So what do you do if you hit an animal?

[punk-a-doodle]

Just a note, but Virginia opossums are marsupials; currently the only marsupial in N. America. When hit by cars, it is not uncommon for the young to survive in the pouch. They then slowly starve in there. In older young, they may be as much as 50 feet away from the mother, but still reliant on food. Obviously, if you purposefully hit them, this probably means nothing to you. But, those who don't enjoy crunching them can always at least get a little peace of mind for checking dead (injured pose a threat to you, though 'possums are more about bluff than anything, and busy roads always pose a threat to you) possums for signs of life in a female's pouch. If not on a busy road, it doesn't hurt to move *any* dead animal off the road, as they act as pretty good bait to get scavenging animals wanged by other passing cars, and that includes loose dogs.

 

[gritsar]

As I said I knew what the answer was going to be, but it just doesn't compute with me.

When we decide to keep an animal, any animal, we become the steward of that animals life. It becomes our responsibility to provide for their health and wellbeing, including protecting them from predators if they have any. If we do our very best to protect our chickens - I'm talking really protect them, not just slap some wood and chicken wire together and call it a coop or pen - and something gets in to kill them anyways, then we can be angry and upset, but where is the sense in blaming an animal for doing what comes naturally to them? More than that, where is the sense in blaming every animal of that species for the act of an individual animal? I'd be willing to bet money that the majority of opossums in this country have never laid eyes on a chicken; much less eaten one. Deliberately killing an animal because it has the potential to be a chicken killer is just plain silly and immature. It's akin to locking up every man in a town just because one of those men happens to be a rapist.

I've seen lots of possums in my life, both alive and roadkill. I've yet to see one that was holding a sign saying "I kill chickens!" If you have a predator that's killing your livestock then sure, by all means do what you can to keep that predator from attacking again, but first make sure that you are doing everything YOU CAN to prevent it from having the opportunity in the first place.

 

[Godsgrl]

Quote:
This made me

Sorry about your dh's dog, that had to be very heartbreaking.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Quote:
Easy to answer:







Deer don't kill my chickens. One less varmint to worry about.

No but deer kill more people in the USA than any other animal.......lost a dear friend when he hit a deer with his harley. at noon even

A deer would total my Aveo. A possum? Not so much.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Quote:
Just for you, I will put a sign on the next possum!

I understand your viewpoint on this, however I will continue to protect my birds as I see fit. ANY possum near my house be it on the road or in the trap, will be killed.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Quote:
Buy a big truck....

 

[EmtheFishLady]

Some people can't be educated.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I agree.

 

[sourland]

Self evaluation/acceptance is a good thing.

 

[Mattemma]

I would try to avoid animals in the road,but not a the risk of my car or passengers being injured.If it were a highway I would keep going. I think I hit a fox once,but going 65 it was hard to tell. If it were a slow side street I MIGHT pull over to move the animal. I doubt I would be brave enough to find the owner if it were a pet.People can freak out even though it is not your fault their pet was in the road.

Would I kill the animal? Probably not.