Wardens save souped-up skunk on Oconto County lake

By: By Joanne M. Haas/DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement

Soup often is considered one of those cozy, comfort foods that is akin to wearing an electric blanket in your gut.

And then there is the skunk’s version. Let’s call it concussion comfort, shall we?

Jam that head into the soup can as far as possible — and get every single last hint of taste until the cylinder is licked clean.

This skunk enjoyed the soup too much.

Then what?

Wait for someone to come with the dessert tray – complete with pliers. Or, tap dance in a circle until someone notices that something is not quite right with one of our wildlife friends. In this case, it was a person ice fishing as the skunk waddled about.

So, the angler called 911 to report a skunk wearing a soup can on an Oconto County lake.

OK, we give. Let’s go! Wardens Jamin Leuzzo and Tim Werner responded to the scene on Monday, March 9, not sure what they would find. Sure enough, the report was spot on – or make that, soup’s on!

There was the skunk neck-deep in a soup can. It truly was not funny so they quickly hatched a plan. One would approach the skunk with a box and trap it before wearing its cologne. Warden Jamin Leuzzo did OK. The box? Not so lucky.

Warden Jamin Leuzzo approaches to help free the skunk.

Once the skunk was inside the box, Warden Tim Werner approached the perturbed skunk from the safer end, put his hand under the lifted box end and freed the skunk’s head from the can. The wardens quickly backed off as the box was tossed. The skunk skedaddled off the ice pretty quickly – no doubt in search of a slice of pie and a cup of coffee.

As Warden Tim concludes: “Just another day in the life of a warden!” Time to add skunk-saver to the skill set list. Stay safe out there!