Family, policeman terrorized by 3-pound attacker.

[Redstone]

I was working blissfully away in my office this afternoon, while Mrs R, the Little Guy, and one of his kid friends were farting around in the back yard.

A sudden commotion erupted, and they all burst through the patio doors panting and screaming that a skunk had chased them away from the swingset and into the house, shrieking at them all the while.

Now, I'm pretty experienced at interacting with wildlife, and chat with the local skunks just about every evening as they stroll around the Redstone Wildlife Highway that is our yard, but I've NEVER seen a skunk charge a person. They'll stand their ground if threatened, stamp their little feet, then unleash a torrent of stinkjuice, but they do not, as a habit, go picking fights with animals twenty or more times their size.

But when I walked into the back yard to investigate, a little ball of black-and-white fury erupted from under the deck, launching itself toward my ankles as if they were made of Purina Skunk Chow, screeching like a miniature banshee all the while. I beat a hasty retreat into the house, and called the Animal Control Officer of our local police department.

He arrived a few minutes later, and said, "So where's this skunk that's chasing people around?" We led him into the back yard, and his skepticism immediately dissolved into the hilarious spectacle of three full-grown adults, one armed, skittering around and around the yard just ahead of an animal half the size of your average Pomeranian.

"Well," the cop said, "I've been doing animal control for fourteen years, and I'm never seen a wild animal be this aggressive before." We conferred for a minute, and agreed that the skunk was far too young to be a mother protecting a brood of babies, so it was a clear case of a poor creature suffering from either distemper or rabies, and that the officer would have to dispatch the suffering critter with his sidearm, which he did.

Kind of sad that he had to off the little stinker, and we had to do some explaining to the Little Guy as to why it was necessary, but at least we know that we saved the skunk from suffering even more. It must have been feeling really horrible, being in the grip of a disease that would make it act the way it did.

But it was still pretty damn funny, the sight of the three of us adults being chased in seventeen directions by an animal that couldn't have weighed as much as a gallon of milk...

Redstone

[MissB]

1. Great story, Redstone

Too bad for the skunk, but best for the rest of the world.

[DS1]

wow, that's an aggressive skunk

I've been in my backyard at night a few times, doing ya know :smoke: only to hear some rustling in the grass and figuring it's my cat coming to say hi before going on one of his travels, only to tilt my head and be facing down a large white-tailed skunk. We'd look at each other for awhile, I'd get up slowly and walk away.

Problem? No problem.

:-)

[Redstone]

19. That's why I knew we had a "situation" on our hands;

"Problem? No problem." as you stated it, is pretty much the average skunk's credo. You gotta respect that attitude.

When one acts otherwise, it's time to call in the cavalry.

Redstone

[MuseRider]

2. Do you have rabies problems

up there? My farm is in the river valley here in Kansas and we have terrible problems with rabies. I have to vaccinate all of my horses every year because of the wildlife around there. (dogs and cats too but that goes without saying) I have encountered lots of animals, many many skunks and never seen one with rabies but I would think rabies is a pretty good guess with that poor creature.

Are they going to test it?

[Redstone]

11. Amazingly enough, they only test the animals here if

they bite or scratch a person or a pet.

That doesn't make sense to me; I'd think they would want to map the locations of rabid animals, but that's the policy.

Redstone

[MuseRider]

15. Interesting.

It must not be a big problem around there then. You might request it although they would most likely want you to pay for it. Keep a close watch, if there was one with rabies there might be more assuming it might be that.

Here we keep track of everything like that. We can't even vaccinate against rabies or West Nile ourselves. I have to pay a vet to do those vaccines so they can keep track.

[uppityperson]

37. Horses get rabies?

now that is a scary thought.

[MuseRider]

39. Yes but it is rare,

however I live in an area where it is endemic being in the river valley. So it is always possible with all the critters that are everywhere out by the farm. It is just best to do it no matter what the cost. I have watched my horses nose around skunks, especially the baby ones who come into the dry lot to poke around. They never seem to spray them they usually look more like they are playing than anything.

[kestrel91316]

40. All mammals can get rabies .......................

And IIRC, there has even been a documented case in a vulture/buzzard of some sort (beyond bizarre).

We have rabid possums down here in So Cal in addition to the very common rabid bats.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Incredibly good story, my dear Redstone!

You write so compellingly that I could almost literally see the whole drama unfold...

Sure sounds like rabies...good thing the cop had good aim...

If it hadn't been so damn dangerous, it would have been hysterically funny! And it still was...


BTW, did you get my monthly reminder? :shrug:


:loveya:

[Redstone]

27. I got your reminder, but there's one more condition

I'll impose on you...I'm working on the final edit of the essay collection so I can send it to you, but you have to promise me that you'll buy a cookbook when I make a post about it (probably next week)...it's for a good cause and an excellent value as well.

Deal?

Redstone

[CaliforniaPeggy]

32. ANOTHER condition? WTF? J/K...No problem....

I'll be happy to buy a cookbook if you recommend it...I like reading them anyhow!

DEAL!


:woohoo:

[Redstone]

33. You won't be sorry I made you buy the cookbook,

especially when you see the cover photography.

I promise.

Redstone

[CaliforniaPeggy]

34. Sounds good, my dear Redstone!

Something tells me you're involved....lolol.....

Glad I can help!

:yourock: :loveya:

[merh]

4. When I was in college I shared an apartment with my sister.

My sister had a "deskunked" skunk and his name was BB King. BB used a litter box and was house broken, but BB was mean, especially to me. He would wait until I left the apartment and he would go into my room and tear things up, turn over the trash can and empty it out in my room. He knew when I came home and he would stand in my doorway and stomp his front feet and challenge me to come into my room. If I was on the floor, my head propped up in my hand as my elbow rested on the floor, BB would sneak up to the fat of my arm and hold on tight, shaking his head violently. He tormented me and he knew what buttons to push to get me pissed off.

Fortunately for me, summer break meant I had to move back home to work for the summer, leaving BB behind to torment others.

[lildreamer316]

20. He was jealous.

Kinda like cats can be.

[merh]

21. Yes, I think you are exactly right.

He was a mean little fellow. If I came near my sister when he was sitting next to her, he would stomp his front paws and snort and get all angry.

Though he did bite me frequently, he never really broke the skin, unless I ripped my arm away from him in fright. He was just trying to frighten me.

[Redstone]

26. Damn, I like your banner quote and the text below it.

This Cindy Sheehan business may be the break we need to wake up the Great Unwashed Mass of Americans.

That woman is a True American Hero, and I devotely wish that she's recognized as being one NOW, not in twenty years when people look back on the disgrace that our country currently is.

Redstone

[merh]

29. Sadly, I've had to change my banner twice today.

:cry:

And yes, Cindy Sheehan is a true hero! Folk here are trying to wake the media and fight off the naysayers. You'd be amazed at how they have creeped out from under the huge post count rocks to temper the support for Cindy. I don't think they can keep this quiet, thanks to Cindy Sheehan and her determination!

:hug: I love that woman! She is a patriot. :patriot:

[Wetzelbill]

5. my little brother fistfought a skunk before

he's kind of a wild man. He got attacked by one and his friends said he went mano e mano with it. I guess he smelled godawful. It was an adult too. He won the fight, though. The skunk gave up and headed out. I'm not kidding either. He actually got into a fistfight with a skunk. The boy's not right.

He once fought a badger too, but that's a different story altogether.

[Redstone]

6. Oh, God, that's funny! Now you HAVE TO tell me what happened

when your brother fought the badger. Bet he didn't win that one!

That boy's definitely not right. I'd rather take on a six-pack of peccaries than a badger, myself.

Redstone

[Wetzelbill]

9. well, he said

that he saw a badger when he was driving out by our house in the country with one of his friends. So he jumped out to chase it away from one of our dogs or something and it turned on him. So he kicked it a few times, just punted it, and it kept coming at him. It latched onto his leg and he punched it a few times then shook it off. He then took a run at it, wound up to kick it and he Charlie Browned it and landed on his ass. He would have been screwed but he thinks it was dazed and was sick of fighting as it ran the other way. He got up, they both saw each other and mixed it up one more time until my brother kicked it and it decided to take off rather than fight my brother and our dogs which were all on the scene at that time. I guess my brother's leg was scratched up pretty good, but other than that, I think he was in decent shape. Although, he's damn lucky he didn't get killed when he fell. Those things are vicious.

As I said, the boy is not right.

[Redstone]

10. I'm laughing out loud again. I can just see the whole

riot, just as you described it, having grown up in rural Vermont among a whole crowd of folks who are, well, kind of just exactly like your brother, especially when they've had a bit to drink, which I just BET he'd had when he got into it with Mr Badger.

Don't feel bad; every family of any size has at least one "character" like your brother.

There are even some as say my own family has a "character" who looks a lot like me, and they tell some stories about the things he did when he was young, but they're lying. All of them.

Thanks for the chuckles.

Redstone

[Wetzelbill]

13. well I was.....

raised on a farm on an Indian reservation in MT, so being half crazy is almost a given. Rumor has it this guy who looks like me did many a crazy thing too. Lies. All lies. So I know what you mean. :)

[BikeWriter]

17. If you think badger are bad, Pard, stand well back from wolverines!

[Redstone]

18. Down your way, I'd ESPECIALLY stay away from javelinas:

Them are some mean damn pigs, right there.

Redstone

[BikeWriter]

23. Javelinas are mean, but they're smaller than PWR hogs.

Believe it or not, we also have feral VietNamese pot belly pigs people turn loose. Thirty years ago there was big money in them. Today you can't give them away.

[Redstone]

25. People though them potbellies were cute, didn't they?

Myself, I never understood the idea of having a lunch animal as a pet.

They get ugly after they go feral? I suspect they would; most critters do.

Redstone

[BikeWriter]

28. They can be mean if you get 'em cornered, or they're bigger'n you.

[Redstone]

31. A potbelly pig bigger than me? I'd run for damn sure.

Though it would be a shame to let that much bacon get away.

Redstone

[AtomicKitten]

7. skunk stank is serious business

My dog got blasted in the face about three weeks ago. After 400 baths, her face still reeks. PU

[kestrel91316]

41. Bathe her in baking soda solution.

[Ksec]

8. Good story- My dog killed a skunk a few years back

We were hiking and he took off after something, he came back and nearly knocked me down with the stench eminating from him. I mean it hurt my lungs . I felt so bad for him and I know he suffered with the great sense of smell dogs have.

I had no idea what to do so I hesitantly put him in the car (which reeked of skunk for weeks) and brought him home. Tried everything from tomato sauce to shampoo. Nothing worked. He smelled like a skunk for at least a month . It just slowly wore off. It was an experience I hope I never have to go through again.

I dont take Tug on hikes anymore without having him on a leash.

[LynzM]

12. Never boring around your place, is it.

:) Glad you guys all 'escaped' unscathed :rofl: That's such a funny mental image, running around your yard, chased by a skunk!

How was your weekend?

[Redstone]

14. You got that right. I would like to get some work done

at some point or another, but it is indeed rarely boring arond here.

The trip was great; we even had an impromptu family reunion on a farm where I spent a lot of time over 30 years ago, but hadn't been to since.

It's still paradise... What a relief it was to find it hadn't been ruined from discovery by the New York Yuppie Rich Fucks, as so many places in New England have been.

More later. Still recovering from driving so much, but it was worth paying for. A real good trip.

Redstone

[LisaL]

16. I don't find this funny at all, considering the skunk probably had

rabies. Did he get a chance to bite anyone?

[Redstone]

22. I don't understand your reply.

Could you elucidate a bit about what exactly you meant?

Redstone

[LisaL]

36. I think it's a scary story, considering the skunk could have been

carrying a deadly disease. Did the skunk manage to actually bite anyone?
You said it went for your ankles.

[GreenPartyVoter]

24. I tripped over a skunk once. Lucky for me nothign came of it

[hyphenate]

30. In my own experience

I have found skunks to actually be kinda decent creatures. One was trapped in my Havahart trap and he was so grateful to be out of the cage, he scampered away without any ado at all.

It does sound like possibly rabies....I'm glad it was a quick death for him because when that runs its course it is horrible. Plus they can take many other creatures with them as they struggle and bite others.

Did the Animal Control officer take the carcass with him to have it tested?

[Redstone]

35. See #11 above. I like skunks a lot; they're one of my favorite

critters out of the menagerie that passes through or hangs around our back yard, and I always take the time to stop and chat with any of them I encounter.

I do feel bad for this little one, though as you say it was a kindness that it didn't have to suffer any longer.

Redstone

[barb162]

38. I am still wondering if it was not a petite mom protecting its babies

somewhere, just like there are bigger and smaller housecats, etc. There are skunks around here too and we got a baby one out of a neighbor's window well about a month ago. I wish people would cover window wells

[kestrel91316]

42. For safety's sake they have to ASSUME it was rabid and act accordingly

[LisaL]

43. I bet the skunk had rabies.