Face to butt with a possum

[KCNC06]

Unless of course the offending creature is a copperhead. I really don't have much of a soft spot for them. Nothing against snakes, I have one that I like an awful lot living in my house...in a cage. I guess I'm just more okay with constrictors, the black snakes don't bother me much. But copperheads...I just don't like them. Hiding in all kinds of tiny areas where you're not going to see them until you've reached in and scared them and then it's too late. I almost stepped on one at the bottom of the deck stairs last summer. He was about 6 inches away from my foot all coiled back like he was going to strike. Understandable since I almost stepped on him. But still, he had to die.

 

[redhen]

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I agree..Copperheads need to die. *shivers* One killed my dog..
All the other snakes dont bother me though...

 

[kawonu]

If you can get that close to them, just grab the end of their tale to catch them. Just don't let them swing their head around to bite you. I caught one the other night this way heading to my duck pens. After holding her there for awhile dangling by the tail, I placed her back down on the ground and she took off. Haven't seen her since! My wife even took a picture!

 

[Kelsykin]

Copperheads are a pain. They are not poisonous. Their venom actually causes the victim to bleed out. It had an anti coagulant in it.

Learned a great deal about them when my husband's grandma got bit by one 6 1/2 years ago. She being the feisty woman she is hunted down, killed it with a dust pan, bagged and then drove herself the 2 hours to the hospital, who had to transfer her to another hospital 2 hours from there. She was furious that they wanted to keep her over night for observation. She had to go home and feed her dogs and let them out in a few hours.

 

[dacjohns]

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Correct, they aren't poisonous, they're venomous.

 

[redhen]

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Their venom also affects the central nervous system...

 

[plumberroy]

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I knew possums don't carry rabies I kill them by hand if they are on the ground where I can catch them. It can be done quickly and humanely if you know how and no I'm not telling you how. that way I'm not responsable for you getting bit!! I don't shoot every predator I see. I have a fox that I see often he doesn't come near my chickens I don't shoot at him I do how ever kill every possum I can because the are chicken killin' s.o.b.'s and every coyote I can because they are not native here , and are throwing off the balance of native animals. foxes are rare now do to coyotes. we are talking about wild animals not disney animatronics A possum barely has enough brain cells to walk and breath at the same time but they do remember where food is . I am 48 I grew up on a farm and have raised chickens any time I live where I can I have lost more birds to possums than all other predators combined. Sooner or later they will start eating your birds. Only time I kill venomous snakes is when they are in an area where kids play all though I do think a copperhead skin would make a nice hat band

Roy

 

[Love my Critters!]

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EWWWW....

Yuck!

Edit to say, I too do not believe in "rehoming", We kill around here. As for stew.... I would rather be a vegetarian

 

[KelliV]

We just had a HUGE possum near our coop the other day. We shot it. Then, realized it was toting around 9 babies,which we also killed. IMO, if it's a predator, I'm killing it. I work too hard to take care of my flock to have something get to them.

 

[whitewolfvt]

I believe in relocating it if possible, though they may find their way back. The males have an average of 250 acres of "homeland" and the females only 125 since they stick around. Interesting fact.....the Opposum (especially the North American one) can be traced back to the end of the dinosaurs. They are a marsupial....the ONLY one in all of North America (for those who don't know....kangaroos, koalas and wombats are marsupials. They have the pouch that the little teeny babies will develop for a few months then crawl out.) The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says that unless they are really hungry, they won't attack chickens. They are more likely to attack your garbage can or the feed. They do eat small mammals (hence chickens), but they can't run fast, so if a chicken gets wind of them in time and takes off, the chicken can probably outrun the possum. What you saw was probably the mother with her 2nd litter of the year which she stays with through the winter months. I learned alot about them when I lived in PA where there are plenty
We don't have them in Vermont, especially up this far. We are dealing with GigantaBeaver and his family who took down many a birch tree and my apple trees, then started to come more inland to gnaw at some more trees.

I hope all goes well with you. I would just make sure the chickens get in before dark and locked up safe and sound. I would probably move or cut some of those trees away so that they won't feel safe in the open.