This year for my first time ever, I saw 2 different skunks at different times on our land while hunting. I dont know the first thing on them, ive never seen one till now. Are they harmless or what should I do in my next encounter? What in the world do they eat? Educate me guys.

Leave them there, they eat turkey eggs

I see them run over from time to time, never seen one while out scouting or hunting. Been trapping coyotes, fox, coons etc for 10+ years and never caught one either. I think they eat worms/grubs kinda like an armadillo but I'm not sure. They will do a number on a turkey or quail nest though.

Kill em. Was sitting on a hillside just listening for a gobble and one walked right up on me. Not a very good feeling knowing what he is capable of.

I've only seen one in the woods and it was on Coosa WMA a few years ago

I've only seen two while hunting - one got a pass, the other not so lucky.

Fairly common in So Cullman Co. Usually catch a couple every year in my coon traps. They always spray when you shoot them. Just have to wait a couple weeks & use rubber gloves & plastic garbage bag to dispose of

231 I'm guessing the smell was terrible afterwards? Or did you stay away?

Nevermind riverwood answer.

Only seen one in the woods in my life. It did not like hot lead!

The one I let walk - must have sprayed shortly before I saw him (he was within 50-yards) because I smelled him LONG before he walked across the power line (I was downwind of him). There were deer in front of me, so he got a pass.

The one I killed was about 150-yds away, he never knew what hit him. I didn't smell anything (I think I was upwind of him, but I can't remember exactly), but then again I didn't walk up to him either. Both were typical black w/white stripe skunks a little smaller than a house cat.

It's possible they were the same skunk - the two stands are only about 500-yards apart and it happened the same year.

My step dad walked out on our camper porch in Dallas county one night. He immediately ran back in the house screaming skunk. We had a small fire pit right in front of the camper and the skunk was in it when he walked outside.

I've seen several around Jackson AL over the years. A few years back I bet I saw a dozen dead ones run over in the road around Robertsdale AL. Pretty to look at buy I keep my distance.

We used to live on a ranch in Grenada, MS. That place was covered with skunks. The rancher would bring his banker buddies out for skunk shoots. Highest total for a night was 38. The one thing I learned was always use enough gun. The first two I shot were hit with .22's. They both did 180's and ran toward the shot.

Not long after we got married close to 40 years ago I was talking to a local farmer about cutting some timber he had one day. I was about to leave and he ask me if I wanted a baby skunk he had pushed up clearing a fence row, I said sure, why not. I carried the little feller home, named him PePe La Pew and took care of him like a kitten. He was a pretty, two striper and he loved crickets. We kept him for a couple of years and somebody told us that we needed to get him de-scented. I called the vet we had been using and he said he had never done one, but it wasn't a big deal to do it. They called that afternoon and said we needed to come get the skunk. The vet had busted one of the scent glands and whole office stunk terrible. From then on he smelled every time the weather got to a high humidity. Wish we had never descented him as he never smelled before that. Great pet.

We had several staying under a house we were renting once. At times you could hear them fighting. I nearly had them eat out of my hand at one time. I didn't really mind them. but eventually the neighbor killed a couple and I shot one that was acting kind of funny.

Can't tell you much, but have had two run ins with them. One smoked my dog. Tomato juice does NOT remove all the stink. And if they hit him in the eyes, I understand the dog can go blind.

I was working deer one day, walking one direction and looking other direction. BAD idea! Got a funny feeling, stopped, and was facing the south end of a northbound skunk, tail raised, about 10 feet from me! It was a brown one. Yikes! Fortunately I was able to talk him off the ledge, and he wandered off without zapping me.

I got sprayed many years ago, cutting hay and ran him through the swather. Smelled so bad I had to stop and get off. His sibling was waiting for me and got me real good. I slept in the shop for a week after I burned my cloths and showered with every remedy known to man. The swather smelled of skunk all first cutting that year.

We have lots of skunks around and I see them on a regular basis. I have a deal with them. They dont bother me, I don't bother them. We have lots of turkeys too so I don't see any correlation between the two populations.

They rut in February on Sand Mountain. We see lots of road kills during the month.