(How to Prevent Them?)
Skunks do eat pumpkins and they can destroy your pumpkin plants if you do not prevent them from reaching the plants.
Skunks are omnivorous animals. As an omnivore, a skunk eats a lot of foods including animal and plant products. This means that your fresh ripening pumpkins are not safe from a foraging skunk.
The first and most important method to know that you have a skunk problem is when you see a skunk in your garden with your eyes (or a camera). This is all the proof that you need.
Skunks are nocturnal animals. This means that movement in the night and light repels them. All you need to do is to install lights in your garden.
If you have not already done so, you should build a fence around your garden. You can use wood, mesh, or any material that you like to build your garden fence.