The most effective skunk baits are strong-smelling, oily foods: canned sardines, crispy bacon, cat food, peanut butter on bread, and eggs. Skunks are opportunistic omnivores with a powerful sense of smell, so pungent baits outperform mild ones almost every time. But choosing the right bait is only half the job. Where you place it, when you set the trap, and how you avoid catching the neighbor’s cat all matter just as much.
Best Baits for Skunks
Skunks are drawn to foods that are greasy, protein-rich, or have a noticeable odor. The following options consistently work well in live traps:
- Canned tuna or sardines: The oily fish smell travels far and pulls skunks in from a distance. This is often considered the single best option.
- Crispy bacon: Cooked bacon gives off a strong scent, especially when it’s still slightly warm.
- Cat food: Wet cat food is cheap, easy to position, and already a favorite of skunks raiding porches at night.
- Peanut butter on bread: The bread holds it in place while the peanut butter provides a sticky, aromatic lure.
- Eggs: A whole raw egg or a cracked egg on a small dish works well, especially in spring when skunks are actively foraging for protein.
- Marshmallows: A surprisingly effective choice, and one with an added advantage (more on that below).
- Chicken or turkey scraps: Any leftover meat with skin or fat attached will do the job.
The common thread is that skunks prefer foods they can smell from several yards away. Bland or dry baits like plain crackers or vegetables rarely generate enough interest.
How to Place Bait in the Trap
Getting a skunk to enter a live trap is one thing. Getting it to step on the trigger plate is another. If the bait sits too close to the entrance, the skunk can grab it and back out without ever triggering the door.
For a single-door trap, place the bait behind the trigger plate, toward the very back of the trap. Keep it as far from the walls as possible so the skunk can’t reach in from the outside and pull food through the mesh. A small dish or a piece of foil helps keep the bait centered.
To draw a skunk toward the trap in the first place, create a light scent trail. Smear a tiny bit of fish oil, sardine juice, or peanut butter on the ground leading from the skunk’s usual path to the trap entrance. Use just enough to get its attention. If you leave too much food outside the trap, the skunk may eat its fill and walk away before ever stepping inside.
Adjusting Bait by Season
Skunks eat different things at different times of year, and matching your bait to their current cravings improves your odds. In spring and summer, skunks focus on insects, grubs, and protein sources. This is when meat-based baits like sardines, bacon, and cat food perform best. Skunks are also actively digging for grubs and earthworms during warmer months, so they’re already in “protein mode.”
In late summer and fall, skunks shift toward fruits, nuts, and higher-calorie foods as they prepare for winter. Sweet baits like marshmallows or fruit can be more enticing during this period. Skunks don’t fully hibernate. Instead, they enter short bouts of a low-energy state called torpor, waking every day or so to eat. As cold weather approaches, calorie-dense foods become their priority.
Avoiding Cats and Other Animals
One of the biggest frustrations with skunk trapping is catching someone else’s pet, a raccoon, or a possum instead. If outdoor cats roam your area, your bait choice makes a real difference.
Marshmallows are the go-to option here. Skunks are attracted to their sweetness, but most cats ignore them entirely. Pairing marshmallows with a small amount of peanut butter gives you a sweet, aromatic bait that’s far less appealing to cats than fish or meat. Avoid using cat food as bait in neighborhoods where outdoor cats are common, since it’s essentially designed to attract them.
Setting the trap at dusk also helps. Skunks are crepuscular and nocturnal, most active in the hours around sunset and through the night. If you set the trap in the late evening and check it early the next morning, you reduce the window during which a daytime-active animal might wander in.
Trap Setup and Safety Tips
Skunks spray when they feel threatened, and a trapped skunk that can see you approaching is far more likely to spray than one that feels enclosed and calm. Cover the sides and top of the live trap with a dark towel, tarp, or old blanket before you set it. This keeps the skunk calmer once caught, and it contains spray if the animal does release. Leave the entrance uncovered so the skunk can see the bait inside.
Place the trap on level ground along a path the skunk already travels, such as along a fence line, near a den opening, or beside the structure it’s been denning under. Skunks tend to follow edges rather than crossing open ground, so a trap in the middle of a yard will often go untouched.
Check the trap every morning, as early as possible. A skunk left in a trap through the heat of the day can become stressed and dehydrated. When you approach a caught skunk, move slowly and speak softly. Avoid sudden movements. Most skunks give clear warning signs before spraying: they stamp their front feet, raise their tail, and sometimes shuffle backward. If you approach calmly with a large blanket or sheet held in front of you, you can drape it over the trap and transport the animal without incident in most cases.
Check your local regulations before trapping. Many states and municipalities require permits for trapping and relocating skunks, and some mandate specific release distances or prohibit relocation altogether. Your local wildlife agency can tell you what’s allowed in your area.