RE: Skunk encounter
Last year walking into my stand on opening morning of bow season I just about stepped on one. I was walking down my old abandoned railroad grade. I had no light on because there there was enough moonlight when out of my peripheral vision i see some white reflection right at my feet. It startled me because it moved so i stopped and froze, turned on my flashlight and there he was...Phew! close call.
Best thing to do is just not panic. It is unlikely that a skunk is going to spray just for the heck of it. Spraying is a defensive mechanism and a response to an immediate treat. However, if you had walked towards it, maybe. Just sitting there or standing there is probably not going to result in getting a blast 9 times out of 10. Then again, are you a gambling kind of guy?..haha