how smart are possums?

[carousel]

What I'm asking is if they got "no" benefit (ie no meal of at least my chickens, may have got some walnuts) and were terrorized by dogs, then the angry mad Human with a pooper scooper and metal rake! will they remember and "avoid" my yard?
2-3 more min my dogs would have been through their kennel panel and killed a "this years" possum about the size of a 4 month old kitten?
it was 5am all I could think was to get the thing out of my "in town" yard (pooper scooper and metal rake) and on its way away from my house.

I'm pretty sure I know where it came from and it went back the same way. Not in 11 yrs have we had a possum in my yard, my dogs would kill them in heart beat if they could have gotten to it.

My coops are build really to keep my dogs out, I'm thinking this possum so small could have squeezed into one of my runs, it is sturdy but may have been able to squeeze in.

So what in my yard may have been attractive to a Possum?
neighbor has a walnut tree dropping nuts right now, I wonder if that was it?
thanks

 

[Guitartists]

How smart? I dunno, I've seen more than one get trapped in the bottom of a trash can and hubby has had 3 fall out of trees and get hit because the headlights startled? them......... but, I imagine if they're hungry... they get pretty smart pretty fast

 

[TexasVet]

They're not smart, just persistent. And sometimes a whole family will be in the area. Check out my blog to see how many problems I've had with them: http://www.countrychickens.com/country_chickens_4_006.htm

Since I killed the last one in October, I've lost 20 more chickens. Didn't have a clue as to what was getting them until today, when I found HUGE cat tracks. I may have a cougar or another bobcat after them.

The trap is baited with store-bought chicken in hopes that I'll catch the devil tonight. I sure hope so, because at this rate I'll be out of chickens in another week.

Kathy in Texas

 

[seriousbill]

Yeah, they're none too bright, but they can be a problem.

I went out to shut up the chicken coops last night, and I found my top Delaware cockerel bleeding from the head (his hackle feathers on the right side were soaked red), and a young possum eating the chicken feed out of the metal hanging feeder. Dispatched the possum and administered some first aid to my brave boy who must've tried to tangle with Mr. Possum and got bitten. He seems to be okay today.

My Border Collie has killed several in the yard so far this fall, but that one got past her and into the coop. Gotta start shutting the chickens up earlier now that it gets dark so soon...

Good luck to all.

 

[TexasVet]

Not sure if I've still got a bobcat hanging around, but caught and dispatched a HUGE raccoon this morning. Got a whole flock of buzzards working on him right now. Heh, heh, heh.

Not sure how to post pictures on here yet, but you can see him here: http://www.countrychickens.com/country_chickens_4_006.htm

Kathy in Texas

 

[redoak]

how smart are possums?

I found one once that was drowned in a 5 gallon bucket 3/4 filled with milk.​

 

[crazy cat lady]

I can tell you they're not too bright if they keep getting into my fenced yard and my dogs (boxer & 2 Bostons) catch and shake them to pieces lilke a ragmop. They've killed one and they've scared one into playing possum which if I hadn't let them in when did probably would have killed that one too.