I Had a Skunk Encounter

Good Stinks Come To Those Who Wait!... When I got to the lake tonight I found a skunk right away, near the little feral cat feeding station as usual (they seem to be relying on it lately). He didn't notice me, but another skunk near him did and ran into the nearest pipe before I could do much of anything. The first skunk, oblivious to my presence, continued to cutely enjoy the food and water in the feral cat enclosure and I waited until he was about to leave to go after him. He hid in the enclosure on sight and when I went to corner him there he darted off to the same pipe I'd lost his buddy in. I tossed my previously-skunked plush but don't know if he nailed it at that point.

I knew I'd basically have to wait out these skunks because once they've hidden from me, they know they can only escape if there are no humans still in the area, and they can wait surprisingly long.

However, I was lucky. I walked off for a while and waited, and sure enough there was a skunk sniffing around the enclosure yet again, likely the very one I'd just chased. This time I waited until he had gone grub-sniffing and he got surprisingly close to me coming almost directly toward me before I had to give chase. I tossed the plush again, and kept catching up with him just enough to provoke a few side-sprays before he ducked into another pipe. This pipe, however, was much shorter and we both knew he couldn't use distance as an escape tactic. It was also flooded from recent rains so I could hear the little stinker splashing around as he walked to and fro.

Anyway, I saw him poke his head out a few times and immediately detect me, so I was forced again to back off and wait him out, looking for other skunks. When I returned to the pipe he seemed to have given me the slip, so I went toward the lake. Surprise, there was another lovely skunk (from the tail I think it was a different one) and this one was at point-blank range.

That's when the magic happened. As I chased this little stinker he rained droplets of musk on me liberally in a constant misting stream, it was like being in a moving sprinkler of that sulfurous perfume, I felt the warm oils splash both arms and my face, even my tongue as I thanked him, so I moved my head down to ensure he spritzed my hair as well. Within seconds I positively and wonderfully reeked of his beautiful skunky essence. The sulfurous rotten-egg part of his stink stood out especially, and I could only stand with a goofy smile and incredible elation, admiring his handiwork. There are many beautiful splotches of yellow dots all along my arms and face, testament to how heavily he skunked me. I was so happily skunked that I started actually getting greedy and looked in vain for more skunks for another hour, but it seems the ones I found before went into hiding and it's possible the rest weren't out from their dens yet, but without a flashlight I can't even confirm if they're in a hiding place, and the shrubbery growth and water level made it too risky to search known habitats.

I really wish some of you fellow skunk lovers could share this with me, I've not reeked quite this nicely in a while :)