I caught a possum!

[Scrambled Egg]

Have not seen either of my possum porch visitors in about two weeks, guess like Rooster Red said, they wander around alot!

 

[MRNpoultry]

I ain't never saw a possum in our yard, but a month or two ago I shot a racoon in our yard in the day.

 

[Scrambled Egg]

I know the trend is different now with raccoons having so little habitat left but the old folks used to say if you saw a racoon in the daytime that it was likely rabid.

 

[MRNpoultry]

Thats what I thought so I killed it. But there is forty acres beside of us and on the other side twenty that seems like alot of land for a small animal. But all the housing developments are coming closer.

 

[Oblio13]

Quote:
There's actually lots of raccoon habitat left - like woodchucks and coyotes, they've adapted very well to human proximity. And the old folks were wrong - most "rabid" animals have distemper.

 

[billson1]

Quote:
to the non debate oh yeah 1 22 right between the eyes does not kill them and as far as the coop they just keep chewing and scratching the wood to make another hole,up here in minnesota where it is cold they will do anything to get a meal,i never said they were related to rats just that theyare really an oversized rat which they pretty much are to me ugly nasty and full of diseases

Their skull is thick between the eyes, through the ear there is no bone to get in the way.

i will have to try that thanks

 

[Scrambled Egg]

Scrambled Egg wrote:
I know the trend is different now with raccoons having so little habitat left but the old folks used to say if you saw a racoon in the daytime that it was likely rabid.

There's actually lots of raccoon habitat left - like woodchucks and coyotes, they've adapted very well to human proximity. And the old folks were wrong - most "rabid" animals have distemper.


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Happily I haven't had to deal with a raccoon with any disease, just a couple of wandering possums that share cat food with our outside Tom.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Since the discussion turned to disease, I just wanted to mention, opossums can't carry or have rabies. Their body temperature is too low. They are also not even remotely "nasty" as someone said.....they are actually VERY clean little animals if given the opportunity to be. I suppose, if I was wild, starving, and found an open hen house, I just might eat eggs and possibly a chicken if I could catch it.

 

[MRNpoultry]

I have heard that they can't get rabies before to.