Question
every night there is this skunk that walks by  our window or on the deck, the smell is so strong that it wakes my husband and I up out of a sound sleep. how do we get rid of this skunk.

Answer
First, I am sure the skunk odor is strong but skunks don't smell just because they walk by. The cartoon pepe le pew is a myth. Skunks don't like the odor any more than humans do. THey spray when threatened or sick. And the spray is projected from them not on them.

So my first concern is whether you have a family of skunks living on your property or pets or activity that keeps the skunks riled up.
This requires an inspection. Details on inspection on our site http://icwdm.org

In the meantime here is info on controlling skunks.


Trapping:
Trapping is an option for controlling skunks provided it is legal in your state. More information on trapping techniques can be found at the link below. Trapping requires a great deal of responsibility on the part of the trapper. You can抰 go on vacation when a trap is set. They must be checked every day, including weekends, holidays, snowstorms etc.
http://www.icwdm.org/wildlife/skunk/skunkrelease.asp
Relocation of skunks, even if legal, should be avoided. Contrary to popular mythology, relocation is rarely humane. Skunks moved to knew areas have to 1. find food, 2. find shelter, 3. avoid predators 4. All the while trying to get the lay of the land.   I haven抰 even mentioned the trauma of any young that may be abandoned because 搈omma skunk was relocated somewhere else?  Finally, there is the problem of moving a disease into a new area or a healthy rabbit into a diseased area. For more information on the problems with relocation of wildlife visit http://icwdm.org/wildlife/euthanasia/relocation.asp
For information on trapping, please visit http://icwdm.org/wildlife/skunk/skunks.asp  also visit   http://icwdm.org/handbook/carnivor/Skunks.asp By all means, if you have other questions please feel free to contact me.
For euthanasia information visit
http://www.icwdm.org/wildlife/euthanasia/default.asp

How do you know when you have caught them all?
http://www.icwdm.org/Inspection/techniquepaperhole.asp

Remember, when trapping during the spring, young may be present. If you capture the mother and the young aren抰 big enough to move out, they will perish. You have to decide whether to let the mother go and wait a few weeks.

Exclusion
One way doors can be effective on skunks provided that the entire deck is trench screened and the one-way door is installed over the openning. The beauty of this technique is that no trapping is generally needed and you have secured your deck/home against further reentry. I generally don抰 recommend non-professionals performing this task because if a mistake is made things can go bad. Visit http://www.icwdm.org/Prevention/decks.asp on exclusion. One way doors can be purchased from the vendors in our product vendor area.

Repellents.
Don抰 waste your time.  They are however, very good at repelling money from your wallet. This includes those silly ultrasonic devices. For information on repellents, realize that you shouldn抰 waste your time. That includes those silly ultrasonic things that are very good at repelling money from people抯 wallets. http://www.icwdm.org/ControlMethods/repellents.asp for details on why repellents fail.


Deodorizing

As for the odor,  http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=432   has a great deal of detail on additional deodorizing strategies. It is important to note that skunk odor can "reactivate" when humidity increases.
Remember, opossums can have a skunky smell too.

We are always looking for images (if you can safely take them) of wildlife damage to help us in our educational mission. We prefer high resolution, (3 mg or higher). Send to [email protected]  or if your e-mail can抰 handle large files upload to http://members.icwdm.org   
Username use all caps.     ICWDM
Password (all lower case) guest

Please include permission to use the images and where and when the photos were taken. Month/year is fine as is county or city and state.


Disclaimer: As with any activity, remember that animal damage control comes with its own risks and problems which can include but are not limited to legalities, health threats, and personal liabilities. Be sure to follow all state laws governing wildlife and make sure you have a thorough understanding on how to resolve the animal damage complaint. My advice is only as good as your understanding of me and my understanding of your situation. If you have any questions be sure to write back.