Lving in New Hampshire, I’ve had the chance to encounter various and sundry forms of wildlife in the wild. I’ve seen deer, bears, beavers, chipmunks, and all sorts of critters. And of all the animals I’ve seen, the single most arrogant, fearless, and overconfident has to be the skunk.
The skunk has been equipped with the best self-defense mechanism short of an AK-47. Its musk is universally known and feared, and when threatened often just has to turn its tail and even the most determined predator will reconsider and go look elsewhere for lunch.
This has led the skunk to fear nothing, to simply go where it wants when it wants, and expecting all others to give it a wide berth and get the hell out of its way.
Unfortunately, this often includes highways. And it explains that the most common species I’ve seen as road kill is the mephitis mephitis.
I just wish I could see them in time to close my car’s vents.
Eeeeuuuueeww Roadkilll skunk the worse of all things to happen i mean CHUNK OF SKUNK at the ROADKILL CAFE smear and smell
I have a family of them in my grove. They don’t make trouble, but what a ruckus when they fight!
I remember walking up to a little kitty at night near my apartment complex–then freezing when I saw the “kitty” had a white stripe on its back!
Crossing the Highway, late one night,
Should’a looked left and should’a looked right,
Didn’t see the Station wagon car,
The Skunk got squashed, and there you are!
It’s a Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road,
Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road,
Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road,
Stink’n to High Heaven!
Loudin Wainwright III
/seemed appropriate
On the other hand it can be quite tasty when basted with tomato sauce
http://www.kolumbus.fi/ei.nieminen/Roadkill.html
And I thought you were going to use the skunk as a metaphor for Democrats!
Why demean skunks like that?
There are skunks in California also. While living in coastal central California, I ran over skunks more than once. Never a problem. You are long gone before the skunk can discharge its “nectar”. But woe is the person right behind you!
Skunk nectar! Thats a new one. Whatever you call it, you can buy it at stores catering to hunters and trappers. It can be useful.
You should try living in a more rural setting.
Not only do we have the road kill skunks, but we have them up by the house, if the dogs are outside, we end up with the lovely smell on them.
One night my husband was stepping onto our porch, and almost stepped on a skunk sitting under the doorway.
I don’t think I have ever seen as many skunks until I moved to NH, it should be the state animal or something.
Ok, I think I like the metaphor:
– They are arrogant, fearless, and overconfident
– They make a big stink wherever they go, expecially when threatened
– They make you want to take a wide berth (unless you have a gas mask)
– They are often run over when exposed
– Unfortunately, there are others to replace them.
Uh… the scent of skunk… kinda smells good to me… in a way.
Yes, I know there is something wrong with me. Others have already informed me of this.
When i used to live a mile outside the town where i live we once had a little skunk come up on our porch and our cats ignored it they just sat looking at the little critter
Uh… the scent of skunk… kinda smells good to me… in a way.
I think that’s a matter of degree. I don’t mind the occasional mild waft — but I’ve also smelled the aftermath of a recent full-scale assault at close quarters, and it was intolerable. The only thing good about it as far as I was concerned is I wasn’t the one that got sprayed.
I have what appears to be a 10lb skunk that hangs around my place. Kind of a cute critter. He rarely stinks the joint up…but what he does do is keep the deer and friggin’ raccoons off of my bird feeder as he is always under it eating dropped seeds. He’s doing me a service.
I’ve got a siberian that has put down 13 skunks in the back yard without getting sprayed. I do feel bad when he kills the babies though. However the dog is going to turn 10 this fall and I fear for future invasions.