Encounter with a striped skunk...

[Northern Dancer]

HELLO EVERYONE! I hope you are doing well.

Here's a little adventure I experienced at camp.
​

NATURE WAS CALLING like it usually does, around 3:ish in the morning. I was tossing and turning on my cot debating whether I could hold it for a few more hours. Like, maybe to 9 o'clock when the guys would be stumbling out of their tents. I lost the debate and rolled out of my cot, put on my handy dandy easy slip into camp sandals, and off into the wilderness I went, forgetting to put my headlamp on.

It didn't take long before I stumbled over a root that stretched across the path and lost one of my sandals. The need to relieve myself was a little more urgent and I carried on thinking I would be able to retrieve it on the way back. That didn't happen.

Feeling refreshed and invigorated by the cold morning air I headed back to my tent walking gingerly, because, as you recall I was wearing only one of those handy dandy sandals. My eyes had become accustomed to the darkness and I was able to see things better. And what did I see? It was a splendid morning hour with stars peppering the sky and they were gorgeous. Then my eye caught something else. A black cat was sitting outside the unzipped door. Cat you say? No, I don't think so. I squinted my eyes peering studiously at the creature. Yep, black all right, and yep, it had that all too familiar white strip down its back. And nope, It wasn't Pepe Le Pew.

So there I was, beginning to shiver in my underwear, and wearing one sandal minus my headlight. What to do? Well, exactly, what can one do when you have a skunk sitting in front of your tent? NOTHING!

I froze. I was jolted by the thought of the skunk making a home in my tent. Then what? There would be no way to get rid of the odour. Trust me I've had experience with my dog Reese when he was sprayed. Gulp! I would lose a thousand dollars or more in equipment. I'd have to drive home in my underwear. I can just see it now, "Honestly officer, I'm telling you the truth."

Great, just great, I thought, the great camper dude would live a lifetime of embarrassment and I would be forever remembered, not as a skilled outdoors man. I would be remembered as the guy in his underwear, with one sandal, and no headlamp, in the middle of the forest, being attacked by mosquitoes, who lost to a Mephitis Memphis, the striped skunk. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. There's movement. He's moving, he's moving. Slowly and surely he moved away from the door and disappeared into the forest foliage. I almost shouted for joy but covered my mouth and waited patiently for another ten minutes before joyfully getting back into bed.

I opened my eyes to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the rich aroma of bacon and eggs. "Sleep well? , a colleague asked. "Ya, why do you ask?" I found your sandal on the trail. "Oh, ya, right, thanks."

 

[ppine]

My two dogs got blasted by a skunk in my yard once. I went to the Dept of Wildlife. They gave me a trap to use. "Then what I asked?" "Drown them in the lake and bring back the trap." was the reply. My dogs figured out how to leave skunks alone. I never used the trap. Later I was sitting on my deck and watched a momma skunk and bunch of little ones walk across the back lawn. I never had a skunk problem again.

 

[Northern Dancer]

My two dogs got blasted by a skunk in my yard once. I went to the Dept of Wildlife. They gave me a trap to use. "Then what I asked?" "Drown them in the lake and bring back the trap." was the reply. My dogs figured out how to leave skunks alone. I never used the trap. Later I was sitting on my deck and watched a momma skunk and bunch of little ones walk across the back lawn. I never had a skunk problem again.

=====> Those of us who have 'em eventually have the experience. Standard protection equipment, includes mosquito cream, bear spray, and highly recommended expensive skunk shampoo. It's all a part of outdoor living.



You remember right? I don't recommend or endorse any product. Do the homework, yada, yada, yada...
any

 

[Roybrew]

Whew boy! Sure don't want to run into the south end of a north bound polecat.

 

[ppine]

I use tomato juice to get rid of the smell. Herding dogs are smart. They only get hit by a skunk once.