By Harvey Hughett

Of the many skunks that I’ve caught over the years, including a number in northern Idaho’s Latah and Benewah Counties, I only got sprayed a few times, always in the hand as I was trying to grab and pin the tail.

Simply put, I missed the skunk’s tail but the skunk didn’t miss me. No one believes me, but if the tail is pinned properly, this paralyzes the skunk’s stink mechanism and it cannot spray.