Re: animal torture allegations.
I honestly think Nick just made up that story about the raccoons to try and look cool. It's a sheltered rube's idea of what an outdoorsman rough and tumble guy might have once done. Surrounded by hostile creatures armed with nothing but his limp bitch noodle arms and a blunt instrument, defending his homestead.
If he was in that situation he'd sooner beat the door with the hammer and flee than try to recreate a melee only Doom .wad with small wildlife. I think most people (myself included) would think along the same lines.
Now, the skunk drowning - that I believe. Initially think to passively and from a distance just eliminate it with superior firepower (not dissimilar to his approach to Montagraph). When that wouldn't work because it causes long-term problems, listily drag it over some water in the cage it already haplessly wandered into to, attempting to drown it. When you fail at that just keep brute-forcing the same lazy (also passive) solution until the problem just gives up and stops existing. Now that's the Nick I've come to know.
T. Guy who has literally never encountered either animal because I do not live in North America.