RE: How to Catch an Opossum
Opossums body temperatures are too low to carry rabies, but if you don't take them at least 10 -15 miles away, you will likely be revisited. I would rather have the opossum than the rats that are in our yard.
Racerl
Posted on 02/02/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: How to Catch an Opossum
First hand information. Opossums are wild animals and need to be treated as such. They're also omnivores. They loved our live chickens and literally and brutally tore them apart once they managed their way into the coop. They can traverse incredible obstacles. They can be a real significant threat to any small domestic animals and any outdoor nesting birds, the young and eggs. Their hide is profoundly tough and they can be very very aggressive. DO NOT place your hands near their mouth. Relocation or consumption(in parts of the south). Opossums, raccoons and skunks are a serious threat. They like cat/dog food-which have high percentages of animal protein. Yes they'll eat other plant and animal foodstuffs. Once contained, we displaced a younger opossum during the day and instantly hundreds of small birds appeared in the area and desperately tried to shew the opossum out of the area. It was a national geographic moment. The young opussom is no doubt cute, nonetheless they still had a ferousity but they grow up! SO please be careful. TV cartoons/media and stuff animals distorts reality making nice people walk around in make-believe land. Sadly, the very best bait is...chicken/bones.
do read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opossum
ps For those who raise chickens and other land or water fowl, you may think that chickens are safe in outdoor above ground cages. Not so, we learned the hard way that if the holes are wider then a raccoons paw is a recipe for torture. The raccoons somehow getting to the cage and then reaching threw the holes and pulling their heads right off.
Wild animals are - WILD!
Posted on 02/02/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: How to Catch an Opossum
Some of you people just crack me up !! Florida gal in NO WAY harmed this Opossum, she took it back to the woods 3 miles away, his chances of survival are much better now thanks to her. I live in the middle of 32 acres with 300 acres(undeveloped)behind me in a very rural area of NC. I too am wildlife friendly unless it is a big ole buck. He is as good as in the freezer, but anyway have any of you that are giving her a hard time ever found one of these"very friendly"opossum in your hallway at 3am? They ain't so friendly then! I now have holes in the floor. Good Job Florida Gal
By the way, this purdy little pups name is possum, how funny is that?
Posted on 01/20/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: How to Catch an Opossum
Our school nurse told us that any mammal could carry rabies. Isnt an opossum a mammal? We had one stumbling around in our yard last year, acting strangely. A neighbor called Animal Control, who said stay away from it, it could be rabid. By the time they got here it had wandered into the woods, but we were all put on alert for it.
Possums may be harmless creatures, but, just like stray cats,as cute as they may be, there is a potential risk.
I think Florida Gal did no more harm than any natural predator of the possum would have done. Seriously, some very sane people would have regarded that possum as a tasty meal. Dont knock it. You might be really hungry someday!
Posted on 01/15/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: How to Catch an Opossum
I agree, all animals our welcome in our yard. The only thing my husband ever did was that after a skunk had taken up residence under our shed (which is next to our neighbor's fence), once he knew that it wasn't under there anymore he blocked the access. This was only after our neighbors had told him that they weren't leaving their dog out in their fenced in backyard because they had seen the skunk.
We have a ground feeder for rabbits, squirrels, etc. that we put out in the Winter, in addition to a hanging bird feeder, and a birdbath with a heater/de-icer in it.
I've even seen a deer drink out of the birdbath, while its family member ate from the hanging feeder!
Posted on 01/15/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: How to Catch an Opossum
Cat food also works well to catch a opossum. Sorry to me opossums are just nasty.
Posted on 01/15/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: How to Catch an Opossum
Opossums also like cat food. They are just plain nasty. Sorry just my opinion.
Posted on 01/15/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: How to Catch an Opossum
I am sorry but I agree with both Dorie and Malinda! When I lived in Michigan (in the city not the suburbs or the country) we had an opossum that would climb our back fence looking for food and water and was completely harmless so we urged it to come and go as it pleased! It didn't become friends with our little six pound poodle who would go out there to poddy but it didn't attack either and just hid until our poodle went back inside! The opossum ended up living under the deck of our hot tub and we let it because there probably wasn't any other safe place for it to nest for the Winter! I hope you haven't separated this one from it's family :-(
You probably meant well but I can't help but ask why is it that we humans think the territory we have encroached on belong more to us than to them :-(
Posted on 01/14/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: How to Catch an Opossum
I agree with Dorie. They are totally harmless. I throw old soup bones or ham bones out and they clean them off for food, even the skunks and their little ones. Last summer, we saw a mother with her babies on her back, she came to get a drink of water. I keep a low basin on the ground full of water, so the animals can get a drink. We also, have a heated bird bath and you would not believe all the birds that come for a drink everyday. They really have a hard time in the winter to find thawed water to drink. Any and all creatures are welcome in our yard. We feed birds all year. We buy chicken scratch and sun flower seeds to put in our feeders and throw on the ground. The bunnies come at night and eat the corn that is in the scratch. I feel so sorry for wild life, they have such a hard life and their habitat is being taken away every minute of every day.
Posted on 01/14/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: How to Catch an Opossum
Why in the heck would you want to snare a Opossum, they are virtually disease free and very pet friendly.
I usually feed them to keep them around my home.
They are harmless and will not bite..they DO NOT carry rabies, or cause distruction in any manner.
They are marsupials ..meaning they carry the babies in their pouch. Please do not harm them. PLEASE
Dorie
Posted on 01/14/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: How to Catch an Opossum
Salami meat works really good in live traps for all those pesky animals!
Posted on 01/14/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
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