Face to butt with a possum

[JP33]

Quote:
Not insinuating anyone should "dump" their problem on another. Why would you think so?


...JP

 

[CodyDunn]

My grandpa has always just kills them. It seems kind of mean, and I can't ever be around when he does it. But in truth, it's a matter of time before one kills a chicken. There may be a much more aggressive opossum that takes its place, but I would probably just have it killed too. Even with a passive one, there's no guarantee it won't devastate you one night if you're late putting the chickies up. It is a wild animal and unpredictable. I don't know where you live, but where I live animals such as the opossum are on a comeback, and it's getting pretty ridiculous. With as many coons, rabbits, opossums, skunks, and coyotes as are running around at the moment it's a wonder there hasn't been a little rabies outbreak. We shall see. I understand you don't want to kill it, and I'm not saying you need to go kill it, but I am saying don't just trust that it's passive and probably won't hurt anything. I know the feeling of loosing chickens you could have protected and it's not one I'd wish on anyone

 

[Kelsykin]

Next time you see a predator of any type near your coop, KILL it. The raccoon was shot by my husband. We caught the coon with the duck in it's mouth. It dropped the duck, but wasn't fast enough to get lost.

 

[KCNC06]

Quote:
Most of the land around us, probably at least 100 acres, is owned by a hunting club. I wouldn't feel too bad about dumping my possum problem on the hunting club's land. At least that way I don't have to kill them. I can just leave it up to the hunters.

**Quick edit.** My husband pointed out that the hunting club actually owns closer to 1,500 acres of the woods around us. Still, I can't imagine hunters being bothered by someone dumping possums on their land. The dang things probably came into our yard from their land to begin with. Pretty likely since the hunting club owns the property beside us...about 30 feet from one side of the chicken pen.

 

[plumberroy]

Quote:
Most of the land around us, probably at least 100 acres, is owned by a hunting club. I wouldn't feel too bad about dumping my possum problem on the hunting club's land. At least that way I don't have to kill them. I can just leave it up to the hunters.

**Quick edit.** My husband pointed out that the hunting club actually owns closer to 1,500 acres of the woods around us. Still, I can't imagine hunters being bothered by someone dumping possums on their land. The dang things probably came into our yard from their land to begin with. Pretty likely since the hunting club owns the property beside us...about 30 feet from one side of the chicken pen.

Doesn't matter weather they mind donating them a possum, in a lot of states it is illegal. you get caught you can be fined. you are also expecting some one else to deal with your problem

 

[KCNC06]

Quote:
Most of the land around us, probably at least 100 acres, is owned by a hunting club. I wouldn't feel too bad about dumping my possum problem on the hunting club's land. At least that way I don't have to kill them. I can just leave it up to the hunters.

**Quick edit.** My husband pointed out that the hunting club actually owns closer to 1,500 acres of the woods around us. Still, I can't imagine hunters being bothered by someone dumping possums on their land. The dang things probably came into our yard from their land to begin with. Pretty likely since the hunting club owns the property beside us...about 30 feet from one side of the chicken pen.

Doesn't matter weather they mind donating them a possum, in a lot of states it is illegal. you get caught you can be fined. you are also expecting some one else to deal with your problem

I checked with the manager of our county Animal Control Department to find out what they recommend doing about the possum situation. (While visiting their website I found out that our county does not have a leash law for dogs! Very interesting. I didn't realize that there were actually places that didn't have leash laws anymore, apparently our neighbors aren't violating any laws allowing their dogs to run free all over the neighborhood.)

Anyway, back to the possums. I was told that by law, raccoons and foxes have to be killed if they are trapped due to risk of rabies. However, the genetics of possums makes it extremely unlikely that they could have rabies so there's no law saying they have to be killed. One of the main reasons it's illegal to relocate raccoons or foxes (for example) is because of the risk of introducing rabies to a new area. Since there are so few documented cases of possums having rabies, this isn't really a risk. Possums are also excellent scavengers and are beneficial in the wild...something has to eat the dead stuff.

He said that he also has chickens and guineas, so he understands my concern. He recommended trapping the possums and moving them to "any wooded area away from the public and other farms and just release them." He says this is what he has done with possums he has trapped on his property and he has never heard of anyone being charged with anything for relocating possums....as long as they're not being relocated to someone else's yard. Beyond the few houses in our neighborhood, we are completely surrounded by undeveloped land; owned by the State, the power company and this hunting club. Since that land is at least 2 miles from any homes or farms, and it's where the hunters dump the parts of the animals they don't want to eat, it sounds like ideal place for possums to live until a hunter gets them. They can clean up what the hunters leave behind, and will take care of that problem so no one else has to smell those rotting carcasses.

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
Doesn't matter weather they mind donating them a possum, in a lot of states it is illegal. you get caught you can be fined. you are also expecting some one else to deal with your problem

I checked with the manager of our county Animal Control Department to find out what they recommend doing about the possum situation. (While visiting their website I found out that our county does not have a leash law for dogs! Very interesting. I didn't realize that there were actually places that didn't have leash laws anymore, apparently our neighbors aren't violating any laws allowing their dogs to run free all over the neighborhood.)

Anyway, back to the possums. I was told that by law, raccoons and foxes have to be killed if they are trapped due to risk of rabies. However, the genetics of possums makes it extremely unlikely that they could have rabies so there's no law saying they have to be killed. One of the main reasons it's illegal to relocate raccoons or foxes (for example) is because of the risk of introducing rabies to a new area. Since there are so few documented cases of possums having rabies, this isn't really a risk. Possums are also excellent scavengers and are beneficial in the wild...something has to eat the dead stuff.

He said that he also has chickens and guineas, so he understands my concern. He recommended trapping the possums and moving them to "any wooded area away from the public and other farms and just release them." He says this is what he has done with possums he has trapped on his property and he has never heard of anyone being charged with anything for relocating possums....as long as they're not being relocated to someone else's yard. Beyond the few houses in our neighborhood, we are completely surrounded by undeveloped land; owned by the State, the power company and this hunting club. Since that land is at least 2 miles from any homes or farms, and it's where the hunters dump the parts of the animals they don't want to eat, it sounds like ideal place for possums to live until a hunter gets them. They can clean up what the hunters leave behind, and will take care of that problem so no one else has to smell those rotting carcasses.

Interesting info. about the rabies!

 

[redhen]

relocating is CRUEL... very very cruel. You are taking an animal from its HOME.. and tossing it in a territory where it WILL have to fight to live EVERY day. Most animals are territoral..they WILL kill or run off the poor possum..
the thing will be confused and freaked out and hungry...
eh...its better to just kill them humanely...then to make them suffer by relocating them. jeez...

 

[KCNC06]

I guess it's just one of those things that everyone sees it from their own perspective. To me, it seems cruel to shoot every potential predator that comes near my chickens. Like I said, I'm surrounded by thousands of acres of undeveloped woods. Predators are going to come onto our property, they're not doing anything wrong. It's not their fault that I live there and choose to have chickens. The thought of shooting this giant possum while the two smaller possums watch from higher up in the trees sounds pretty darn cruel to me.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
like you said..to each their own..