Something getting into my garbage cans so I baited my Hav-a-hart with peanut butter and caught a skunk on patio under deck about 9 last night. Momma skunk in trap was surrounded by her 4 children who would not leave and were running and jumping around trap. I had turned on lights and called wife to look out the sliding door to our patio but children would not leave. Fortunately I was able to unlatch trap from deck using my pole trimmer. Even while doing this, little skunks would not leave. Momma got out and the family fooled around near the deck for maybe a half hour. I've encountered skunks at night previously and they are fearless. Been close enough to be sprayed but that also has never happened.
Skunks are probably benificial as they eat insects and mice but besides their dreaded odor, we have endemic rabies here and, a few years ago, a deodorized caged skunk at nature center near here had it.
Lady in group concerned about the holes in her lawn might consider skunks as source.
No odor anywhere this morning. Guess I was lucky. Wife wants me to retire the Hav-a-hart. Interesting experience I thought I'd share with group. Had a previous experience with a homemade trap years ago and learned that skunks do not spray when confined. Did not know what little ones would do but I read that skunks can spray accurately from 12 ft away.
Frank