Leash Your Dog, It’s Skunk Mating Season in Connecticut

One of the worst things that you may have to endure as a pet owner is trying to remove the smell after they get sprayed by a skunk. If you have a weak stomach, you're in for a hell of a couple of days. Here's a warning: Leash your dog, because it's skunk mating season in Connecticut.

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February may be the shortest month, but Eastern Striped Skunks are gearing up to get busy. Mating season for skunks is late February into early March. and according to ct.gov, the typically solitary male skunk will lurk his way into unknown territory over the next six weeks. This journey, fueled by skunk-lust, may mean that you could encounter quite a few more skunks out in the wild. Be prepared with your leash, you, or your pet, do not want to get sprayed.

Eastern Striped Skunks can weigh 6-14 pounds, are an average of 21-26 inches long, and they're found in every area of Connecticut. Skunks eat bugs, worms, snails, small mammals, birds, veggies, fruits, and nuts, and they will make a feast out of your open garbage can. Skunks are primarily nocturnal, but it's not unusual to see them during the day.

I've had numerous skunk encounters in Waterbury over the years, I'll never forget our German Shepard got doused in the 1970's, and my grandmother tried to bathe him in her Sunday sauce because we read that tomato sauce got the stink out, it didn't.

If you do have an encounter with the wrong-end of a skunk, most experts suggest a mix of these ingredients: A teaspoon of liquid dish soap, a quart of 1% peroxide, and 1/4 cup of baking soda.