Keeping opossums out

[Jeremy Knauff]

This isn't rocket science, but after my battle to keep the opossums out of my yard and gardens, I've finally found a solution. It's not pretty, and isn't suitable in all areas, but it works for me where I happen to live.

Broken glass placed in the areas where they enter through. Once they get torn up once or twice, they move on to other places rather than digging new holes in under my fence.

I don't advise this anywhere that pets or kids may be able to access, but it might work for some of you.

[JohnyMac]

I like it! 

[Jeremy Knauff]

Thank you. 

[JohnyMac]

We are having the normal raccoon problem this time of year. My cats informed me that they were back last week so I went outside.

With a spade as my main tool I chased them down the ramp onto my dock. One actually had the balls to charge me and I sent him to the big chicken yard in the sky with the spade.

The others got the notion that they were in "deep shit" so they jumped off the dock and swam to a neighbors yard.

So a spade is another option 

[Jeremy Knauff]

Nice. 

[JohnyMac]

Here's a funny addition Jeremy....

There is a house that sold about a month ago behind my house in Rhode Island and the new family has just moved in. I introduced myself to the new owner and he seemed like a nice enough guy but haven't met his wife or kids.

Well about a week ago my cats let me know that the pose of raccoons was outside. So I yanked open the door, grabbed the spade; which is always ready next to the door and chased the last of the raccoons out of the yard and across the street.

They jumped a small crick that runs between me and the new a fore mentioned neighbor - So I gave up my chase. I didn't know but his wife and their kids were outside and I herd mom say, "Oh how cute...Look Billy and Janie at the raccoons!" As Janie was approaching the pose I scream, "Get the fuck away from those raccoons! They will charge you and bite you."

Well Janie gets all weepy and runs back to mom who herds her young ones back into the house while glaring at me the whole time.

Mr. New neighbor comes out and says, "Is there a problem out here?"

"Yeah," I shouted back, "your daughter was about to pet a raccoon that would scratch or bite her in a New york second" Well he turned on his heels and stormed into his house.

The next day, my right next door neighbor came over to my house to re-borrow back his disk sander  and said to me, "Mr. New Neighbor was complaining to me this morning that you shouted at his daughter because she was going to pet a raccoon." He then went on to say, "Don't worry, I set him straight. I told him that, If he wanted his daughter to go through a series of stomach injections for POSSIBLE rabies infection have her pet all of the raccoons and skunks in the neighborhood she wants to."

  My neighbor explained to me that  apparently the new neighbor and family were city raised and this was their first excursion living in the 'country'. Well our house in Rhode Island isn't in the country if you ask me - Especially compared to the area where our BOL is BUT whatever!

Heck up at the BOL, his kids would be trying to pet the cute bears that wander through 
 

[Well-Prepared Witch]

Heck, I hate to admit it, but there was a time I would have wanted to pet the cute raccoon (and I'm afraid my age would have been much upwards of the "kid" range).  There's a lot that I'm learning I don't know about the natural world.  For instance, I used to think that deer were beautiful and hunters were terrible folks for murdering those beautiful, majestic creatures.  That was before they demolished 100 square feet of thriving gardens - down to the last ripe tomato, leaving the green ones until they ripened, at which time they came back and ate those, too.  Now the deer are lucky I don't set the dog on them!   But there's a lot about the "real" world that, as a girl raised in the suburbs, fed on take-out and boxed mac and cheese, nose in books for most of my life that I have to learn as if I were a kid again.  From learning how to cook from staples like flour, sugar and vegetables to how to safely handle weapons and tools, to how to interact with the land and its non-human inhabitants without injuring myself, it's a whole new ball-game.

[JohnyMac]

Wellie, you are way on your way to being independent. The first step is always the hardest and you & your husband have started the journey.

We have 35 acres up at the cabin and we take advantage of a once a year visit from the PA. Game Department. A ecologist comes in and walks our property and makes suggestions to enhance the property for game. So a typical report suggests: "this tree (s) have to come down." Or, "You should grow X in small plot's for, turkey, bats, deer, grouse, etc.

This past year we received a stern warning that our deer population was too big and if we were to have a sever winter many would starve to death. Looking at the 2013-14 Farmers Almanac it looks like we are going to see one in the mid-Atlantic states this year. They recommended one 6 point buck or larger and four does be culled out of the local herd that pretty much hangs on our property. Between my brother, his son and me plus the farmer across the way we have four buck licenses and 6 doe permits between us. So there is going to be a lot of back strap in the freezer this year.

On another kind of funny note:
I am on a state list of "ethical hunters" in Rhode Island. What that means is I have taken some special classes and have to qualify yearly with my weapon of choice, to be on this list.

What happens is a person calls the DEM (Department of Environmental Management) and says, "The deer are eating all of my insert plant here and the DEM says, "Oh well we have a program that if you are being harassed by deer, you can  pick one of the hunters we have certified to come and cull out your herd.

Honest to God, I have been part of this program since 1999 and I have NEVER received a call. I brought it up recently at a State held workshop and the gentleman from the DEM chuckled and said, "It doesn't surprise me as the calls we get are suburbanites who have moved to the country. They expect us to go out and capture the deer to be then released in someone else's neighborhood."  These suburbanites are SHOCKED that the state recommends harvesting them.

Oh well....

[Well-Prepared Witch]

Ha!  Not surprised there are very few requests.

[Jeremy Knauff]

FYI?the broken glass does not seem to be working.

[JohnyMac]

 
Jeremy wrote:

FYI?the broken glass does not seem to be working.

O-Kay, plan "B".
Have-a-heart traps or leg hold traps  (With a .22 pistol or rifle). Now you have to pull out the big guns! Keep in mind that Opossums spry like a skunk so steer clear of their butt.

Using the Have-a heart; throw a towel over the cage and then pop 'em in the head. Leg hold traps pop 'em from 5-6 feet away.

It;s all about attrition. Good luck 

[APX808]

What about dogs?

Bad thing is they'll wake you up when they start fighting in the middle of the night, but they'll also keep two legged critters away.

[USMC0331]

Everyman needs a dog or two.  Mine had me running to the chicken coup twice in a week with shotgun in hand thinking it was a skunk working on a meal....  nope, neighbors cat.

You gotta trust but verify with even the best dogs. LOL

[Jeremy Knauff]

O-Kay, plan "B".
Have-a-heart traps or leg hold traps  (With a .22 pistol or rifle). Now you have to pull out the big guns! Keep in mind that Opossums spry like a skunk so steer clear of their butt.

Yep, I have a box trap, but no matter how many I kill, they just keep coming. Looks like I'm going to have to go back to that. P.S. I can't use a .22?I still live in suburbia. I've used a small spear in the past.

What about dogs?

I'm working on that, but we have to get a puppy since we recently had a baby...they need to grow up together so the dog will be accustomed to kids and not eat them. In the meantime, the puppy won't have much affect. (I think, but I'm no dog expert.) Plus, I'm not sure about leaving the dog outside?we have swampland about 100m behind the house and the area is engulfed in mosquitoes at night.

[Well-Prepared Witch]

Actually, there are LOTS of adult dogs who are great with kids.  Rescues are wonderful dogs and there's one for every person under the sun.

[Colombo]

A little possum tidbit should anyone become a horse owner, They more often than not carry a nasty little protozoon in their gut  that can cause equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (so it's also in their feces or on the shovel that sent them on their way). The symptoms can look a lot like west nile and if untreated, permanent nervous system damage is likely.

[JohnyMac]

Jeremy,
my brother lives in suburbia too. Think Gammo pellet rifle.   

[USMC0331]

I know a suppressed 22lr snake round will kill rats in town and nobody will be the wiser.

Maybe you need to consider an equipment upgrade?

[Spirit]

When I was younger I used to hand feed raccoon's some biscuits. I stopped when one finally bit me on the hand. Idk how but I am fine.

[thatGuy]

I can't believe I missed such a great opportunity..

So I live way out in the country but I like to live a 'civil' life and as such I try to keep the discharging of firearms to a bear minimum at my place no matter that I could have a lawful private range or hunt club.

What I have been doing for feral cats and dogs is to catch them in a raccoon trap and then place the whole works into a trashcan that I have drilled a hole in the side of... that hole lines up with the exhaust on my tractor. About 10 minutes later they are done, nice and quite. I would advise longer with a modern motor but it works just fine. No yelling or fighting they pass quietly without a struggle.

[special-k]

@tGuy

Ahhh...  The "Treblinka/Bełżec/Sobibor" method.   

[JohnyMac]

 

[thatGuy]

oh, thats fucked up...

[thatGirl]

Well, TG did learn the method from a fraulein

[hjmoosejaw]

Wellie, no need to feel bad for the deer and other animals. Believe me, us hunters love those animals as much as anybody. It's not about the killing. It's the heritage, tradition, and comradery. All the preparation, the scouting, the target practice. The harvesting of the animal is just a part of it. We benefit from all the above mentioned, while filling our freezers and benefiting the herd overall. No game animal is ever on the endangered list. It's just harvesting some, while leaving more. If we didn't, Mother nature would take over, and she can be cruel. You sound like you're very open minded about it all. That's great. I liked your play by play of the chicken prepparation. I would LOVE to hear about a day out in the turkey woods this Spring. Hearing that gobbler for the first time, will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. It's a great time in the woods. After a long Winter, everything is coming to life.