I’m a bit late to the thread here, but a few years ago my husband had a conversation with a local wildlife rescue person and the subject of the then-very high skunk population came up. She said that West Nile had caused a drop in the numbers of great horned owls which in turn allowed the skunk numbers to increase. I’ve not noticed anywhere near the number of skunks this year, dead, alive, or eau de, but last night I could hear three different owls calling* which I don’t remember ever happening before.
*When I told my husband, he expressed concern that Wildfire might be coming for me. I told him only if I die in a killing frost.