Never Expected To Be Posting In Here...... But I Shot The Opossum.

[HarlansHollowFarms]

Quote:
Oh chic, I hate to hear that.

scbatz, that song has been in my head all morning, except I don't remember Clapton using so many bells..........................

Laura, I am going out now, I think I am as mentally prepared as I'm going to get.

And it wasn't the shotgun, never even thought to grab it. I went for the 6 shooter - which now needs cleaning again.

Roy, I am getting over it fast, but I think my husband is still a bit shocked. Or maybe surprised I didn't shoot my own foot!

I used to shoot a lot on a ranch in TX - haven't shot in years, but it all came right back.

Update?

 

[Whispering Winds]

My dh has a lovely little ruger, that is in my underwear drawer. Well, no one would attempt to look THERE for a gun, trust me.

So I decided after reading this I am going to start target shooting and I am getting a foid card. DH has the guns, so I never bothered, but think its time. I have 2-4 coons in my attic right now, can't do a thing about them until those babies are big enough to be mobile which should be in the next two weeks. They fight like cats and dogs at night, and I AM going to shoot them if they don't leave on their own. Then, we have to find where they are getting in. This has been an ongoing problem for the last 4 years, and we cannot find the spot. I walked around the house three times with a light snow on the roof and ground looking for prints and nothing. I think they cover their tracks, and I am tired of it. They mess with eveything and I know they have left a pile of poop the size of Texas up there, no offense Texans. I worry about my future chickens, because if they get in our house (our roof and everything was torn off and completely replaced 7 years ago) they will be able to get into a chicken house, with no problem whatsoever.

 

[plumberroy]

Quote:
Oh chic, I hate to hear that.

scbatz, that song has been in my head all morning, except I don't remember Clapton using so many bells..........................

Laura, I am going out now, I think I am as mentally prepared as I'm going to get.

And it wasn't the shotgun, never even thought to grab it. I went for the 6 shooter - which now needs cleaning again.

Roy, I am getting over it fast, but I think my husband is still a bit shocked. Or maybe surprised I didn't shoot my own foot!

I used to shoot a lot on a ranch in TX - haven't shot in years, but it all came right back.

It's just like riding a bike once you learn it it sticks with you

Being the resident gun nut around here I have plenty of guns but keep 2 single shot shotguns handy for such occassions one is a rossi youth 410 this gun also comes with a 22 barrel and would be idea for some one needing something cheap to defend their birds I have an ammo holder that goes on a belt made for centerfire rifles, but it works for 410 ammo too. I slide it over the barrel while setting in the corner (my kids are grown) so I have the gun and 10 rounds ready . I slip the holder in my pocket as I head out side. the ammo holder has 2 slugs 2 rounds of federal 410 handgun buckshot and 6 rounds of #4 birdshot. The other gun is a H&R tamer 20 that I have changed the stocks on. it has a simalar assortment of ammo setting on a shelf above it I depends on which door I go out which one I grab. either set up will handle most predators we deal with from coyotes down
Roy

 

[Intheswamp]

You done good, ranchhand.

Ed

 

[scbatz33]

As a totally unrelated side note: ranchhand, website/blog is officially updated. It was almost a YEAR since I bothered.

I think I just forgot I had the darn thing.

 

[ranchhand]

Okay, Harlan wants an update, but first, good job on the blog, scbatz!

I went out yesterday morning and did several head counts. Mostly came up at 22 , but I only have 21 in that pen, so I finally settled on okay, they're all here again.
All are ambulatory, eating and drinking well. No horrific wounds, just some smaller ones that should heal on their own. I did add some Poly-Vi-Sol vitamins to their water.
Any signs of infection I'll start the Pen-G injections. Bleh, hope it doesn't come to that!
I think I interrupted the party pretty early. That was sheer luck. They weren't making a huge racket, at first I thought they were squabbling over roost room. Glad I went out anyway. Now if one hiccups I'll be tearing out the door!

The possum was recycled, so to speak. A turkey buzzard had already gotten there before I did yesterday early, so I moved it away from the pens to a clearing in the woods. Fed a bunch of buzzards, which drove both dogs nuts all day. Why on earth they go crazy over a buzzard overhead remains a mystery!

My hearing is shot, pardon the pun! Still ringing like crazy. DH is a bit hard of hearing anyway, so I can only imagine what a listener would think, both of us yelling a normal conversation!

 

[looptloop]

Awesome thread! Thank goodness they are all okay.

Good info on guns, Roy, I made some notes.

We have a few dogs that wander through our property. My husband got the pellet gun out, but being only 5 feet tall, 100 lbs soaking wet, I can't even open the barrel to load it. Maybe a youth gun is the way for me to go....

Although, with 3 small kids around any gun in my house is locked in the gun safe, with a combo I would never remember in a moment like that. maybe I'll have to get really good at swinging a bat???

 

[plumberroy]

Quote:
A single shot shotgun can be hung on the wall, high and a shell holder hid somewhere else easy to access yet out of sight. I believe it is impossible to kid proof guns so I taught my kids Starting at 2-3 with toy guns the rule is at my house you NEVER point a gun at anything you don't want to kill and we don't kill people this rule applies to toy guns, squirt guns, paintball ( that is one game that should be outlawed

) they were taken hunting and shown that something dies when shot. They were there when game was cleaned to see the damage, this is also to show them meat doesn't grow in styrofoam. video games shooting at people are not tolerated. I taught them muzzle control all ways knowing were your muzzle is pointed and it is never pointed at some thing you don't want to kill or destroy. My kids were safer with guns at 12 years old than most adults If you have a dicks sporting goods around. the rossi youth set is run on sale once in a while for $119 with the right ammo tis will take up to coyotes at close range
Roy

 

[beckymom3]

Wow, what a thread! I can honestly say I wish I had some gun savvy to take care of the huge troop of raccoons that wiped out my flock of 40 last fall. I have been in so much mourning, I just recently decided to start hatching eggs and buying up some pullets to restock. I've decided to keep the new flock locked up in the coop unless I'm home, and only daylight hours at that. I've even considered an automatic coop door. My coop is literally a house, concrete and roofing and all. But my yard is full of trees and the raccoons can climb right over. I can't see how it would be possible to net or wire over the yard with all those trees and since this is a rented house/property, I can't remove the trees to expedite that sort of security.

What do you think about predator deterrents such as flood lights with motion sensors, the motion sensor owl and so forth? I've considered electricity, but know nothing about setting that up and am worried I'd get it all wrong.

I'm glad you didn't end up with more damage. What a close call!

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

Beckymom: I've found that sensor lights do NOTHING to deter the possums and raccoons in my yard; doesn't even bother them if I stand on the front porch and shine a big flashlight directly in their eyes--they just keep on stripping the bird feeders bare. We even tried relocating the critters we caught in the big hav-a-heart trap, they came right back (even though we relocated them miles away on the other side of the mountain).
The only solution we've found---sorry to say---is the shotgun...