Should I ever poison a skunk?

When it comes to humane and effective ways to kill a skunk, poison should be left off the list. Poisons are harmful chemicals which could create more trouble than help. No poison is approved for skunk removal and the use of poison to kill skunks is often illegal.

Thus, it is not a suitable method to kill skunks. If a skunk is poisoned it may retreat to an unknown area where it will eventually die. You may not be able to locate the carcass until the terrible smell of it rotting leads you to it. It can also leave behind viruses and contaminated substances that will harm other living things. Trapping would be the best way to get rid of skunks.

Poison is inhumane

In addition, this method does not end their life quickly. It will likely make them bleed to death internally. If the skunk ends up bleeding externally, various diseases can be transmitted through their blood. The most humane methods of killing skunks are quick and painless. Poisoning should be considered a last resort, and should be avoided at all costs. If you hire a company to get rid of your skunk problem and they plan to use poison, you should look for a different company that uses more humane and effective methods.

It is not legal

Killing skunks using poison could get you into trouble with the law depending on the regulations in place in your area. In many locations using poison is illegal because of the risks it carries for humans and the suffering that it causes to the animals. The poison typically used for this purpose is painful and inhumane. And let’s not forget that if your dog accidentally eats the remains that would be very harmful to it.

Poisons used for skunks include warfarin, brodifacoum, and many others. Some of the poisons used for skunks are also used to kill rats and mice. They cause pain because they damage the blood vessels inside the skunk and they bleed internally. The process could take hours to days to reach completion and the animal suffers unbelievably.

And because of the circulatory shock, the animal finally dies but not peacefully. The best method if you really want to kill a skunk is to shoot them directly or through lethal injection so they won’t feel any suffering.

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