the blur

I caught an Opossum. I let it free, and he refused to leave the trap. He just hung out there. Showed me his teeth for a while. Then he went back to munching on the bait.

What do you guys do with Opossum's?

I wasn't going to kill it for no reason. I didn't want the pelt.
Too ugly to mount.

What do you do with them?

Oldtimr

If trapping season is open, sell it to a fur buyer, after you kill it of course. Opossums have the largest number of teeth of all mammals and they aren't afraid to show them. Of course, some people eat them, I would not be one of those people.

MudderChuck

I tried eating Possum once, never again if I have a choice.

If there are a lot around I usually euthanize them. If they are rare. relocate and release.

We had a plague of Hedge Hogs, I relocated and released 19 of them. The dogs killed another half dozen. Harmless animals, but they are a Flea and Tick hotel and spread the blood suckers all over the place.

I was cutting the lawn at a 90 year old lady's house. Some other old coot came over to yell at me for making too much noise. I usually do my releases in the woods behind his house.

flags

Nothing. I just leave possums alone to do whatever it is that possums have been doing for millions of years. There are fossilized specimens that are nearly identical to what we have now. Other than sharks and crocodiles I can't think of another animal that shares that trait. Never had any desire to fool with one and I see them nearly every day driving to and from work here in TX.

Oldtimr

Hey Flags, why did the chicken cross the road??
To show the opossums that it can indeed be done.

Chucker, when the pygmy hedge hogs were all the rage as pocket pets they were illegal to import into PA so we ran down pet stores removed them and got rig of them, I had a veterinarian tell me that hedgehogs carry a lot of diseases that are transmittable to humans and he would advise anyone from buying one, especially if they had kids.

MudderChuck

In the fall they seem drawn to my Walnut tree, another animal that eats Acorns etc, guess they want to fatten up before hibernation. They are usually covered in Fleas and Ticks. The Fleas get on the dogs, the dogs climb in my bed. Takes awhile before the Flea and Tick collars on the dogs work. The really bad part is the Hedgehogs seem to shed Fleas all over the yard. I think of them as Rats with spins, but they are kind of cute, from a distance.

alleyyooper

As a bee keeper they are bad. they scratch on the hives at night and eat the guard bees that come out. That makes the bees cranky not being able to get their sleep at night. They also try to chew thru the hives and get at the honey.


I live trap them and have gotten 5 since December 20th. four were trying to get in the garage.
But they didn't go to waste they have became a frozen treat for the area coyotes. Just added another one to the pile this morning.


Also it is against the law (Michigan) to transport a wild animal to release it some where else, a $200.00 fine which I wish they would raise to $500.00 so those dam tree huggers would be to afraid to transport their problem to some one else's home.
Yes there is public land but people also live around that public land.


Kill it or let is loose in your yard.


Yes I also will eat a few every year.


Al

BRUSE

I just leave them be.

Oldtimr

Spoken like someone who never had a problem with them or does not trap.

the blur

8 hours later, this possum was still in the trap. He had all day to simply walk out. Door was wide open. Instead he went to the back of the trap, where I had leaves piled up, and he bedded down.

So I had to pick up the trap, and shake him out. Which wasn't easy, as his claws were wrapped around the wire mesh.

They don't move fast on the ground. He finally walked off into the brush, looking all annoyed.