Kane & McHenry County

Animal living under your deck, porch or shed?

Under a deck, porch or shed it's usually a skunk, groundhog or opossum. The size of the hole tells you a lot. The one rule that matters most: never block a hole that might have young behind it.

Who's under there?

Sign	Likely	Young born
A hole about 4 inches across, a strong musky smell, small holes dug in the lawn	Striped skunk	May to early June
A big hole, 10 inches or more, with a mound of dirt; seen during the day	Groundhog	April to early May
Seen at night; young riding on the mother's back	Opossum	One or two litters a year

Source: Wildlife Illinois.

What should I do now?

Don't block the hole. If young are inside, they'll be trapped, and the mother will dig her way back in.
Keep dogs away from the deck edge, especially at dusk and early morning when skunks are out.
A skunk about to spray stamps its front feet and raises its tail. Back away slowly. The spray reaches about 10 feet.
Not sure anything's still living there? Stuff newspaper loosely in the hole. If it's pushed out, something's using it.

How do you keep them out for good?

Once the space is empty, the fix is a buried barrier. Wildlife Illinois describes digging a trench about 10 inches deep along the edge and attaching half-inch hardware cloth with an L-shaped footer bent outward, so animals can't dig under it.

Can I trap it myself?

Skunks, groundhogs and opossums are protected in Illinois. A homeowner needs a Nuisance Animal Removal Permit from the Illinois DNR first. Skunks can't be relocated: by rule they must be humanely euthanized.

Questions people ask

How can I tell a skunk hole from a groundhog hole?

Wildlife Illinois says holes about 4 inches or more across under buildings are typically skunks or foxes. Groundhog burrows are bigger, with a main entrance around 10 to 12 inches and a mound of dirt in front.

When do skunks have babies?

Striped skunks have one litter of 4 to 8 young in May or early June. The young start going out with the mother at about seven weeks and are weaned at about two months.

Can a skunk under my deck be relocated?

No. Under Illinois rules, striped skunks taken by a licensed operator must be humanely euthanized. That's why keeping them out once the space is empty matters.