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Citizen complaint of the day: Dead skunk in the middle of our backyard

By adamg on Sun, 02/26/2017 - 8:37pm

A grossed out Roslindale citizen asks the city to remove the dead skunk in the backyard.

Bad news: The city replies it doesn't remove dead animals from private property.

Sort of good news: If the homeowner can stomach the idea and somehow get the carcass to the street, "then we would pick it up."

Neighborhoods: 
Roslindale
Free tagging: 
Wildlife
skunks
311


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Comments

By BostonDog on Sun, 02/26/2017 - 8:46pm.

Hold you nose, double-bag it, and tie a strong knot.

By Christine Langhoff on Sun, 02/26/2017 - 9:25pm.

and use a shovel to move it.

By Gary C on Sun, 02/26/2017 - 9:32pm.

A good shovel and sun glasses (things are less gross when you can't see them clearly.)

By perruptor on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 7:16am.

on your upper lip. If the stink is really strong, like eye-watering, wear swim goggles.

By Steeve on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 11:55am.

Once you're by the thing for 10-15 seconds, you're not going to be smelling it anymore. That's one annoyance of having a skunk spray in or around your house: you'll smell it when you get home, but good luck pinpointing where it's coming from.

By bostnkid on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 9:20am.

I found a dead bloated possum carcass in one of the kids snow tubes that was blown under the tree in the corner of my yard last winter.i didn't realize it was there until spring cleanup and it was nasty to say the least. my question is this? when you do get it bagged and tied do you just throw it out with the weekly trash or do you call someone to come get him?

By anon on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 9:26am.

In you neighbors yard . Crisis averted .

By SwirlyGrrl on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 9:46am.

Living things = peroxide/baking soda solution
Inanimate objects can get the bleach

We've always put carcasses in the trash - not unlike that package of ground round that hid in the back of the fridge for a bit too long.

If you are concerned about rabies or other sign of illness (dead raccoon with foamy mouth ...) call animal control to handle it.

By roadman on Sun, 02/26/2017 - 10:15pm.

And you've got your dead dog
On a moonlight night
You've got your dead toad frog
Got your dead rabbit
And your dead raccoon
The blood and the guts
They're gonna make you swoon

From "Dead Skunk" by Loudon Wainwright III

By perruptor on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 7:17am.

He forgot about the bicyclists and pedestrians ...

By EM Painter on Sun, 02/26/2017 - 10:59pm.

Nobody to carry away the dead skunks

By SwirlyGrrl on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 12:15pm.

Not in my house. I'm the ethnic redneck by birth, in charge of sanitary disposal.

Men of my father's generation couldn't even seem to get near a poopy baby diaper without collapsing with much dramatic retching - and they're gonna bag and tag a dead possum or skunk?

By bandit on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 12:27pm.

then you are probably doing it wrong.

By Scumquistador on Tue, 02/28/2017 - 1:03pm.

it just feels right

By onelith on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 7:00am.

A long handled pool skimmer will keep you up to 10' away from the offending odor.

By dmcboston on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 7:43am.

...you have a stinky long handled pool skimmer...

By erik g on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 8:56am.

gross long handed pool skimmers. Win-win!

By SwirlyGrrl on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 9:47am.

Pool skimmers are chlorine resistant, right?

By onelith on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 10:35am.

Just the skimmer head...replaceable.

By john on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 9:23am.

Just wondering what killed a skunk in your back yard?

By adamg on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 9:52am.

Suddenly, the animator suffered a fatal heart attack.

By SwirlyGrrl on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 12:14pm.

They eat rodent poison, for starters.

Raptors don't seem to care about the skunk stink, either - I've seen a large hawk pick one up.

By mikex617x on Mon, 02/27/2017 - 9:23am.

using a shovel will only help if the corpse is relatively fresh... my mom came home from vacation a few years ago to find a dead skunk in her back yard. i sprayed lysol onto a bandana and put it over my face when i went to get rid of it. sadly, it was rotten, so it split in two when i put the shovel under it and maggots went everywhere.

needless to say, it was the worst smell i've ever encountered and was easily the grossest thing i've ever been a witness to.