LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Not-So-Welcome Visitors

Our birdfeeders hang over the upper deck railing so seeds often drop to the ground below.  We bring the feeders into the garage at night so as not to tempt the bears and raccoons to climb up for a snack.  The other evening my husband called me out to see some visitors.

They were not really visitors since they reside nearby, but there were three unwelcome striped skunks gleaning the fallen seeds below the deck.  "Polecat," is the southern way of naming these little critters.  (I did not know until I started school that other people called them skunks.)  We occasionally catch a whiff of their scent when we are hiking in the forests and our neighbor's dog was sprayed not too long ago, the wind carrying the scent over toward us.  (We keep a skunk-cleaning emergency kit equipped and at the ready but fortunately we have not had to use it.)

The three skunks were obviously a family but all three had very distinct patterns of black and white.  I was quite surprised at the variation.  I took the photographs from the deck so the camera is aimed directly at the tops of the skunks.  And no, I did not once think of sneaking outside and around the house to get you better photographs!


The stinky trio



Gobbling up the fallen seeds



I'd rather have three little birds on my doorstep than three little skunks below my deck


At least twice a week my husband takes a leaf blower and blows the leftover seeds deeper into the woods.  This keeps down the number of little critters coming near.  I really don't want them to decide our house might be a good place to hunker down for the winter.  There are much better places for them in the woods.

And so we try to leave with peace among these animals.  After all, it is we who invaded their territory.


20 comments:

The Bug said...

I think skunks are so cute, but, yes, not good for human neighborhoods. I was glad that the one we saw in the spring apparently found somewhere better to live!

Anonymous said...

Wow, those three have such distinctively different markings. They're really quite beautiful!

Rudee said...

They're beautiful, but I don't blame you for not wanting to share your home with them!

KGMom said...

I like the distinctive markings. Wonder if they are like fingerprints. Does every skunk have its own stripe?
I hear they make great pets if de-scented.

Wayfarin' Stranger said...

We camped one Friday night at Cades Cove campground to get an early start on our bike ride around the loop the next morning. While sitting at a picnic table watching two young raccoons play chase up and down the trees, I felt what would pass for a cat rubbing against my legs. I looked down to see two skunks begging me for a handout. I pitched their treats a few feet away and quietly retreated when they ambled over to them.

Ms. A said...

I smell them on a regular basis, but haven't seen one in a while. Wow, they really are very different! That one is almost white. Brave shots... very brave shots!

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

I would not want them under my deck either!!Our bird feeders are on the deck and hang over the yard....have had raccoon and opossum, but thankfully no skunks!

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

I won't complain about the sleeping young opossum we had under our back porch yesterday!

I hope you're doing well, and your week is going well too!!

troutbirder said...

Ah. Constructive disengagement. Our new middle east policy????

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

They look harmless in your photos, but looks can be deceiving it seems. The coloring is different that the usual black and white I have seen.

KB said...

It is amazing how much white fur two of those skunks have. I've never seen such white striped skunks.

I find that the skunks get very active around here in the fall (I get lots of trail cam photos of them) but then they hibernate (at least around here)... So, hopefully, yours won't stick around.

Ginnie said...

What amazing photos. Thanks for taking them to share with us. They seem much more attractive than the ones I remember from NY State.

Shelley said...

Laughed at your name "the stinky trio"! Also neat to see how they differed in their coloring, some having more white than others. How are your puppies? It's been a long time since I've visited! I'm a bad blogger :-)

Busy Bee Suz said...

The skunks are adorable...from a distance!!!
The color variations on them are pretty cool though. I've heard the term polecat, but never knew it was directed at skunks. I learned something today; thanks for that! ;)

Taradharma said...

Your little friends are beautiful!! I always wondered what a "pole cat" was. Now I know. But yes, I would want to discourage them as well. I have had dogs 'skunked' before and it is bloody awful. Terrible. And the only thing that helped was Dawn dish washing detergent -- cuts the oil.

Glad you're back. I've been catching up on your last few posts - sorry about Lucy and the vacation. To think, it was a year ago this month that I was in your neck of the woods. It IS a beautiful time in the mountains! Lucky you!

Vicki Lane said...

Beautiful critters! Great captures,

Jayne said...

Oh my! I remember once seeing a big rat below my feeders....ewwwwww. Amazing how differently marked they are! Hope they find better goodies in the woods. :c)

NCmountainwoman said...

Thanks for your comments, everyone.

Wayfarin' - OMG! I would probably have jumped up and gotten sprayed. Glad you had the presence of mind to send a treat in the other direction.

KB - It isn't cold enough for true hibernation around here, but the encounters definitely lessen during the winter.

Shelley - Nice to hear from you again.

Tara - Hope your knee is on the mend.

Cicero Sings said...

Their colour variations really are interesting! That one is so white and the other so black. No evidence of skunks in our neck of the woods.

Peruby said...

Can you tell us what is in your skunk-cleaning emergency kit?