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Can Skunks Climb Stairs? Yes, and Decks Are the Problem

Skunks climb stairs, low walls and ramps easily but are poor at anything vertical. What that means for decks, porches and getting one back out.

By Zakaria 3 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
A striped skunk walking across snow in profile, showing its short legs and low heavy body
Photo: Dan & Lin Dzurisin, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Yes — stairs, ramps and low walls all fine. Vertical is where they stop, and knowing exactly where that line falls is what solves the two problems people actually have.

Where the line falls

What a striped skunk can get up
Striped skunkRaccoonPossum
Stairs and rampsYesYesYes
Low wallYesYesYes
Chain link fenceYes — footholdsYesYes
Smooth fence panelNoYesYes
TreeNoYesYes
Digs underneathYes — very wellSomeLittle

The anatomy explains it. Skunks have short legs, a heavy low body, and long front claws built for digging grubs out of turf — excellent for excavation, useless for gripping bark. Everything a skunk does well is at or below ground level.

Which is why the fence question has the wrong answer in most people’s heads: height barely matters. What matters is the bottom.

The window well problem

This is the most common skunk emergency, and it is easy to make worse.

  • Lower a rough plank at no more than about 45 degrees
  • Add cleats or carpet so it has grip — a smooth board is no use to an animal with digging claws
  • Then go inside and leave it alone, until after dark

Do not stand there watching

A skunk will not climb out with a person nearby, and approaching, poking or shining a torch at it is exactly how people get sprayed. It is trapped, not dangerous — give it the ramp and the privacy and it leaves on its own.

Under the deck

Skunks dig in, and a deck skirt that looks solid usually is not at the bottom.

  • Hardware cloth around the perimeter, buried about a foot down and bent outward into an L so digging hits mesh
  • Leave one opening fitted with a one-way door until you are certain the animal has gone
  • Check first, and check properly

Never seal a deck in spring without checking for kits

Shutting a mother out leaves her young to die underneath. That is cruel, and it produces a smell problem under your deck that is considerably worse than the skunk was.

Reading the warning

Skunks are mild animals and would rather leave. They tell you clearly before spraying:

  • Stamping the front feet
  • Hissing or a low growl
  • Tail up
  • Turning to face away from you — this is the last step

Back away slowly and quietly at any of it. Worth remembering that a skunk in the garden spends its nights eating grubs, beetle larvae, wasp nests and mice — it is doing more good than harm right up until it moves in under the decking.

Common questions

Can skunks climb stairs?

Yes, easily. A striped skunk climbs ordinary steps, decking stairs and shallow ramps without difficulty, which is how they end up on porches and decks rather than only underneath them. What they are poor at is anything vertical or smooth — a striped skunk cannot climb a tree, a fence panel or a wall, because it has short legs, a heavy body and digging claws rather than gripping ones.

Can skunks climb fences?

Striped skunks generally cannot climb a smooth fence, though they will climb chain link, which offers footholds all the way up, and they will scramble over low walls and any fence with horizontal rails. The far more common route is underneath: skunks are strong diggers and will go under a fence rather than over it, which is why burying the base or fitting an outward apron matters more than the height.

Can skunks climb trees?

Striped skunks cannot — they are not built for it. Spotted skunks are the exception and are genuinely good climbers, going up trees and onto roofs, but they are much less common and occupy a smaller range. If something striped and skunk-like is in your tree at night, it is more likely a raccoon or a possum.

How do I get a skunk out of a window well or a pit?

Give it a ramp and leave. Lower a rough plank at a shallow angle, no more than about 45 degrees, with cleats or carpet for grip, then go inside and leave it alone until after dark — skunks will not climb out while being watched. Approaching it, poking it or shining a torch on it is how people get sprayed. A skunk that cannot climb out is trapped and will use a ramp once the coast is clear.

How do I stop skunks getting under my deck?

Exclusion, after you are certain nothing is under there. Fit hardware cloth around the perimeter, buried about a foot down and bent outward in an L to defeat digging, and leave one opening with a one-way door until you are sure the animal has left. Never seal a deck in spring without checking for young — sealing a mother out leaves kits to die underneath, which is both cruel and a serious smell problem.

Are skunks dangerous?

Not aggressive, but they do carry rabies in parts of North America, and they will spray when cornered. A skunk gives clear warnings first — stamping its front feet, hissing, raising its tail, and turning to face away from you. If you see any of that, back away slowly and quietly. They are otherwise mild, largely insect-eating animals that do a lot of good work on grubs and beetle larvae.

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