04/28/2025
Shared from another post
A resident called us to report seeing a skunk inside a trap in another resident's backyard.
Nearly at the same time, a relative of the resident with the trapped skunk, also called us, reporting that there was a skunk inside a trap, set by her father. The caller wanted us to remove the trap and skunk and take it elsewhere.
Both parties stated that the skunk had been inside the trap for several days, and one stated that it was 'flipping out'.
Of course it was 'flipping out'-it was trapped. It was likely frightened, hungry, dehydrated, and possibly separated from its nursing babies.
A few things:
🦨 Nuisance wildlife cannot be trapped and relocated in MA.
🦨This is an even more serious wrongdoing in the Spring, when young wildlife can peril absent their mother's nurturing.
🦨Healthy trapped wildlife must be released right where it was found. The only alternative is euthanasia.
🦨Stress from entrapment can alone become life-threatening for wildlife.
🦨An animal left inside a trap is cruel, let alone unlawful.
🦨Only MA licensed Problem Animal Control (PAC) Agents can set traps for removal of nuisance (healthy) wildlife.
🦨PAC Agents who work with residents (and us) to assist with nuisance wildlife, either check in with the residents, ask us to observe, or visit the property themselves-within a couple of hours of a set trap. And such traps are removed when such monitoring, release or removal is not possible close to immediately upon entrapment.
🦨'A person shall not use, set, place, maintain, manufacture or possess any trap for the purpose of capturing furbearing mammals, except for common type mouse and rat traps, nets, and box or cage type traps, as otherwise permitted by (MA) law.'
🦨And if one has taken the time to learn how and for what reason to set a trap (legally), one should certainly take the time to learn how to release an animal-including an untargeted animal-from said trap.
Most lawn and garden stores and internet sales, can sell traps to anyone- without ensuring the buyer is licensed to trap, nor does the seller need to provide the buyer with information on humane trapping, nor state trapping and wildlife laws. This is unfortunate.
The skunk in this case was ultimately released from the trap, once brought to our attention, though it was woefully after a number of days had passed.
The (thankfully conscious and relatively alert) skunk, pretty quickly exited the property, and our hope is that it will be ok- emotionally and physically-and that if it does have babies for which to care, that it is strong enough to provide such for them-and that the babies have survived the number of days in which their mother was absent from them.
Please-do not take nuisance wildlife issues into your own hands. It is illegal. It is cruel. It is heartbreaking.
It is also an ineffective solution, as wildlife does coexists with us, and trying to eradicate one skunk, or one raccoon, or one ground hog, or a few chipmunks, from your yard, is not going to stop other wildlife from visiting your property.
The most effective solution to minimize wildlife on your property, is through preventing inhabitation, by:
🦨removing food sources (including bird feeders), which whether intentional and/or unintentional, attracts wildlife;
🦨keeping lids secured on trash barrels and not putting out trash until the morning of its scheduled pickup;
🦨cleaning drip trays and other backyard food leftovers after grilling/entertaining;
🦨cutting back overgrown grass, weeds, shrubs, overgrown brush and compost areas;
🦨sealing off the underneath area of sheds, decks and porches (before animals create dens inside them- so not to block them inside);
🦨using bright motion sensor lights as a deterrent.
If you have a nuisance wildlife concern, please call us so that we can help you address it-both lawfully and humanely.
Thank you to the resident and caller who reported this trapped skunk to us- another day or so and it may truly have been too late...
[Photo: skunk inside a trap].
