I'm gonna do it. I found this advice... "The key to shooting skunks without them spraying is to sever the spinal column near the head. No nerves, no spray." Now...to get the skunk far enough away from the house but still stay close enough to make that precise of a shot....
I'm gonna stink aren't I?
TTK, I'm somewhat of an expert with that method. Well, maybe not an expert, but I've certainly had a lot of experience. When I was a kid I lived down the road from a chicken ranch that was literally infested with skunks. The owner paid me $2.50 for every skunk I killed. That shot will work if it is executed very precisely. If using a .22 it has to be a direct hit (not that easy when you're not absolutely sure just where the spine is from different angles). The problem comes in to play when you miss, even ever so slightly. You now have a wounded and extremely irritated skunk that will happily spray like you've never seen (or smelled) before. It is really cool when it's executed properly though.
To increase your odds of pulling it off I would suggest a center fire round....say.....well, a .458 Win. Mag. comes to mind. There is a little more margine for error. Even that's no guarrantee. Incidentally, a head shot is no good. It causes all the muscles to contract, which is just the opposite of what you're trying to accomplish.
Good luck! And yes, there is a good chance you're going to stink up the place. But the stink doesn't last forever. (it just seems like it)
Eel
