Road-Kill - Does a Fresh Dead Skunk Have Any Utility Whatsoever ?

[gunDriller]

This morning I was driving down a road near my house and it was a normal road.

Later this morning I was driving down the same road, and there was a poor skunk, all dead.

I then did what I have only thought about doing before.

I parked my truck in the parking lot of a local auto wrecker, and walked over to the skunk. I nudged it with my foot to make sure it was dead. It's dead, but all the damage is on the jaw & maybe the head - the body is intact.

I picked it up by the tail and put it in the back of my trunk.

Then I walked into the auto-wrecker to see if they had a turn signal for the truck. No, they did not have a turn signal.

When I got home, I examined the dead creature.
http://oi55.tinypic.com/2nk5czl.jpg

The body is quite intact - rigor mortis has not set in. The creature doesn't look emaciated ... it has nipples so I guess it's a she.

From the point of view of extreme frugality, what ought I to do with this thing ?

These are my ideas -

A/ Just put it on the compost pile and make sure that the pile gets up to 160 F. This requires a special blend of ingredients, the right mix of nitrogen, carbon, and water. The soil scientist I learning composting from shared some of his experience running a large facility ... they occasionally find themselves with a dead animal that someone threw in with the yard waste. They just put the animal in the compost pile and it disappears within 3 days.

B/ Walk it into the forest and give it back to Mother Nature.

C/ Skin it and, if the meat is not too gamey, fry it up, and compost the guts and the skeleton. Save the pelt because, who knows, it might have value ?! The risk here is obvious - if, in the process of skinning it, I rupture the skunk stink organ, it will be extremely memorable. So probably for such a task one needs to wear safety glasses and other protective gear.

I am thinking that composting it might be the way to go, but I am also aware that that scent gland might have major possibilities from the point of view of burglar control.

What would you do if you found yourselves with 5 pounds of fresh dead meat in the form of a road-kill skunk ?

[DMac]

What would you do if you found yourselves with 5 pounds of fresh dead meat in the form of a road-kill skunk ?


I don't know but I sure am interested to hear what you end up doing with this thing! :D

[mamboni]

Gundriller,

Please forgive me. I did not realize your situation. If you will kindly provide a mailing address, I would like to send a contribution. ;D

[JJ.G0ldD0t]

GD-
ehhhhhh.... Really?

[Nordmann]

Nice score!

Perhaps you can wear it as a hat?

[ximmy]

"FUN THINGS TO DO WITH A DEAD ANIMAL"

/BLACK SHEEP/
Number 3 of 5 - Vol. 1

"FUN THINGS TO DO WITH A DEAD ANIMAL"
(Written by the Mongrel)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

You have any dead pets laying around? If so, I've got something
for you! It is the common belief that once an animal dies, it is
fairly useless. Well, I believe differently. If you follow the follow-
ing directions you can have hours of family fun with your dead pet.
(I, myself prefer cats because of their great flexibility, but most
anything will do).

1) HOT DEAD ANIMAL

First, take any plain garden hose and stuff down your dead pet's
mouth. Wait till it gets nice and fat and wiggly. Then you can invite
your family and friends out to the backyard for an ol' fashioned game
of "Hot Dead Animal" (A more exciting version of hot potato).

2) THE DUSTER

This one is fairly simple. Just fluff up your dead pet's fur
nice and fluffy. Then just grab hold of its tail and swing it around
any dusty area. This method is much more efficient than just the plain
feather duster and a heck of a lot cheaper too!

3) THE DOOR MAT

This is another simple one. Just place your dead pet in front of
the doorstep. Then all you have to do is get those letters you tape
onto things (those little black ones) and stick the letters "W-E-L-C-
O-M-E" onto it. No more mud tracked all over your nice, clean carpet!

4) THE DART BOARD

This method is very simple and can be done in a matter of minutes.
Just grab four nails, a hammer, and a dead animal. Then nail your dead
pet's four paws (assuming it has paws) to the wall, door, what have
you, and you're ready for a great game of darts.

SCORING: Front paws (10 pts), back paws (15 pts), head and neck
area (25 pts), torso or body area (5 pts).

5) THE DUFFEL BAG

This one might take some practice, but you can do it. First, you
must clean your dead animal out (you will need a strong pair of rubber
gloves and a couple of full lysol air-fresheners). Then you can keep
anything in it - clothes, money, maybe make-up and such (for you of the
female persuasion out there).

6) THE AIR-ODORIZER

If you really want to shake up the family unit in your house hold,
I've got something for you! When nobody is home, what you do is go up
on the roof and place your dead pet up in the air conditioning. After a
couple of long, hot days dead animals start to "odorize", if you will,
the area in which they inhabit. But through the air-conditioning -
PHEW! What a stench! All through the house. That'll get good ol' dad
pissed off when he's gotta go find what's clogging it. Ha-ha-ha!

[JDRock]

" its daaaayyed...its in the middle, an its stinkin to high high heaven.."

[horseshoe3]

Skin it and stuff it. Save the stink bag. Use both for Halloween and April Fools pranks in the future.

[JJ.G0ldD0t]

Skin it and stuff it. Save the stink bag. Use both for Halloween and April Fools pranks in the future.


http://bestofyt.tk/wp-content/uploads/mvbthumbs/img_236_songify-this-winning-a-song-by-charlie-sheen.jpg

[Ash_Williams]

Best thread title ever.

[Cobalt]

I am surprised you were able to approach it, skunks usually release their scent when killed.

I have found many dead by various means, cars, drowning, shot, dogs and every single one of them stunk so bad you could smell that smell even after leaving the area

[gunDriller]

Best thread title ever.


well, i'm glad you liked it.

small price to pay for happiness !




Gundriller,

Please forgive me. I did not realize your situation. If you will kindly provide a mailing address, I would like to send a contribution. ;D


well, thank you for your kind offer !

i was just thinking ... 5 pounds of meat, chicken is $1.29 a pound. so if i get as far as eating it (without ending up at the ER :o ), that's about $6 in savings. and with that $6, i could buy 2 Mercury Dimes.

so i guess the conversion rate is -
1 Dead Skunk = 2 Mercury Dimes - (minus) Sanity ;D

[horseshoe3]

Based solely on this thread, I'd say your sanity was gone a long time ago.

[Plastic]

Mail box stuffer for your local politician.

[mick silver]

put it in someone car you dont like .

[JJ.G0ldD0t]

Hey man - you are gettin priceless suggestions here..... worth way more than a couple mercs!

[vacuum]

Best thread title ever.


well, i'm glad you liked it.

small price to pay for happiness !




Gundriller,

Please forgive me. I did not realize your situation. If you will kindly provide a mailing address, I would like to send a contribution. ;D


well, thank you for your kind offer !

i was just thinking ... 5 pounds of meat, chicken is $1.29 a pound. so if i get as far as eating it (without ending up at the ER :o ), that's about $6 in savings. and with that $6, i could buy 2 Mercury Dimes.

so i guess the conversion rate is -
1 Dead Skunk = 2 Mercury Dimes - (minus) Sanity ;D

You're forgetting the labor involved in removing the meat, cleaning it, disposing of the carcass, etc.

[Tom Roscal]

Black soldier fly will reclaim that dead skunk - produce wonderful chicken feed and compost

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnfkW4WgtG8

[SHTF2010]

From the point of view of extreme frugality, what ought I to do with this thing ?

These are my ideas -

C/ Skin it and, if the meat is not too gamey, fry it up, and compost the guts and the skeleton. Save the pelt because, who knows, it might have value ?! The risk here is obvious - if, in the process of skinning it, I rupture the skunk stink organ, it will be extremely memorable. So probably for such a task one needs to wear safety glasses and other protective gear.

What would you do if you found yourselves with 5 pounds of fresh dead meat in the form of a road-kill skunk ?



food is food

do this now and you'll be ahead of the sheeple
when they're starving and fighting off the skunks, racoons etc for " people food " scraps

[po boy]

Aside from the skunk jimmy the composting an animal in three day is pretty amazing.

Maybe you could share in the gardening section?

[Bullion_Bob]

Trade it for a dead raccoon, or make a full on skunk hat...legs, face, tail and all.

If it works out, you may want to consider stacking skunks.

[ShortJohnSilver]

If you don't get to the meat quickly (and you have no idea how long it has been dead), it will not taste good.

My suggestion:

1. Rent safety deposit box from Citibank, or JP Morgan, or Bank of America branch.

2. Place skunk in cloth bag along with roll of nickels.

3. place bag with all contents in safety deposit box. "Lose" the key and 3 days later, call the branch and tell them someone has stolen the SDB key while they were rifling through your truck. Tell them you are dealing with things, but ask them to not allow access to the SDB until you get in there in about a week.

4. Best to do this during the summer months.

5. When they open the box and confront you, look shocked and say "I have been looking for Sparkles for months! Where did you find him? And WHAT did you do to him?!?!?!"

[gunDriller]

Black soldier fly will reclaim that dead skunk - produce wonderful chicken feed and compost

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnfkW4WgtG8


actually, that might be a really good idea. but i don't know if i have black soldier flies. just regular flies that would make white maggots.

i have 3 2-week-old Rhode Island Red chickens. i'm sure they would like some fresh maggots. seems almost like poetic justice because one of the reasons i have to reinforce my chicken coop is because animals like skunks would love to eat the chickens.

that could result in some interesting kitchen table conversation.

"mmm, these eggs are delicious ! what is your secret ?"

"well, i feed my chickens regular cheapo chicken-feed, but with a special high-protein additive."

"really ? what the secret ingredient ?"

"fly larvae. also known as maggots."

"OHHHH ... and where do you get the maggots ?" :o

"from the dead skunk in the chicken coop." :o :o


wow ! i got a 3 month food supply for my baby chickens ;D

[Libertarian_Guard]

GunDriller

?????? :conf:

[osoab]

Trade it for a dead raccoon, or make a full on skunk hat...legs, face, tail and all.

If it works out, you may want to consider stacking skunks.


I would make a boot/shoe of of it. Leave the head a flopping at the front and keep the tail and legs intact.

However, another road-kill skunk would be needed for the other foot. :D

Just don't run over it with your car in the winter time.
I have smelled the disaster of skunk running through car vents after its demise.

[Neuro]

Invite your neighbors for skunk stew, don't tell them what it is, and let them try it first, if they like it, you have a new food source, and you'll save two mercury dimes...

[Tom Roscal]

Black soldier fly will reclaim that dead skunk - produce wonderful chicken feed and compost

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnfkW4WgtG8


actually, that might be a really good idea. but i don't know if i have black soldier flies. just regular flies that would make white maggots.

i have 3 2-week-old Rhode Island Red chickens. i'm sure they would like some fresh maggots. seems almost like poetic justice because one of the reasons i have to reinforce my chicken coop is because animals like skunks would love to eat the chickens.

that could result in some interesting kitchen table conversation.

"mmm, these eggs are delicious ! what is your secret ?"

"well, i feed my chickens regular cheapo chicken-feed, but with a special high-protein additive."

"really ? what the secret ingredient ?"

"fly larvae. also known as maggots."

"OHHHH ... and where do you get the maggots ?" :o

"from the dead skunk in the chicken coop." :o :o


wow ! i got a 3 month food supply for my baby chickens ;D



if i recall correctly most areas of the country have the black soldier fly you just don't normally see them in you kitchen, worse case scenario a starter population could be purchased. They make wonderful chicken feed for they are a great source of pepsin, and are almost pure protein. Below is a DIY project or you could buy a product called a Biopod to harvest these gems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kjNvE5IOdw&feature=related

[Tom Roscal]

the biopod

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkKqkAYPjV8

[Hatha Sunahara]

I can't believe no one has posted this yet:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doqTSev-_lQ



Hatha

[brosil]

Skunks killed quickly enough rarely fire. That's why we head shoot them with .22s. My cousin stewed one and said it was good. Skunk hats are very popular among historical re enactors. The maggot idea is a great idea if they have one in deer size. There's a lot of them along the road. Keep thinking outside the box.

[bellevuebully]

Dude. Leave it for the ravens. They need to eat too.

[kiffertom]

do you have some neighbors you dont like? do the have a swimming pool?

[Kruger]

Hah..... THIS is why I come to GSUS. If we ever get a "best all time threads" section, I'd like to go ahead and nominate this one.

[Libertarian_Guard]

http://i52.tinypic.com/260sj9d.jpg


One man's "road kill" is another man's dinner!

Snake a la carte anyone?

[Libertarian_Guard]

http://i52.tinypic.com/qy9yj6.jpg


Someone has already figured out how to make a buck on this.

[Bullion_Bob]

Take out a patent on Great Value Skunk before Walmart beats you to it.

Also consider GV possum, coon, and perhaps GV assorted bird meat. Times are a changin ;D

Street meat...mmmm.

[Libertarian_Guard]

Looking for raccoon meat? You won't find it at a country convenience store in South Carolina after state health inspectors told employees to throw out their supply.

CHARLESTON, South Carolina | Wed Mar 30, 2011 4:45pm EDT



Tipped off by a complaint, inspectors recently found the cleaned raccoon meat in plastic bags inside one of the store's coolers, along with bagged ice.

"In my 28 years with the agency, it's the first time I've heard of this," Thom Berry, spokesman for the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, said on Wednesday.

"My inspectors, they see all kinds of things, but this is something new even to them."

The Lucky 7 store -- located in Gadsden, near the state capital of Columbia -- removed the meat upon request, Berry said. But when inspectors went back several days later, they found it outside the building near some trash.

"We instructed the employees to bag it, pour bleach on it, tie it up and put it in the Dumpster," Berry said.

No law bans the sale of raccoon meat in South Carolina, but state and federal officials do not certify it as being safe for human consumption.

"It's kind of like squirrel," said Brett Witt, spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources. "People do eat it. It's kind of on the lower end of animals. It's not as popular as deer or rabbit. There is a danger of ingesting any wild animal without proper preparation."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/30/us-southcarolina-raccoon-idUSTRE72T6VA20110330

[gunDriller]

Take out a patent on Great Value Skunk before Walmart beats you to it.

Also consider GV possum, coon, and perhaps GV assorted bird meat. Times are a changin ;D

Street meat...mmmm.


or maybe Washington beat Walmart to the bunch ... 536 Skunks ... well, maybe not 536 -
*435 in the House, minus a few
*100 in the Senate, minus a few, maybe
*Obama + Biden + Clinton

"Ask not what your Skunk can do for You. Ask what your Skunk can do for your Country Club."


http://i52.tinypic.com/260sj9d.jpg

that looks pretty fresh. did you take that pic yourself ?

at first i was thinking - all the good meat got shmushed.

then again, maybe it just got tenderized. looks fresh. plus the job of skinning it is part done. might be a keeper ;D

too bad snakes are cold-blooded. with a liver thermometer, if it was a mammal, we could determine time of death.


what is the rule of thumb for how long it's good to eat ? i would say, four hours. if it was a deer, in which case i would be more motivated to not let some good meat go to waste, maybe 8 hours. i guess it depends partly on the temperature. if the temp's below freezing, even one or 2 day-old roadkill might be a "Go".

of course, i admit it - i'm a RoadKill Newbie.