Yes, Havahart cage traps always had protection for the handle. I had not seen the {newer?} release mechanism. I was misled by the term 'manual'. The trapper still has to be with the trap to open it, just on the back side. As for skunks, covered traps are expensive. The trap could be set with a blanket or whatever cover... just eliminate hostile odors around the trap. :)
Yes, you still have to release the animal. The raccoon I caught was young and naive. If it had been a big granddaddy coon, it might have been different. My husband wanted to shoot it out of the tree but after I saw that it was young, I wanted to catch it instead.