A slightly bit odorous

Early morning haul at work, sand to a concrete plant near Wentzville as they open gates at 5. Had preloaded so sand started freezing to be walls and had to ‘shave that away, but not the issue. On to New Melle stone for Ag Lime load back to Rhineland MO, followed a group of rock haulers across scale at ticket office where one turned to the route I would be following.

A little cb chatter as followed Femme Osage RD from quarry then the call out, ‘fella behind me, try to avoid the piles on the road!’ Thinking WTH? He is still reasonably close but hit Hi Beams anyway, then the spot showed up.

Lane and a half wide blood guts and hides all wadded and scattered and seeming to be multiple critters, no way to avoid much of it, then second call out ‘gonna be nasty, was a family of skunks’ then the aroma hit. Fella expanded was at least two larger animals and a few smaller ones, was no way to avoid and hit them all. His truck was making him feel ill from the smell then he turned off. I dealt with the remnant odor of splatter and small pieces until finished the day, washed the grime out of wheel wells and off the chassis best as could in 40 degree weather, just NASTY!!

It’s definitely skunk season.
My mom fell and broke her hip. I spent the weekend with her last weekend in Fort Smith.
Came home Monday   morning at 4:00 am.
Saw and smelled plenty on the way home.

That is a nasty smell. It works better than tear gas for breaking up a crowd. Got a few at the farm, one is solid white. 

Caught one in a coon trap a few weeks ago. My friend and I watched some you tube videos on how to dispatch without getting sprayed. One video showed you could walk up to one in a trap slowly. Make sure you keep it facing you, talk to it softly and try to calm it down. Then get 6 to 8 feet away and shoot it in the lungs. Maker of video claims they die and do not spray . My friend Chuck tried it as I said no way . Worked just like the video claimed. Never would have believed it if I didn't see it. I have been sprayed when I was younger and never want that to happen again.

About 10 years ago live ground squirrel traps were the thing to do. The neighbor has driveway  on the fence line had several traps out. One got run over pushed it off into the fence, on my side. My son picks it up and figures he can still make it work. These were a foot square and 4 inches high. Yes it worked, had it by a feed manger. I went to feed the horses one morning. I see something in it as I put hay in. I looked again and it is a skunk. So I retreat in hast. A very hot summer day. By noon I figured nothing to do but use the hay fork and put it in the water trough 20 feet away. I get closer and a buzzard is sitting on the trap. Still no stink, get closer and buzzard is pecking it inside the wire.  By some miracle it is dead, and buzzard is eating it. But I think fact the trap was so low it could not get the tail up enough to spray saved the day. The sun did the rest, and then the buzzard cleaned up the rest. I was very thankful.