Opossums

[Bird_Lover_17]

Hi. I live in Upstate NY and I have seen some opossum tracks in the snow VERY close to my animal pens. I have a small game hunting license and I am aware of how I am going to dispose of the waste, and I know all the legal requirements, which I have met, just FYI.

I plan on using a .22 to take them, other than that, does anyone have any tips for opossum hunting? ANY tips/advice is appreciated.

**If you disapprove of hunting just leave this thread please, I am not looking to start a fight.

 

[Bird_Lover_17]

Here are the tracks

 

[Weeg]

I do think there are other ways to get rid of them you can try first. I don't want to start a fight either, I live in a family were the boys hunt often as well, though I am defiantly not part of the hunting. Do what has to be done, but if you want any tips on getting rid of them without trying to hunt them first, then I am happy to help! Avery

 

[mowin]

Hello from a fellow upstater.
No real hunting method for opossum. I use a have a heart trap with tuna or cat food, then shoot em.

 

[Folly's place]

I will live trap and shoot any that are in the barn, or that enter the coop during the day when it's open. My dogs get any in their fenced back yard. Otherwise, it's live and let live.
They carry a parasite that's very bad for horses, so we have zero tolerance for any at the barn or hay.
I use a 22 also, works fine up close.
Mary

 

[cmom]

I also live trap and shoot. Years ago I did use leg traps but more and more people are buying land around us and building which makes an increase in the pet population and I have seen more and more dogs and cats. I have caught some cats in the live traps and have seen dogs around them. I can release them and no harm. Good luck...

 

[TOR]

You could bait them if allowed in your state. Once the animal knows food is there it will come back. Problem is you will also be inviting other animals. Racoon should be denned up if it is cold enough. Cracked corn put out at dark and see what happens over night. Tuna or other more smell attractant type food could be calling lots of critters in.
Could use a trail camera also.


Once the possum knows where the food is, it will be there right at dark or possible earlier depending on how hungry it is.
I will dispatch coon,possum other predators as long as it is legal and not protected species if they are messing with my animals or feed. I shoot them with a .22 or in some cases use a leg trap.
If your coop is sealed up good and no problems, myself I would not mess with it. It does suck to go feed your chickens and find them dead and I know from experience.
Use some type gloves if your going to handle the animal never know what they could be carrying.

 

[cmom]

You could bait them if allowed in your state. Once the animal knows food is there it will come back. Problem is you will also be inviting other animals. Racoon should be denned up if it is cold enough. Cracked corn put out at dark and see what happens over night. Tuna or other more smell attractant type food could be calling lots of critters in.
Could use a trail camera also.


Once the possum knows where the food is, it will be there right at dark or possible earlier depending on how hungry it is.
I will dispatch coon,possum other predators as long as it is legal and not protected species if they are messing with my animals or feed. I shoot them with a .22 or in some cases use a leg trap.
If your coop is sealed up good and no problems, myself I would not mess with it. It does suck to go feed your chickens and find them dead and I know from experience.
Use some type gloves if your going to handle the animal never know what they could be carrying. I have several game cameras on my property. I have gotten to where I could identify some by markings or injuries.

I have eliminated some possums but they did kill some birds and made the mistake of coming back. The same with a bobcat that killed 14 birds one night, but it has been many years ago. Now I have electric wires around my coops and pens and so far nothing has penetrated. I think the adult predators teach their young that a bird is not worth getting zapped for. There have been some spots next to my fence where something attempted to dig but apparently connected with the electric wires and aborted the attempt. I did bait live traps for a problem fox. I did catch it and eliminated it. Several years ago I used leg traps but as I posted above, now I only use live traps. I have seen more fox since. The foxes I have eliminated were mangy and stinky. I have several game cameras on my property. I have gotten where I could identify some predators by markings or injuries.

 

[cmom]

Our recent visitor. It may have tested the electric wires around a month ago. It was before midnight I heard something. I haven't seen it around the coops.

 

[TOR]

we decided to keep birds and last winter I thought had everything buttoned up pretty good. I found out wrong. Lost some feed and some birds. Once they know there is a free meal they will keep coming back. And back and they did. I killed 4 possum and 6 coon. Then I fixed where they were getting in.
Now thinking of it more last couple days I have some more work to do. weasels, have not had any problems with them, but have couple areas need some work.