So many skunks

[Joey P]

It's fall, I know I'm going to have skunks around my house. Last fall my dogs got skunked 5 times. You'd think they'd stop chasing them. I even turn on the backyard light a few minutes before I let them out and then check (what I can see from the door) with a flashlight for skunks and opossums and cats and rabbits etc.

Anyways, a few days ago, I walk out into my (attached) garage around 10pm. Skunk, right by the door to the house. It saw me, I saw it, it took off for the other corner of the garage. I tried everything. Turned on the light and the car radio, shined a bright flashlight into the area, turned everything off. Took about an hour and a half but in the end all it took was all the lights off and about 20 minutes of quiet and it walked away. Once it was about 10 feet away I made some noise to spook it so it would keep going.

But it was calm and I could move in and out of the garage without being worried.

Yesterday, however, I'm sitting on my front stoop. Cigarette in one hand, cell phone in the other, around 10pm. I see a shadow and just assume it's from my cell phone and then FEEL SOMETHING BRUSH AGAINST MY LEG!!!!. A god damn skunk cuddled up to my leg like a cat. It's funny how many people say 'did you kick it?' or whatever. No, I didn't want to get sprayed, they only spray if they're scared. I got up, quickly, and moved and it took off in the other direction, ran in...and back out of my garage and was gone.

Gonna be a long fall.

Anyone know how to keep skunks out of a backyard? FTR, My backyard is fenced in, there are few gaps under the fence that are too small for my dogs to get under (unless they were really, really determined) but I don't want to close those up. It's not going to keep animals out and if my dogs do chase animals, I want the animal to have the option of going under the fence and not have to worry about climbing or jumping it.