How the weeks unfolded

Early June
A faint skunk smell near the back fence and a worn hole under one corner of a shed sitting on blocks.
Same week
A trail camera shows an adult skunk leaving at dusk and returning before dawn.
Mid June
A wildlife operator advises that a mother may have young inside; closing the hole now could trap them.
Late June to early July
The camera shows small skunks following the adult out at dusk.
Mid July
The operator fits a one-way door, and the family leaves over several nights.
Late July
No activity for several nights; the shed perimeter is cleared, treated and closed with buried wire.

The situation

Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.

A hypothetical household in a house with a long, narrow backyard backing onto an alley has an old wooden shed on concrete blocks near the back fence. They first notice the smell on warm evenings and assume a skunk is passing through. Then they find the hole under the shed.

  1. Their first instinct is to fill the hole with rocks; a neighbor suggests calling someone first.
  2. A wildlife operator explains that in early summer, a single adult going in and out regularly often means young in the den.
  3. The household agrees to wait, keeps people away from the shed, and avoids mowing near it at dusk.
  4. Once the young are mobile and following the mother, a one-way door lets the whole family leave.
  5. After the den is confirmed empty, the shed floor is lifted at one end, nesting debris is removed with gloves and masks, and the soil is treated.
  6. The shed is closed at its base with wire bent outward underground, and stored items with odor are cleaned or discarded.

The household lives with a mild smell in the back yard for several weeks but avoids a much worse outcome: young trapped and dying under the shed, with the odor and removal work that would have followed. The house itself never smelled, because the shed was well away from windows and vents.

Questions this household asked the wildlife operator

  1. How can you tell whether there are young in the den?
  2. How long is the wait, typically, before the family can be moved along?
  3. What should the household do, and avoid doing, near the shed until then?
  4. Are there Colorado rules about relocating skunks that affect what you can do?
  5. Once they are gone, who handles the odor under the shed and the closure?
  6. What about the stored items inside the shed?

General information for Washington Park, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.