Skunks Are Taking Over The Roads In Western Connecticut

I leave for my commute to work at 3:45AM, and most mornings I have the State of Connecticut pretty much to myself. Not lately, this is the time of year where animals are hooking up, and the skunks have taken over Western Connecticut.

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I had to swerve twice on my way in this morning in order to avoid hitting a skunk, one was along 202 in Bantam, and the other was on Still River Drive in New Milford. The skunk in New Milford was especially lucky, I nearly ran right into it as it tried to counter my swerve. I've hit more animals in my 40+ years of driving than I care to admit. The worst by far was a deer, that totaled my vehicle, but opossum, racoon, and skunk can do some damage.

Why are There So Many Skunks out in Western Connecticut right now?

The new batch of baby skunk are finally ready to make it on their own, and venturing out into the world as mom and dad get ready to den up for the cold months. Skunks mate in early Spring, give birth in May/June, and after 3 months of nurturing they're on their own. According to ct.gov, an adult Eastern Striped Skunk can weigh 6-14 pounds, and can grow to an average of 2 feet in length. The two skunks that almost met my front tires this morning were tiny, but their bushy tails and white stripes stood out in the dark, so I was able to miss them.