Little Stinker [Wordless Wednesday]
Eastern Skunk
I had this Eastern Skunk running around the field looking for food on Monday. Wasn’t it cute (here kitty kitty kitty)? Appears these guys popped out everywhere on Monday. My mom reported one in her back yard and then I heard today that Grace also had one running around on Monday! Must have been a real stinker of a day! [Ok, almost a Wordless Wednesday!]
Hmmm, finding grubs is fun.
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Wow, that’s lucky!
My only skunk was way back in 1987 in Canada during my year as a highschool exchange student.
I found one at night searching for owls and woodcocks and pointed my flashlight at it. As it couldn’t see me behind the flashlight, I was able to approach it to within a few inches. It could smell but not see me whereas I could see but not smell it (I was lucky, I guess).
5 March 2008 at 6:51 am
A great candidate for ‘wordless wednesday’. No words were really needed. I have smelled them this week also. Luckily Luna hasn’t found one on her night time walk about the garden.
5 March 2008 at 7:08 am
Do skunks hibernate? Didn’t know that. I haven’t seen any this year, yet. He looks so big in your photo!
5 March 2008 at 8:11 am
Nice pics! They are a really cool critter. We had one that lived in my backyard one year and it would fight with the neighbor’s wild cats. It caused quite a stink. Did you ever see people who have them as pets? I saw it on TV. Apparantly they are really smart.
Wren, I think they do hibernate but are very prone to waking up for short spurts during any warm spells in the winter.
5 March 2008 at 9:03 am
They are pretty cute – I can see why some people keep them as pets. We’ve had a few early morning ‘smellings’ (rather than sightings) in our area. I always take it as a sure sign of spring!
5 March 2008 at 9:25 am
They are cute…from a distance!
While camping once in the Tennessee Smokey Mountains we had skunks all over our campsite. We sat, barely breathing, on the picnic tables. What a relief when they left!
5 March 2008 at 9:28 am
Pepe Le Peu! How nice of you to visit!
5 March 2008 at 9:35 am
Now this guy is cute – from a distance. I think I like him better than the bunny or squirrels. I’ve never seen a skunk eat from my garden! 🙂
5 March 2008 at 9:45 am
You know, they are cute – but there’s always that (well-founded) fear of them. I’d prefer watching them from a safe distance, myself.
5 March 2008 at 9:47 am
He really is cute. I never see them here. Actually I don’t think I have *ever* seen a live one, though I sniff ’em dead on the road now and then. (Less often than years ago, though.) We haven’t even caught one on the game cam.
5 March 2008 at 9:57 am
Pepe Le Peu was one of my favorite cartoons! Skunks really have such pretty little faces.
5 March 2008 at 10:45 am
What a fine, stinky fellow. We haven’t noticed them up here on the Olympic Peninsula, but in California we smelled them quite often and always at night. I have always understood that skunks are nocturnal and if you see one during the day, it could mean that it’s sick.
5 March 2008 at 10:50 am
Hehe, I love the title. They sure are cute little stinkers!
5 March 2008 at 12:19 pm
@ Jochen – We see them around here all the time! As long as you don’t spook them they don’t get scared!
@ Lisa – LOL, I always have words! LOL and lets keep Luna 0 for 0!
@ Wren – no they do not hibernate! I normally smell them before seeing them!
@ Patrick – thanks and they sure are great critters! I have seen them fight with raccoons but I thought cats were smarter than that! LOL Ric who is a flickr/blogger contact had one as a pet! Nope, we only have 7 hibernators in the area and these guys are not one!
@ Sherri – I always think they are the cutest little things! I just love this time of the year!
@ Robin – they sure are and even up close! They don’t scare me and I just don’t like when you are sitting in a lawn chair and it comes from under you! That’s not good!
@ Liza – My last name is very French! We both go way back!
@ Barb – I don’t think they do as much trouble as a bunny or woodchuck! But they do like digging up yards for the grub!
@ Marty – actually . . . they really are not that bad and very interesting critters to watch . . even up close! But you just need to watch their behavior and know when to back away!
@ Rurality – They try to be secretive but many times you smell them before seeing! Hope once you get one in the critter cam!
@ Lynne – they sure do and I have never thought bad thoughts about a skunk!
@ Robin – they are nocturnal but this guy was out just as it was starting to get dusk! I wouldn’t have called this guy out during the day time! It was probably hungry and taking advantage of the warm weather (was hungry)!
@ Heather – sure they are! LOL
5 March 2008 at 12:27 pm
I’ve heard they make great pets, but I would want that stink gland removed!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in the wild. How do you find all these things?
5 March 2008 at 12:29 pm
They are kinda cute. When I lived in the country it almost never failed that one would spray nearby outside every time I had company staying over. They are cute, but not cuddly.
5 March 2008 at 1:12 pm
Great photos Tom!
I have never seen a skunk in my gardens. I have seen them hit on the roadsides. Always sad. Seeing them hunt for grubs must be very fun.
Sherry
5 March 2008 at 2:05 pm
My husband would love to have seen this! He has this fascination with Skunks. Being from Australia, he had never seen one until coming to the states. He reckons they don’t stink as bad as people say they do, I remind him that his smeller is out of whack on a daily basis. LOL
-K
5 March 2008 at 2:17 pm
Staring at you!!! Ready to fire? 😉
5 March 2008 at 5:50 pm
LOL!! “Here kitty kitty!” So what would your cats do with this “kitty?”
5 March 2008 at 6:25 pm
Skunks have a poor reputation in many people’s minds, but I have to say, they certainly are good looking critters. Happy WW.
5 March 2008 at 6:57 pm
Rare! First time I see a decent amateur picture of a skunk in the wild… very nice!
5 March 2008 at 7:11 pm
@ Sherry (zoo) – I would love to hear about you have one added to your zoo! You do it and I will blog about you doing it! LOL! 🙂 You need to get outside and enjoy nature! Walking about and it isn’t a matter of finding them . . . it’s them find you!
@ Linda – they are extremely cute! LOL! I agree that I wouldn’t want to cuddle one of these guys!
@ Sherry (Q) thanks and I always smell them before seeing! But they are fun to watch!
@ Kaz – we seek skunks most evenings if you ever decide to go spotlighting next time you are camping in the park! Email me and I will send you in the right direction!
@ Mel – LOL . . . I hope not!!
@ Pam – I am normally saying to my kitties . . . stop licking me . . . get down! 🙂
@ Bobbie – they do and wish that wasn’t so! Thanks
@ Dexter – I throw in photos of them from time to time and you should see my video we captured!
5 March 2008 at 7:52 pm
Nice pictures! Best view of a skunk I have ever gotten. Though I did come face to face with one once, I didn’t hang around long enough to get a good look at it as I did an immediate 180 and walked a good distance away.
5 March 2008 at 7:54 pm
We smelled a really strong skunk odor on the way into work this morning! I was really surprised….they usually don’t come out until our weather has warmed up a bit more.
5 March 2008 at 10:25 pm
The skunk I found and photographed was out at noontime. I still don’t believe he was sick, just hungry. He has been living under the porch of a group camp mess hall.
5 March 2008 at 11:52 pm
Aw what a cute wee guy!!
You always astound me with your shutter ready fingers, Tom! Great captures 🙂
6 March 2008 at 10:18 am
Cute but stinky. I always remember lining up once for swim lessons (use to be really popular and you had to go first thing in the morning-about 6) and someone saying there are some really cute black and white kittens on that porch over there-they were not kittens!
6 March 2008 at 10:48 am
Cute photos! I usually see (and smell) them as roadkill 😦 I saw a live skunk last night on the way home from ornithology class, though, which was neat.
6 March 2008 at 11:24 am
You didn’t need words today… The stinker is a story in itself :o)
6 March 2008 at 1:12 pm
Lucky you! Here in the Florida peninsula, skunks have apparently been all but eliminated by, what? It is very rare anymore to see them dead on the road, and never in the woods anymore. Sob!
6 March 2008 at 5:25 pm
@ Vern – thanks and they are not that bad! Its fun seeing them up close!
@ Ruthie – they do have a strong smell! We have had them around for a while now! But they are very hungry for sure!
@ Grace – I agree it was hungry and around noon? Cool!
@ Kate – thanks for such kind words kate!
@ Marg – LOL and they do have that kitten look to them!
@ Adam – we do come across many roadkills! Glad you did see one though!
@ Mary – LOL they sure are! Thanks
@ Buford – they are not rare around here but very commonly smelled/seen!
6 March 2008 at 8:32 pm
Cute little fella! Not sure I would want to rid my lawn of grubs that way, though! Great shots! I am adding you as a link to my blog, you always have such interesting and informative postings,
thanks!
14 March 2008 at 9:39 pm