How do you dispatch a varmint in a catch alive cage trap?Especially a skunk?The catch alive seems like a good trap in neighborhoods where there are pet dogs around and deer that could get caught up in a leg hold.Is catching a deer in a leg hold by mistake common?What do you do if that happens?Just wondering about recommended procedures...
Thanks in advance!

There could be a couple different ways. Run the trap over with a truck for example. But I think one of the more common methods would be to use a .22 or tie the trap to a weight and through it in the water(kinda like a fu*ked up drowning set). I'm sure there are many different ways.

I thought about a 22LR but didnt know if that was a good idea.

The best way to dispatch a skunk in a live trap is to use what is called a kill pole. A kill pole is a piece of conduit usually 3/4 inch and about 4 inches from one end half of the diameter of the conduit is cut off from the 4 inch mark to the end. Usually about 6 feet is long enough. A dowel rod is inserted into the conduit. The dowel rod needs to be a bit longer than the piece of conduit, this dowel rod acts as the plunger for the syringe. A needle and syringe are fit into the 4 inch groove. The syringe is secured to the conduit. To use the kill pole use either rubbing alcohol or else acetone. You need to have a hole in the cage trap that the kill pole will fit through. Skunks have very poor vision and you can walk up to the cage (very slowly) and not alarm the skunk. If he rises up and points his tail at you then stop until he settles down. When you get close enough you insert the pole through the hole in the cage and stick the needle into the chest of the skunk and inject the alcohol or acetone again all this has to be done slowly as sudden movements will scare the skunk and he may spray . Usually 12cc's will be enough. When doing this you probably should approach the cage trap with the wind at your back not at your face. If you don't have access to a kill pole or dont want to make one then you can shoot the skunk with a 22. Never shoot a skunk in the head as he will spray every time. If you shoot him in the front shoulder sometimes they won't spray but sometimes they do. You can also carry a blanket and appoach the cage with the blanket draped in front of you. When you reach the trap gently lower the blanket over the cage and then you can pick up the cage and carry it away. When you lower the blanket over the cage the skunk will then be calm as it will be dark to him. Then you can carry the cage to a water source and lower the cage into the water again slowly until the whole cage is covered and it will drown the skunk and he shouldn't spray.
Deer will get caught on occasion in your leg hold traps but they will pull right out and it doesn't hurt or bother them at all. The only time you should catch a deer is if you are trapping coyotes or foxes and using urine and they are attracted to the salt in the urine. Also when trapping coyotes sometimes a doe especailly in the spring when she is with fawn will smell the urine and gland lure if you are using it and it will want to stomp the crap out of it as it smells of coyote and they sometimes will get caught but as I said no big deal as they will pull right out and trot off.

I use the blanket technique, subbing black plastic for a blanket. However, they still spray about 1 time out of 5. I load them into the truck bed and drive them to the country - at least across the next creek, let them loose, and hammer 'em with the 20 gauge.

You can also run a hose from your truck/car exhaust and put it under the tarp/plastic. Give them about 10 minutes and they are sound asleep--forever.

Thanks Big time for the info! I dont know any trappers to ask questions and never hear any advice to these questions.I would be interested in trapping Fox,Bobcat and coyotes but allways wondered about a dreaded skunk!Makes good since! I had worried about the deer problem too but now i know not to worry.I met a serious trapper one year that showed me a picture of the foxs him and a partner trapped in one years season and man they had a Picture that looked like it had 100 hides in it.He said there were way more varmints than folks realized and they needed to be kept in check.I think the trapping rules in my state call for a 25.00 license fee,22lr.for dispatch,and the name of the trapper on the traps,check every day,no claw teeth traps.
it looks like a lot of fun to run a trap line in the winter months and after deer season when the woods are mostly empty.I have thought about trying it.How many traps should one put out at a time?Like ...a good number to get started?I gotta get a book!Are racoons a problem?seems like my area would have more coons and opossum more than anything else.i know the fish & game rules say dont relocate coons.....and every county now has coyotes and they have been slaugthering the fawn populations bad every year with no closed season on the coyotes.shoot on sight!Thanks again for the great help friends!

A good friend of mine Craig O'Gorman has by far the best coyote trapping book on the market and it is called Hoof Beats Of A Wolfer and if you are looking for a book on trapping and understanding coyotes I cannot recommend it enough not because he is my friend but it is point blank the best on the market by a long shot. His number is 406-436-2234 and they are open monday through Friday from 8 to 5 MST.
I'm sure that if you do take up trapping that you will truely enjoy it. I've been very fortunate that I trap and hunt coyotes and lions for a living and have for along time. It is amazing that I have set 10,000's of trap sets in my career and come Monday I will set more and when I go to check every one I still have that sence of excitment I had when I first started out trapping muskrats as a kid. I guess when i don't have that sense of excitment and antcipation anymore it will be time to retire but I hope that day never comes.

quote:

Originally posted by blackbearhunter:
How do you dispatch a varmint in a catch alive cage trap?Especially a skunk?The catch alive seems like a good trap in neighborhoods where there are pet dogs around and deer that could get caught up in a leg hold.Is catching a deer in a leg hold by mistake common?What do you do if that happens?Just wondering about recommended procedures...
Thanks in advance!

Here's the way we were taught to dispatch skunks in our Wildlife Mgt Class if you catch one in a hav-a-hart trap cover the trap with canvas(not plastic),back your vehicle up to the canvas covered trap draping the canvas over the tailpipe of your vehicle and start your vehicle letting CO(carbon monoxide)do it's thing it will die w/o spraying.

we use one of those plastic bins like a rubermade or cheap wallmart substitute set it over the trap and use a dryer hose to co2 him with a truck

That sounds like the way to go to me. A man could even build a wooden box just a bit bigger than the trap. I have heard of kill boxes (there is a fancy word for it but I can't spell it but it starts with an e). They are sealed boxes that the trap is set in and a co2 tank is attached to it and all you do is turn the valve on and release the co2 into the box. If a man was in the skunk killing business it might be the way to go though.

Oh my..............sorry new guy here. How about.....if it is a skunk in a skunk live/have a heart kind of trap (these are the ones that keep them from lifting their tail and spraying ........just find a pond or a stock tank and drop the trap in and drown the beast.

That is what our Fish and Wildlife Officers do here. That is what I have always done at home on the ranch to get rid of skunks.

quote:

Originally posted by Skyline:
Oh my..............sorry new guy here. How about.....if it is a skunk in a skunk live/have a heart kind of trap (these are the ones that keep them from lifting their tail and spraying ........just find a pond or a stock tank and drop the trap in and drown the beast.

That is what our Fish and Wildlife Officers do here. That is what I have always done at home on the ranch to get rid of skunks.

When I catch varmints in my hav-a hart traps I set them in my in ground pool.

I use the aceatone and the skunk kit needle and have never had one spray. I think the drowning would work well.