This is not my farm, I take care of the old farmers horse in exchange for keeping Elwood there. I have suspected a skunk for a long while, and have been seeing her frequently for a couple of months.
The last few weeks almost every evening, once moving a baby, now she's out and about every evening while I ride. I thought she was mainly staying in the smaller barn up near the house, not in the old cattle barn where the horses are. I told the farmer about it last week and he asked if I would shoot it (I can't shoot).
Day before yesterday his mare had obviously been sprayed, but not Elwood. Last night when I got there Elwood was not in sight, and the mare who usually is first to greet me and check for carrots as standing stock still facing away, not even as much as turning her head toward me as I approached. So I looked where she was looking, and that was not a pile of poop about 30 feet away near the wheelbarrow, but a skunk! Apparently the mare is part Pointer .
I went to get my camera, the mare followed and the skunk was gone when I got back, so I guess she was holding it at bay from a safe distance.
Then I went to get Elwood, and he had been sprayed, did not want to come in the barn. Must have been full on in the face, as once I removed his fly mask most of the smell came off with it, lucky for him. As I left the skunk was hanging out by my truck and the gate. I was looking for her because I have found her there before, so I climbed the fence further down, snuck (sp?) up on my truck and got away clean.
My questions: how do I get skunk smell off the fly mask, and off the horse? What can I do to make this skunk and her family move away or otherwise get rid of her.
On an offshoot, the farmer has a dog that kills cats, therefore there are no cats in the barn but there are a lot of mice. Do skunks hunt/eat mice?
Thanks
Ann
The last few weeks almost every evening, once moving a baby, now she's out and about every evening while I ride. I thought she was mainly staying in the smaller barn up near the house, not in the old cattle barn where the horses are. I told the farmer about it last week and he asked if I would shoot it (I can't shoot).
Day before yesterday his mare had obviously been sprayed, but not Elwood. Last night when I got there Elwood was not in sight, and the mare who usually is first to greet me and check for carrots as standing stock still facing away, not even as much as turning her head toward me as I approached. So I looked where she was looking, and that was not a pile of poop about 30 feet away near the wheelbarrow, but a skunk! Apparently the mare is part Pointer .
I went to get my camera, the mare followed and the skunk was gone when I got back, so I guess she was holding it at bay from a safe distance.
Then I went to get Elwood, and he had been sprayed, did not want to come in the barn. Must have been full on in the face, as once I removed his fly mask most of the smell came off with it, lucky for him. As I left the skunk was hanging out by my truck and the gate. I was looking for her because I have found her there before, so I climbed the fence further down, snuck (sp?) up on my truck and got away clean.
My questions: how do I get skunk smell off the fly mask, and off the horse? What can I do to make this skunk and her family move away or otherwise get rid of her.
On an offshoot, the farmer has a dog that kills cats, therefore there are no cats in the barn but there are a lot of mice. Do skunks hunt/eat mice?
Thanks
Ann