Get a Whiff of This: Skunk Population Surges in Chicago Area

Many Oak Forest residents. And it turns out, they might be right.

The skunk population in Illinois has been on the rise the last eight out of 10 years—in 2010, it jumped 46 percent, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, as referenced in a Chicago Wildlife News article. The department monitors the population through a road-kill index.

ABC Humane Wildlife Control & Prevention, which serves the six-county Chicago region, has captured 687 skunks so far in 2011 — up from 426 skunks at this point last year, according to the report. 

The rise has been coming for a while, according to IDNR expert Bob Bluett. Bluett said a rabies outbreak in the early ‘80s killed off a portion of the skunk population. In the last 10 years, though, it's been on the upswing, Bluett said.

Patch reader and Oak Forest Patch Facebook fan Scott Johansen would tend to agree. Johansen's dogs have been sprayed a combined five times. On any given evening, he says, skunks trot out into his yard around sunset, and the number of skunks he's spotted has seemed to increase within the past two years.

One local man .

Another Oak Forest Patch Facebook fan said a family of skunks has taken up residence under his shed, and he's not sure what to do. 

A . Specialist Ben Nelson suggested eliminating feeding options, trapping, and sealing off openings to burrows the animals make.

Oak Forest Animal Control suggested spotting the animals' den, and pouring cooking oil over the entrance. Yahoo.com Answers suggests sticking some old rags soaked with plain household ammonia (best to use a long stick or a pole because you don't want to get too close) under the porch, deck, shed, garage that they are living under.

For more information, check out the article on ChicagoWildlifeNews.com.