Black and White and Smells all Over

Last Fall I noticed a little critter had dug himself a nice little hole underneath the shed in my backyard.

I didn't think anything of it really.  In fact, I took a little pride in knowing I was indirectly providing a nice little home for a little critter.  Chipmunks maybe?  Rabbits?  Anything furry and cute.  All winter long, there were bunny tracks all over my yard leading me to believe even more strongly that a cute little family of bunnies were living underneath my shed.

Whenever I had some old carrots, I tossed them out into the winter snow near the shed giving the bunny family a little treat.  Even about 10 apples were donated to the rabbit cause.  I found it only a little peculiar that all 10 apples disappeared over night.  What hungry rabbits I have!

If I needed to retrieve a shovel or other object from the shed above the rabbit's home, I felt like I was an intruder possibly disturbing their slumber.  "Gotta be quiet so as not to wake the millions of rabbit babies" I would think, then tip toe around, grab my shovel, and exit as quietly as a burglar. 

Coming home from work the other night, as I was opening my garage door that leads to my shed, I heard a rustling sound.  It startled me and I was taken aback.  Looking down, I noticed a very large skunk!  Quickly I shut the garage door in case I startled him as much as he startled me.  Thankfully the skunk didn't seem to notice and he crawled into his little hole underneath the shed where he likely has a nice pantry of carrots and apples awaiting him.

Then it dawned on me.  Its Spring.  The skunk is fat.  Sure I have been feeding it, but what if this thing is having babies?  From Google I learned skunks give birth in May.  From a coworker who had a skunk issue a few years ago, I learned that baby skunks spray each other as they grow and begin playing with one another.  No an issue I want to have especially with 3 cats and especially since I use that shed all summer long, and pass by it multiple times every single day.

From past experience, I know skunks are determined and nearly impossible to get rid of once they have found their "home".  Especially one that has been supplying it with delicacies all year long.  My neighbor once had a skunk living under her garage, and no matter how many times they plugged up the hole, the skunk would always find its way back in.  Then it had babies.  Three adorable babies!  They sure were cute.  It appeared as though the mama skunk abandoned her babies.  Being the animal lover they were, they did what any nature-loving caring people would do.  They fed and cared for the babies.  Those babies were so cute following us around in the backyard like lost little kittens.  They handled the babies with leather gloves and gentle hands. 

All of us are animal lovers, but none were experts in raising wild woodland creatures so the baby skunks went to a lady who was an expert.  She rehabilitated the babies with the notion of releasing them back into the wild.  Not even a week went by, and that darn mama skunk came back!  We felt horrible.  This mama came back to an empty den.  No babies.  Since the rehab lady was quite a distance away, it was decided to leave well enough alone and keep the babies where they were and mama would learn a very important lesson not to leave her babies alone or the welfare people will take them away. 

After that, the skunk went away.  Memory fails me if there was a special trick to get rid of the skunk, or if taking away her babies was enough to driver her from her home, but whatever it was, it worked.

Well, I am not going to wait until babies arrive.  I want that skunk gone before I get attached to a family of smelly skunks.  I have a number for a guy who catches and relocates wild critters so hopefully that will work.  Still, I hear that skunks will travel long and far to return to a place they believe is their home.  And if this one has a pantry of carrots and apples waiting for her.........

.........to be continued..........