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September 15, 2005 - The skunk's resurgenceIOA • The Suffolk Times • September 15, 2005 3""Ik wlii '. J �hol�i -h IS��rti:ir:, �u�rl I'; i Slniilrnlii irph Above: Last week a car near the ton dump in Cutchogue apparently hit this eastern striped skunk. It's been a long time since skunks have been seen around the North Fork. Right: Years ago, when Carl Helms was running the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, he had a de- scented skunk he used in his education programs. Here he holds the skunk, showing its piglike face and the long, sharp claws it uses in digging. The skunk's resurgence LET ME TELL You about a true environmental disaster that was played out years ago in a neighbor- ing farmer's field. This farmer, like so many other farmers, had sprayed his cauliflower and sprouts with one of the many sprays available at that Focus time. It just so happened that it ON rained that night and the spray NATURE residue was washed into the by Paul ground. Stoutenburgh The next morning the farmer told me that when he went into the field to check on his crop, he found himself walking and slip- ping on a mass of dead earthworms. He couldn't believe it, but there it was. Why am I telling you this? It's be- cause I want to expand that story to another, completely different subject, and that's skunks. You might ask what skunks have to do with dead earthworms killed by the farmer's spray They have a lot to do with the earthworms because skunks feed on insects, bugs and, yes, earthworms When did all this happen? I can't remember the exact year but it was shortly after World War II, when DDT was hailed as the clue -all for just about everything that flew, crawled or was just passing by in the insect world. It was the time when skunks were plentiful. It seemed there was a family of these black -and- white- striped members of the weasel family under every farmer's barn. When we were kids there were few people around and my dad used to dig a deep pit to throw our garbage in. It wasn't unusual back then; lots of people did it. I guess you could call it a "mini dump," for we threw every- thing in it — cans, bottles, garbage of all sorts — and if it got a bit smelly, you just shoveled in a little dirt to cover it over. It worked fine, but it would invite crows and other scaven- gers to feast on our throwaways. One day we found a skunk at the bottom of the pit enjoying the rem- nants of one of our special summer crab feasts. For a while it was the center of attention. Of course, we kids had to throw dirt balls at it to see if it would "squirt" us And do you know to this day I don't remember what happened to that skunk, but I do have a vague memory of seeing a ladder left in the pit so whoever fell in could get out. Barbara tells of when she lived on CARPET LEAN ING & estoration Flooded? Water damage Area rugs Fire damage Tile & grout cleaning Carpet cleaning Air duct cleaning Upholstery cleaning Truck - mounted machines Carpet repairs Puff -back oil spills Bob's Carpet Care Inc. . . (631) 298 -2073 OR Cell (516) 909 -6862 the farm just up the lane. It seems a skunk found its way into the dirt cel- lar and was raising its fancily there. The skunks became a problem, so the men in the neighborhood got to- gether to try to get them out. She re- members watching from the windows as the skunks, now grown, took off in all directions from the cellar. One of them evidently had tried to get something to eat out of a Mason jar and got his head stuck in it and was running around the yard with its head still in the jar. When I was in high school a fellow student used to have a trap line that he caught skunks on and he sold their skins for pocket money. We could always tell when John had had a good day of trapping, for there was that telltale smell of skunk when he entered It was the the classroom. record of Yes, skunks were that 1 ten. common years ago, but I haven't seen a skunk since the on the North Fork since days of D those early days when farmer Pete told me about the dead earthworms that were poisoned by his spray. Now here's the good and the bad part. My kids keep their eyes open for interesting bits of the world around them. Their finds have been most re- warding. Yesterday my youngest son reported that he saw a road -killed skunk in Cutchogue. Here was the first record of a skunk that I know of since those deadly DDT - spraying days. It's good to know that most of the pesticides used in those days are now banned. This whole scenario goes right along with the problem our ospreys were facing in the days of DDT. The ospreys ingested fish that had high concentrations of pesticides in them. This led to the eggs of the os- prey breaking because of extra -thin shells Then, when the parent bird sat on the eggs to incubate them, they broke. The result — no young ospreys fledged. After DDT was fi- nally banned, ospreys steadily started to recover and today there's a fairly healthy population of these magnifi- cent fish hawks. Even though this skunk was found dead on the road, it does give me hope that the skunks have outlived the curse of DDT and will hopefully once again become as numerous as they were in the past. If asked about skunks, the one thing most people will tell you is that they smell and that's just about it. I guess you can't blame them, because who wants to get close to a skunk even if it does look kind of inviting with its contrasting black- and - white- striped body and tail. As a matter of fact, once the scent gland is removed, a skunk makes a fairly nice pet. I can remember Carl Helms, who ran the first Ouogue Wildlife Refuge for years, having a de- a skunk scented skunk that he W Of used in his education programs at the center. deadly If you look closely [�T at the skunk's piglike nose and large claws, you'll see why it's been so successful at digging up its "daily bread." Besides eating bugs, earth- worms and insects, it doesn't turn its nose up at a clutch of bird's eggs or a salamander or some ripe fruit. Skunks do their foraging mostly at night and that probably accounts for why most people don't get to see them. The skunk has few enemies, for all one needs is a quick spray and the message, "Leave me alone!" gets across. Many a dog has tried to rough up a skunk only to retreat home, smelling to high heaven. We're told that its only real preda- tor is the great horned owl, which can fly in on silent wings and snatch a young skunk before it can react with its only defense, a spray of po- tent, eye - burning, smelly liquid. Skunks do not hibernate but often spend long periods of time curled up in some protected place during the extremely cold days of winter. Other- wise it, like the raccoon, is out forag- ing for food. The Suffolk Times • September 15, 2005 es u I resurgence Suffolk Times photos by Barbara and Paul Stoutenburgh Above: Last week a car near the town dump in Cutchogue apparently hit this eastern striped skunk. It's been a long time since skunks have been seen around the North Fork. Right: Years ago, when Carl Helms was running the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, he had a de- scented skunk he used in his education programs. Here he holds the skunk, showing its aiglike face and the long, sharp claws it uses in digging. —FGT ME TELL You about a true environmental disaster that was played out years ago in a neighbor- ing farmer's field. This farmer, like so many other farmers, had sprayed his cauliflower and sprouts with one of the many sprays available at that Focus time. It just so happened that it ON rained that night and the spray NATURE residue was washed into the by Paul ground. Stoutenburgh The next morninp- the firmer told me that when he went ito the field to check on his crop, e found himself walking and slip - ing on a mass of dead earthworms. le couldn't believe.it, but there it Why am I telling you this? It's be- cause I want to expand that story to another, completely different subject, and that's skunks. You might ask what skunks have to do with dead earthworms killed by the farmer's spray. They have a lot to do with the earthworms because skunks feed on insects, bugs and, yes, earthworms. When did all this happen? I can't remember the exact vear but it was „;0„ V Js shortly after World War II, when DDT was hailed as the cure -all for just about everything that flew, crawled or was just passing by in the insect world. It was the time when skunks were plentiful. It seemed there was a family of these black -and- white- striped members of the weasel family under every farmer's barn. When we were kids there were few people around and my dad used to dig a deep pit to throw our garbage in. It wasn't unusual back then; lots of people did it. I guess you could call it a "mini dump," for we threw every- thing in it — cans, bottles, garbage of all sorts — and if it got a bit smelly, you just shoveled in a little dirt to cover it over. It worked fine, but it would invite crows and other scaven- gers to feast on our throwaways. One day we found a skunk at the bottom of the pit enjoying the rem- nants of one of our special summer crab feasts. For a while it was the center of attention. Of course, we kids had to throw dirt balls at it to see if it would "squirt" us. And do you know to this day I don't remember what happened to that skunk, but I do have a vague memory of seeing a ladder left in the pit so whoever fell in could get out. Barbara tells of when she lived on the farm just up the lane. It seems a skunk found its way into the dirt cel- lar and was raising its family there.. The skunks became a problem, so the men in the neighborhood got to- gether to try to get them out. She re- members watching from the windows as the skunks, now grown, took off in all directions from the cellar. One of them evidently had tried to get something to eat out of a Mason jar and got his head stuck in it and was running around the yard with its head still in they jar. When I was in high school a fellow student used to have a trap line that he caught skunks on and he sold their skins for pocket money. We could always tell when John had had a ood day of trapping, for there was that telltale smell of skunk when he entered �t WaS the classroom. reeor Yes, skunks were that I common years ago, but I haven't seen a skunk since on the North Fork since days those early days when farmer Pete told me bout the dead earthworms t at were oisoned by his spray. Now here's the good and the bad art. My kids keep their eyes open foi interesting bits of the world around them. Their finds have been most re- warding. Yesterday my youngest son Ireported that he saw a road - killed skunk in Cutchogue. Here was the first record of a skunk that I know of since those deadly DDT - spraying days. It's good to know that most of the pesticides used in those days are now banned. This whole scenario goes right along with the problem our ospreys were facing in the days of DDT. The ospreys ingested fish that had high concentrations of pesticides in them. This led to the eggs of the os- prey breaking because of extra -thin shells. Then, when the parent bird sat on the eggs to incubate them, they broke. The result — no young ospreys fledged. After DDT was fi- nally banned, ospreys steadily started to recover and today there's a fairly healthy population of these magnifi- cent fish hawks. Even though this skunk was found dead on the road, it does give me hope that the skunks have outlived the curse of DDT and will hopefully once again become as numerous as they were in the past. If asked about skunks, the one thing most people will tell you is that they smell and that's just about it. I guess you can't blame them, because who wants to get close to a skunk even if it does look kind of inviting with its contrasting black- and - white- striped body and tail. As a matter of fact, once the scent gland is removed, a skunk makes a fairly nice pet. I can remember Carl elms, who ran the the first Quo ue Wildlif R f d of a skunk know of the deadly I DDT. g e e uge for years, having a de- scented skunk that he used in his education programs at the center. If you look closely at the skunk's piglike nose and large claws, you'll see why it's been so successful at digging up its "daily bread." Besides eating bugs, earth- worms and insects, it doesn't turn its nose up at a clutch of bird's eggs or a salamander or some ripe fruit. Skunks do their foraging mostly at night and that probably accounts for why most people don't get to see them. The skunk has few enemies, for all one needs is a quick spray and the message, "Leave me alone!" gets across. Many a dog has tried to roug up a skunk only to retreat home, smelling to high heaven. We're told that its only real preda- tor is the great horned owl, which -an fly in on silent wings and snatch i young skunk before it can react with its only defense, a spray of po- tent, eye- burning, smelly liquid. Skunks do not hibernate but often ;pend long periods of time curled up n some protected place during the ;xtremely cold days of winter. Other- wise it, like the raccoon, is out forag- niz for food.