dug them up and eaten
| the roots.
| Found out that my neighbor, Allan
| Wentworth, was troubled worse than
had been. Some parts of his lawn
were completely dug over. Upon in
vestigation he had found that a whole
family of skunks had been making
| their home under his barn. George
| Plummer, his uncle. had seen the mo-
| Their and little ones out proving
around in the moonlight | suggest
ed to Allan that probably the skunks
were rooming with him and taking
! their meals over at my house As
| a defense he showed me his lawn and
claimed that they were both rooming
and mealing with him.
In one of my interesting converse
| tons on this subject | learned from
| Mr.. Clough, above mentioned, that he
had had the same experience in the
fail of 1922. He turned his vexation
to good account by trapping the
skunks. Caught nine of them, large
and small, and sold the skins for SIS
or SIG. the biggest ones bringing $3.50
apiece Also learned that Billy Beau
ford. employed at the Louise Coburn
home. had trapped several in his eff
fort to stop the depredations to the
lawn at that place
Very likely this skunk activity has
come to the attention of a good many
people before, but it was new and in
teresting TO me. While there was
actual damage to the lawn I didn't
feel that | need hasten to start a
campaign of determination. So far
as | know the same animals are hiber-
mating somewhere around my place
l ready to carry out their program next
year. If they get too friendly | will
have to borrow some traps and see if
can't market the skins, according
to Mr.. Clough's plan.
The above recalls some other ex-
Deriences | have had with this same
animal.
In the days when | was giving my
principal attention to Eaton Noun
ain Farm | sometimes used to stop
at my home in town over night and
drive out early the next morning. AS
| was passing along Elm street | saw
good sized skunk on Sam Gould's
lawn and held up to see what he
would do. He walked leisurely across
past the front of the house and just
at the corner he met a cat. Kitty
stood higher than Mr.. Skunk and evil
IDENTIFY thought at first to dispute his
progress. The skunk however made
one pass with his paw and it was in
terestng to see how quick the cat
got out of that locality.
Only this past summer, on a trip
which | made to the birthplace of
Frank A. Munsey in Mercer, l saw
skunk in a field to my left had
with me in the car four guests from
1 the summer theatrical colony at Lake
wood. Being very certain that they
would be interested in a nearer view
of the little animal I climbed out and
headed him cff. driving him back to-
ward the highway. He was not very
much alarmed but for time secreted
himself in a small field of young oats.
had no trouble in finding him and
urged him to go on by throwing a
handful or two of dirt in his direction.
He put up some show of fight but
finally did about as I wished and
I ambled slowly past the car across the
i highway. so that my guests could
study him almost at their leisure.
The skunk is not a speedy animal
| think he depends for defense upon
pretty good set of teeth and claws
4 but still more on his ability to create
that characteristic well-known some
what disagreeable oder. which causes
his enemies. both men and animals, to
give him the right of way whenever
he appears.
There is a popular notion that it is
not safe to get within 30 or 80 feet OF
skunk. This is entirely an error
You can approach within ten feet
probably nearer with perfect safe
ty. The skunk is classed as fur
4 bearing animal by the Maine Game
Laws and as such is protected at
certain seasons.