Circle of Life?

When Drew was about 3 weeks old, we had an "incident" that never seemed to make it to the blog.  (I blame complete exhaustion).  It was about 9:00 at night.  The baby was asleep, and Rob and I were about to shut down shop and go collapse in bed.  Rob let our dear puppy out for one last time, and we were standing in the kitchen discussing something earth-shattering like formula or spit up or poop.  When we both smelled it-- and ran for the door.

Too late- sweet Sophie had been skunked.  She was standing at the back door looking like she wanted to curl up and disappear.  Some quick googling and reaching out to friends on Facebook left us with a great recipe for dog wash that included baking soda, peroxide and dish soap.

Seeing as I used peroxide about twice per year, we only had 1/2 a cup and it expired in 2008.  We agree that the best course of action is that I should pack up the baby and head to HEB while Rob takes the dog upstairs and begins to wash her with whatever we can find.

Anyway, long story short, we get the skunk out of the dog while at the same time realizing the skunk has made itself at home under the deck in our backyard.

We aren't strangers to wildlife in this neighborhood.  Deer, coyotes, armadillos, possums, skunks.... we got 'em all.  But I don't need one living in such close proximity.  I have to admit we have yet to do anything about evicting the skunk.  It's amazingly expensive since you have to have the company come back every day to see if you caught anything, and you could catch a squirrel or the neighbors cat as easily as you could catch the skunk.

So today, in the middle of the day, I  look out onto my deck and see what look to be mice scurrying around.  I get closer and peer out the window, only to be looking at two mice sticking their heads out of one hole in the deck, and one poking his head out of another.  I tell you what, it looked like a Disney movie only with less cuteness.  I expected them to break out in song at any moment.

Here's my question- skunks eat mice.  How do BOTH live under my deck?  Shouldn't one of these problems take care of the other?  I'd rather have neither, but surely I shouldn't have both.

Rob has agreed that our first order of business this spring is removing the deck and putting in a nice, flat, concrete patio....