Chased by a skunk!

[Snowflea]

Thought I'd share a funny thing that happened to me a couple of days ago.

Toward the end of a kinda crazy run on the 'Hangover Trail' - a double black diamond mtn bike trail in Sedona which includes angled slickrock with numerous potential deathfalls - I heard a rustling sound about 10 feet away. It was a skunk, all fluffed up with tail up. It looked pissed.

After doing about a 5 min/mile pace for about 50 yards, I glanced back to see it charging after me much like a small dog. The next 50 yards at 5 min/mile were a bit harder because I was laughing so hard, but I am happy to say that I outran him.

Has anyone else here ever been chased by a skunk? This was a first for me. Was it maybe rabid?

 

[marnof]

For a moment, I thought this was going to be about how you got your nom de plume! I never was chased by a skunk, but did ride right by one on narrow singletrack, within a couple feet actually. It was facing away from me with tail raised, but it didn't let go as I passed, luckily.

I was followed by a deer once, while trout fishing, and it was indeed sick. It approached me in the middle of the stream, and I couldn't chase it away. I ended up leaving.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

That doesn't sound at all like normal skunk behavior. A skunk coming after you can't spray you. I think there is a very good possibility that it was rabid. Whatever your reason for fleeing, you certainly did the right thing.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Personally, I won't be too concerned. They're smart little critters, and my hunch is you disturbed it and it got pissed and chased you away. If so - hey, it worked!

One summer when we lived in Williamstown there was a skunk who got along well with our cats - we have 4 or 5 at the time, mostly black and white, and sometimes it was difficult to tell in the twilight which was a cat and which was the skunk. My wife always wanted to have the cats inside at night because of predation as we lived in the country. She'd stand on the deck, calling them, and one by one they'd come, hopping up on the deck and over to the storm door. Once during this nightly ritual I heard her scream - one of the little black and white faces who hopped up on the deck was the skunk, headed for the door ... apparently it learned the drill and figured it would enjoy a free meal and some pets. Who knows, really, but we often laughed about it later.

 

[The Unstrung Harp]

I'd actually report that shiz. Chasing a person is totally not normal. Did you contact local game/animal control people? Seems like it would be important to let them know asap. Rabies is no joke... And, glad you outran it!!!

 

[roadtripper]

That's hilarious! I once kicked a skunk by accident and it actually flew a good 3-4 feet in the air. I was working at a gym and was bringing the trash out at the end of the night. Something was in my footpath so I just decided to "boot it" out of my way. It was a skunk and he was pissed (but he didn't spray oddly enough).

 

[Red Oak]

Maybe the skunk was not "new age"?Skunks are very friendly.This behavior does not sound that strange,skunks used to garbage will approach people without concern.I would not assume they have rabies.Now a raccoon is another story,they can be evil.
Stinkyfeet did you run through Jerome?

 

[Lefty E]

Smells fishy to me....I don't think it's normal for skunks to chase they usually "display" and the smart animals (humans included) go the other way...they have good reason to approach without concern, because they will spray if concerned!!! Most wild animals will flee instead of chase, unless not in the right mind...

 

[spider solo]

I have been charged by a porcupine before but never by a skunk.
I have been around them from time to time over the years and have relocated them putting em in the back of the car and driving to their new destination. Pretty timid animals, kinda smart, and quite pretty actually.
You did right to keep your distance, it did seem like odd behavior and you just can't be to careful with the possibility of rabies.

Kevin Rooney...Great story !

 

[Snowflea]

Maybe it was the Mtn bikers who got him/her all riled up. Or the vortices... Or something...

Red Oak, we drove through Jerome. Neat place.

Sedona is kind of shi shi, but I really fell in love with her many miles of trails this visit. The local Forest Service folks seem to have quite a good relationship with the Mtn biking community. And Mtn biking trails make great running trails. Just beware the crazy skunk of Schnebly Hill.

 

[sierra]

If he did catch you , you would have to update your name to verystinkyfeet. I had a skunk walk into my campsite once. Me and my friends where like what the f is this dude doing? he just kept coming, we got out of our chairs and he was still coming right for us! he seem to be wobbling and looked pissed, I shot him. Im 100% sure he was rabid, I dug a deep hole and buried him so other animals wouldnt eat him.

 

[DougPaul]

I had a skunk walk into my campsite once.

I did too--at a drive-in campsite in WVA.

We were just sitting at the picnic table after dark and it walked straight toward us, passed through the campsite, and just kept on going. It never paid us any attention. (All we did was shine our lights on it.)

Doug

 

[Stan]

Has anyone else here ever been chased by a skunk?

No, but I don't believe I have stinkyfeet.

Perhaps it was rabid but maybe it was acclimated to people and saw you as a source of food or friendship. Some of the most inexplicably friendly or curious animals I've met were abandoned "pets".

I had a friend in grade school, a farm boy with a bit of a Huck Finn persona. He arrived at school one day stinkin' of skunk and was really proud of it. He was especially delighted when the teacher sent him home.

 

[Red Oak]

I did too--at a drive-in campsite in WVA.

We were just sitting at the picnic table after dark and it walked straight toward us, passed through the campsite, and just kept on going. It never paid us any attention. (All we did was shine our lights on it.)

Doug

Skunks are very friendly and into their own thing.I have had skunks around on and off my whole life and the only issue was when my cat years ago took one on,he lost and smelled for days!I have noticed the same behavior at different locations by skunks,they ramble around looking for food and do not care who is around.If I smelled that bad,people and animals would get out of my way also.

 

[bjc]

Many years ago I was wandering around some narrow paths above the water at Beavertail on Jamestown RI. It was a fairly busy summer day and the place was crowded. My son was only 4 or 5 at the time and we were walking along a path above the rocks along shore when a crowd of people ahead of us all started running toward us. There was a skunk up ahead walking in our direction and herding about 20 people ahead of him. We almost got knocked over by the crowd, I had to pick my son up and hustle on out of there.

Another time I let our small dog out the back door one dark night. I went back inside and switched the floodlights on out back, revealing the dog and a skunk standing about ten feet from each other. The dog jumped straight up when he saw the skunk and the skunk let loose when he saw the dog. Poor Tyler reeked for days afterward, despite the many baths we gave him.