O'Possum, the Irish possum

This past Sunday, Jan got me up at 0300 saying we had a possum in one of the cat houses on the deck, and she wanted me to do something. Well, after a cup of coffee and a cigar, I got my .357 out. I was going to use a .22, but couldn't find any rounds for them. I did think a little, and loaded .38 Specials into it. Freezing the family jewels, with a 3 cell maglight in one hand, and the .357 in the other, I opened the roof of the cat house. Oh yeah!! A big fat possum. Aimed as best I could and squeezed a round off. As I was engrossed in the aiming and everything else, Jan came up behind me to see the possum. I didn't know she was there. "Oh, he's really big", she said, startling and making me miss. "Shit" !!!!!!!!!!!! I said. Missed the thing and drilled a hole thru the floor of the cathouse and into the deck!!!! The possum was shocked by the noise, and being a possum, did his thing. The next shot I drilled him in the head, thru the floor of the cathouse, and into the deck. Now I've got to take care of a dead critter, clean the blood out of the house, and dig 2 wadcutters out of the deck!!

But wait, there's MORE!!!

Last night, after dark ofcourse, I'm reading FF, and burning my custumary cigar and enjoying my Killians. Jan comes into the den. "Guess what?" she says. "What could be wrong in such an idealic world"?, I ask. "Another possum", she wickedly chortled. "Oh good" said I.
Crap!! Still didn't get those .22 rounds out of the garage. "I know, I'll use my .380 PPKS". So, I get that gun. Same thing, maglight in hand, fully dressed this time though, I brave the 24 degree weather. Open the roof, and "Oh yeah, another one" Took the evil thing out with another well placed shot to the brainpan. Double crap!!!! 2 shot possums, 2 messes, and now 3 holes in the deck. I've really got to hunt down those .22 rounds.
Now, what I need to know. How the crap do I keep these beasties out of the cathouses? I really don't care to punch any more holes in the deck!

Oh yeah, 2 days ago, the guy down the road who happens to be a State cop, was talking to Jan. He asked if had been shooting the other day. She told him the story. He just shook his head and said, "That sounds like John"

Sounds to me like ya wanna be moving a concrete slab under that house so ya dont whack ya deck with the shot.

Funny when she came up behind you and scared ya.

Wish I had a cat house out back!!! Probably not the same kind of cat house that you have though.

Mith said:

Sounds to me like ya wanna be moving a concrete slab under that house so ya dont whack ya deck with the shot.

Click to expand...

Hey! Ya know, you may stumbled on something. I just remembered I've some 1/4" plate out in the barn! Yeah, that's it!! I'll put that under the cat house!

Wish I had a cat house out back!!! Probably not the same kind of cat house that you have though.[/QUOTE]
I'm glad I DON'T have the kind you're thinking of!! The neighbors wonder about me enough around here!!

Glad you thought it was funny, startled the dogdung outa me!!!!!

But does anyone have an idea on how to keep these guys out? I can't single handed kill 'em all within a mile radius. Or maybe I can..............

johnday said:

Hey! Ya know, you may stumbled on something. I just remembered I've some 1/4" plate out in the barn! Yeah, that's it!! I'll put that under the cat house!

Click to expand...

You are kidding, right?

How about just keeping the .22's handy. One of my .22's sits right next to my keyboard (as it's my office door that's normally used on my way outside). The 12 gauge (with 7 shot as the first 2 loads out the barrel) sits on top of my office shelves.

uh, dont shoot them! let them live, but shoo them out of the house.

Danny; I'd really rather not shoot them, but I don't want any of my cats toreup by the 'possums. From experience, I've found if you shoo them out, they just come back. They're pretty stubborn critters.

what about a habitat away from your house. I know sounds silly, but I put out deer blocks and squirrel corn......away from the bird feeders. We used to have a skunk that ate with our cats.

Danny; That doesn't sound silly at all. I've live trapped many possums and coons, and feral cats for years. The problem just continues somewhere else with the possums and coons though when you place them somewhere else. I'd rather not shoot them, but that's the only choice I've got in my situation. They've found a real nice shelter for themselves in those cat houses, but I don't want to lose any of our cats to them. They'll tear up a cat big time.

From my trapping days, sometimes a .22 won't do the job with a possum. On numerous occasions I've put all 10 rounds from a 10/22 into a possum's head and the thing got up and walked off! I've also beaten them to a bloody pulp with a bat only to find that I made a huge mess but didn't kill the thing! Aside from the holes in your deck, you are much kinder to use a larger caliber on a possum if you need to kill one. Otherwise, you are only going to be cruel to one at best. They are very hard to kill. I've taken one out of a trap, put in in 6" of creek water, and stood on it's neck for 5 minutes while talking to my buddy only to have it walk off once I got off of it's neck.

So, if I need to kill a possum now, I actually use 00 buckshot in my 12 gauge. There is no suffering then. I will not use a .22 on a possum. Granted, 00 buckshot would make a huge mess out of your deck and make you deaf, but I think you get the idea. Also, you are correct about them coming back. I used to take them out of a trap, toss them off into the woods and re-set the trap. However, after seeing the same possum heading right back to take the bait several different times, I figure that was not the thing to do.

Johnday,

I understand, being a cat lover anyway. I would not have one around that hurt one of my cats either.

johnday said:

Danny; I'd really rather not shoot them, but I don't want any of my cats toreup by the 'possums. From experience, I've found if you shoo them out, they just come back. They're pretty stubborn critters.

Click to expand...

We get a few possums & skunks trying to take up residence near our house every year too. Here's a tip I learned from the Amish lady who babysat our kids when they were younger. Stop by your local equity , TSC or feed store & get a coffee can sized can of "Golden Malrin" fly bait. (they use it around dairy operations & barns to control flies.) Mix 1 tablespoon with some old cottage cheese or sour cream & place it where you have vermin trouble. (Gotta pen the pets up for a couple days) The possum , skunks, or coon will gobble the stuff up like Kristie Allie at an all you can eat smorgasboard !! They get about 5 feet from the bowl, their ass blows off & they fall over dead....works great to keep the coons out of the sweet corn patch too. I don't have any idea what's in the stuff, but it works. Again..........Keep the pets away till the vermin is eradicated.