Skunk Proofing the yard

After years of having skunks visiting our yard and spraying our dogs we finally figured a way to skunk proof the back yard. The skunks would dig under the fences and the dogs would get sprayed. We would put a bunch of bricks and building blocks in the holes and they would just push them aside the the next night. We would be doing middle of the night doggie baths with tomato juice or "Skunk Off". They would still stink months later when they would get wet.

A neighbor gave us some house siding made of fiber/cement 10" wide about .5" thick. We slid the boards under the kick board, half on our side, half on the neighbor's side. The skunks would try to dig under the fence but would hit the boards. They would not try to dig 5" back from the fence and go under the board.


The only time we have had a skunk since was when there was a spot they could crawl under the gate. That has now been fixed. We put a row of bricks a little higher than the gate. No skunky visitors!
They did try though! Here in the hinge corner of the garden gate a skunk had tried to dig through but the brick up against the gate kept it out even though it dug down about 5 inches.