On Sun, 27 Apr 2003 10:10:23 -0400, Ann wrote:

expounded:

Well, then, don't pat them! And if they are rabid, they'll be acting
strange, like coming out during the day, etc. No one wants skunks
living under their porch, but they do fit into the ecological balance
of nature.

I once had a VERY strange one...it was imitating the herd animals.
The goats knew it was not normal and reared up, trying to scare it
away. Believe it or not, the skunk reared up right back at them! It
never sprayed during the several days we had to deal with it.

Finally we decided it was too dangerous. Since we live close to a few
other houses, it would be illegal to shoot a firearm (can't discharge
a weapon within 500 ft of other residential houses). We called the NJ
state troopers barracks, telling them we had a rabid animal in our
yard, and they told us "yea ok we'll come up in a couple of hours".

I then added, "If this is a waste of your time officer, I have a
friend down the road who owns a shotgun and she can deal with it". I
immedately got a "we'll be right over there, sir" and 5 minutes later
a trooper came and dealt with the problem (ie shooting it with a
shotgun). Sometimes micro-managed state beaurocracy has to be kicked
in the pants in order to enforce its own rules and statutes.

As a follow-up, the animal was tested and did prove positive for
rabies.

Dan