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Skunk Removal in Monroe

Last reviewed September 8, 2026 against LDWF published rules and federal statute. How we research this site.

Skunks den under porches, decks and sheds, and you usually know about it before you see one.

Monroe specifically

Skunks want somewhere dry, which on this terrain means under a raised house, a shed or a deck: often the only dry ground on the lot. That also makes a discharge worse than usual, because it happens in a confined space directly under a floor with the ductwork running through it.

Skunks in Ouachita Parish: who does what

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries does not remove nuisance wildlife. It permits operators to do it for a fee, and the permit deliberately excludes four things: deer, bears, migratory birds and alligators. Those need a different route entirely. LDWF also does not lend or rent traps, though some parish animal control offices do keep them, which is worth knowing before you buy one and discover Louisiana requires a licence to use it.

Ouachita Parish Animal Services (417 Well Road, West Monroe; 318-325-0756) describes its job as public safety and health related to both domestic and wild animals.

For identifying an animal or damage before anyone is paid to look, the LSU AgCenter, Ouachita Parish office is at 704 Cypress Street, West Monroe, LA 71291 (office page).

What Louisiana law says about skunks

A licensed property owner may trap or shoot a skunk proven to be causing damage, year-round in daylight, without a permit. Skunks are rabies vectors in LDWF’s rules, and operators may not relocate one: it must be euthanized within 12 hours. The only land-animal rabies variant known to circulate in Louisiana is the southern skunk variant. All Louisiana rules →

Sources: Ouachita Parish Police Jury, Animal Control; Louisiana Administrative Code Title 76 (wildlife and fisheries); Louisiana Department of Health: rabies annual report 2023; LDWF, Nuisance Wildlife Control and Removal. Checked October 2026.

A striped skunk beside a hole dug under deck lattice
Illustrative The fan of loose soil gives a skunk den away before the smell does.

Signs, and why they matter

  • The obvious: a persistent musky smell around a deck or crawlspace
  • Cone-shaped digs in the lawn where they have been hunting grubs
  • A burrow entrance at the edge of a porch, slab or shed
  • Rabies vector
  • Spray contaminating a crawlspace or HVAC intake, which is extremely difficult to remove

How removal works

Careful trapping (skunks spray when startled, so this genuinely is a job for someone who has done it before) followed by burying an exclusion barrier along the structure edge.

Cut-away of a one-way exclusion door fitted over an entry hole A wall in cross-section with the attic on the left and outside on the right. A hinged flap is fitted over the entry hole on the outer face. An animal pushes the flap open from inside and leaves; the flap falls shut behind it, and a stop below prevents it opening inwards, so the animal cannot get back in. INSIDE: ATTIC OR CRAWLSPACE OUTSIDE WALL STOP: IT ONLY SWINGS OUT HINGED AT THE TOP OUT: ONE WAY AND NEVER BACK IN
A one-way door lets the animal leave and not return, which is why sealing the hole is the last step, not the first.

Skunk questions

How much does skunk removal cost in Monroe?

$300 – $550 typical, depending on access and whether young are present. After a long stay in an attic the cleanup is often the bigger bill (attic restoration).

Is there a wrong time of year to deal with skunks?

Worst in spring, when females den to give birth, and again in autumn as they look for somewhere to overwinter.

Who handles skunks in Ouachita Parish?

Ouachita Parish Animal Services (417 Well Road, West Monroe; 318-325-0756) describes its job as public safety and health related to both domestic and wild animals.

Request a quote

We read every request and pass it to a licensed wildlife operator covering Monroe where one is available. We are still building our list of operators here, so we cannot promise one is available or say how quickly they will respond.

We are an information and referral service, not a licensed wildlife control operator, and we may be paid for the introduction. You are never charged.

Request a quote from a licensed Louisiana operator

Tell us what is in your house. We read every request and pass it to a licensed wildlife operator covering Monroe where one is available. We are still building our list of operators here, so we cannot promise one is available or say how quickly they will respond.

Request a Quote