Digest Number 4415

[Guest guest]

Deb, the live traps we use we bought from a big hardware chain type store like Lowes, or Home Depot (this one was called Menards) and the ones we have say they will hold a twenty pound coon! I don't know if I've ever seen a twenty pound coon but the neighbors cat was about twelve pounds or so, and just huge looking. An older fixed male with a giant size head. But he had a penchant for our chickens!

Don't underestimate those small looking possums for a second. I believe coons are smarter but these possums are if anything bolder. Have you ever opened the mouth of a dead possum and looked at the array of hardware in there? Even the small ones are pure murder, even though they move slowly and act harmless. As I said, I saw one climb straight up a wall in the coop to get to the roost and if I hadn't been outside looking through the window it would have had lots of dinner.

OK, enough of that, I get carried away about possums 'cause so many folks think they can't possibly be that bad. I've carried them out of the chicken house by the back of the neck like a kitten before, but they end up in the burn barrel with lead poisoning. If you have a fox out there you have another whole set of problems. Namely, babies. And you are in their territory, not the other way around.

Try getting a Haveaheart Live Trap (sometimes you can borrow one from a county office) and put a can of cat food in it. Then just wait and see. On our little expedition we got the neighbors big male cat, about a week later, three possums and two small, almost harmless kittens (any of our roos could have dispatched these), but the problem stopped after we got the big cat. All I can say is you have to catch something back there and then you know where you are at. Good luck. Bob.