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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 24, 2002
Kristen Nelson is suddenly surrounded by skunk tales. The biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been deluged with responses about skunk sightings in the state.
"We have 700 entries on our Web site database, and I still have about 30 calls this morning to return," Nelson said from her West Palm Beach office last week..
It all began about two weeks ago when the commission put out the word: It wanted to hear from anybody who has seen or smelled a skunk in Florida during the past five years, concerned that perhaps the critter's population is on the decline.
Anyone still wanting to weigh in on skunks can do so at www.wildflorida.org/critters/flskunksurvey.asp or write to Kristen Nelson, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 8535 Northlake Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33412.
Meanwhile, here's a sampling of skunk reports.
Skunks are alive and well in Collier County. . . . We have two dogs and a cat who are sprayed four-five times a year. . . . Additionally another friend living three miles from us has been plagued with multiple families of skunk during the last five years. . . . I have not seen any road kill, but periodically smell skunk from the car. -- Collier County.
My wife and I ran over a skunk in the Port St. John area in October or November of 2000. Car stunk for three days. -- Brevard County
Although you are collecting information regarding skunks in the wild, I wanted to let you know of our domesticated pet skunk, Rosie, who has been with us for four years now and is very healthy. I read the (St. Petersburg Times) article on counting skunks with great interest and had to laugh at the assumption that due to "poor image" nobody would start a Save Our Skunks Society, because nothing could be further from the truth.
My roommate and I have been members of the Florida chapter of the American Domestic Skunk Association for a number of years now and we also occasionally attend the yearly Skunk Show in Orlando, where skunk "owners" come from all over to show off their furry friends. There are a LOT of people out there who adore skunks and wouldn't hesitate to start such a society!!! We have all been actively trying to raise the image of skunks for quite some time.
You do not want to say anything like "Drunk as a skunk" around people like us, as we will be very quick to point out that skunks don't get drunk, that drunks are smellier than skunks, and we don't appreciate having such beautiful animals disrespected that way. haha! -- Pinellas County
Having trapped skunks and other furbearers, I am familiar with their habits. Ours is ideal habitat and I was not surprised to find sign of a family living on our property. . . . Probably under our mobile home. Skunks are good neighbors unless you startle one. We have had one on our back porch. It appeared quite healthy and athletic. -- Bay County
I was woken up one night by a loud noise coming from my kitchen, when I went to see what it was there was a skunk in my electric wok on the counter. I thought there was only one and didn't know what to do, I called everyone in the book to help me but was told no one deals with skunks. I went to the library and read on skunks and identified the one I saw as a spotted skunk by the photo in the book.
I eventually saw six total, a mother and five babies, in my kitchen. They stuck their arm in the toaster (I assume to get the crumbs out of the bottom) and got shocked and sprayed in my house. I got a 55-gallon garbage can and put chicken wings in the bottom and left it out over night in my kitchen. The next morning I had all six in the can, After moving out of my house for two weeks (because you could not go in and live with the smell), I did not want them coming back to my house. I took them to a park on Rhodine Road. It is a county park in the woods and let them go. -- Hillsborough County
I lived in Florida all my life. As a kid I use to catch skunks and take them to the vet. He would deodorize them and we would sell them as pets. I did not realize that I have not seen as many as I once did. -- Indian River County
He was running down the road about 4 a.m. trying to get away from my vehicle -- Colombia County
Just want to inform you that I have had an encounter with a skunk within the past five years (approximately four years ago). While I didn't actually see the animal(s), its stench was strong enough to permeate my home and car for a day or so -- so much so that I was concerned the smell had stuck to my work clothes in my closet making me "offensive" to co-workers. Other than that I haven't seen or had the pleasure of smelling another skunk since. -- Indian River County
When I was a child, a mother skunk had her litter under our back porch in Cincinnati. After she was killed by a car we fed them Purina kitty chow until they were old enough to go their own way. The sight or whif of a skunk brings back those good old memories! -- Citrus County
I just heard on the radio that you fellas are concerned about your skunk population. Up here, we have an overabundance of the damn things. How many would you like? -- Vermont