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Possum trouble

kimbo

New member
Joined
Nov 23, 2011
Messages
1
just discovered a possum, or possums, are in ducted heating vents. the poor thing was going mental when the heater was turned on this morning. how do i get rid of them without hurting them ? please help
 
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leeklm

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 15, 2011
Messages
72
Location
Minneapolis
I would think by leaving the heat on, and vent covers off, they should find their way out quickley if left alone. If you are present while trying to get them out, you will be taking them out in pieces...
 
Last edited:

djjsr

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 4, 2006
Messages
4,796
Location
In the cornfields
Use a live trap and bait it with pieces of hotdog. I caught 14 of them that set up housekeeping under my deck and released them in the woods about 5 miles away. Be careful, they get somewhat nasty when they're in the trap and they bite.
 

nehog

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 2, 2010
Messages
7,935
Location
Jaffrey, NH
Be aware that catch and release is unlawful in some states (such as NH) and can result in some legal problems...
 

Lambo nut

Banned
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
103
Location
Centralia Missouri
My steps to sucessful removal of Opossums

1. Set live trap
2. Bait with half rotten apples or pears if you have cats around you don't want to catch.
3. After caught, well placed .22 round.........
4. Empty trap
5. Dispose of body
6. Repeat

Had a few of them eating my cats food here in a rural area. Disposed of about 8 of them in two months. Why relocate, just to make them someone elses problem?;)

Kevin
 

leeklm

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 15, 2011
Messages
72
Location
Minneapolis
My steps to sucessful removal of Opossums

1. Set live trap
2. Bait with half rotten apples or pears if you have cats around you don't want to catch.
3. After caught, well placed .22 round.........
4. Empty trap
5. Dispose of body
6. Repeat

Had a few of them eating my cats food here in a rural area. Disposed of about 8 of them in two months. Why relocate, just to make them someone elses problem?;)

Kevin

When I was a kid, dad reached into the 50lb dog food bag and felt something fuzzy. Immediate thought was the cat, but the cat is purring at his feet. After a near heartattack, he jumps back and knocks the bag over. Out comes a possum. German Shep happened to be near by, and made short work of the possum. By the way, very good advise on the possum removeal.
 

country_3030

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
Messages
5
Location
NE Texas
I have permanently removed several that were eating our cat food with my .177 Benjamen pellet rifle. Nice an quite like for my neighbors sake. However, with them in your vent I would just remove the covers and wait for them to leave. Then bait and trap them. As suggested above.
 

Stuntmonkey

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2009
Messages
210
Location
Alberta/Texas
Bait and trap them, then put a .22 in their head. HATE possums, they overrun New Zealand and Australia and its open season on them all year round.

Don't go too much higher in caliber, they are soft animals!
 

djjsr

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 4, 2006
Messages
4,796
Location
In the cornfields
I caught this guy with a live trap. He was pissed and tried chewing his way out of the wire cage. He got one of his teeth hooked on the wire and I had to pry it free with pliers and wire cutters.

After seeing the size of his teeth, I was a little concerned when I opened the trap to turn him loose in the woods. He had that look of revenge in his eyes. :lol_hitti

399794010.jpg
 

kv501

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 14, 2010
Messages
613
I went through rabies shots in 2007 thanks to a stray cat, and if it came down to hurting that thing or getting close enough for it to bite me, he's gonna lose.

I don't know about where you live, but the doctor who ordered my shots said here in NW Iowa, that in several of the possum/raccoon/bat bites that he has treated in which the animal was caught, it tested positive for rabies. At the very least if you get bitten the doctor is going to order them as a precautionary measure and they are not very enjoyable. Expensive too.
 

battmain

Well-known member
Joined
May 7, 2009
Messages
192
I've discovered that it was possums that made my rat traps disappear. I guarantee if any of you clean up enough rat or possum ****, you'll have no mercy. None.
 
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CARS

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
535
Location
New Ulm, MN
About 5 years ago, my dog woke me up barking. It wasn't the normal bark so I got dressed and grabbed the gun. She had a possum cornered and the rodent wasn't happy. I shot it and threw it in the dumpster so the dog wouldn't drag it around for a few days.

The next morning I told our youngest son to take the trash out and I warned him that there was a possum in there. "don't get startled, it's dead".

He comes back to the house and says "It had babies". WTF. It's dead. How can that be. I go out there and saw about a dozen newborns sucking on the teets! She must of gone into labor while "playing possum" :dunno:

At first, I felt kinda bad but once I came to my senses I realized I just took care of a bakers dozen with one 22 shell :thumbup:
 

25mod

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 28, 2011
Messages
68
Location
Martinsburg, IA
Speaking from trapping experience and my best buddy builds live traps by a trapper for trappers, Wickenkamp Live Trap Manufacturing 641-661-2700, BEST live trap you will ever buy. Averages 600-1000 **** a year, and every thing else.

For opposum, you can bait with anything as they are scavengers. The only thing we have used in the last x-amount of years if you want to have stuff around is buy some Vaseline and Watkins flavoring of your choice. You basically heat/cook to infuse the flavoring of choice. It will last most people for a looong time. Dip a large marshmallow in the vaseline mix and drop in the back of the trap with one more, one in front of the trigger assemblym and a couple outside. The marshmallows are white so they guide them to the scented one...first nibble is sweet on ones outside so they have to continue. You don't have to have a big trap to do it either. My buddy makes a series of traps that fit inside each other so if you are mobile you can take alot more traps. He doesn't have a website yet, but I will guarantee you his trap is 100 times better than anything on the market. He and his dad are 2 of the true pioneers of live trapping. My brother pulls possums out and breaks their necks so he doesn't have to waste a bullet. Leon and I shot them and dump the trap. If you want to release them they will not charge you...a pissed ****, badger, or bobcat might be another story. If you catch a cat that you doidn't intend to...shake the snot out of the trap and roll it around...you will never catch that cat again unless it is really stupid. If needing a trap, give this guy a call and he will return your message if at work. His traps are found all over the USA and he will sell 1 to 1000 depending on what you need and what is available. His traps are made by hand and jigs he and his father made of whatever was around. I will guarantee they are the best traps if anyone may need one.
 

Lambo nut

Banned
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
103
Location
Centralia Missouri
About 5 years ago, my dog woke me up barking. It wasn't the normal bark so I got dressed and grabbed the gun. She had a possum cornered and the rodent wasn't happy. I shot it and threw it in the dumpster so the dog wouldn't drag it around for a few days.

The next morning I told our youngest son to take the trash out and I warned him that there was a possum in there. "don't get startled, it's dead".

He comes back to the house and says "It had babies". WTF. It's dead. How can that be. I go out there and saw about a dozen newborns sucking on the teets! She must of gone into labor while "playing possum" :dunno:

At first, I felt kinda bad but once I came to my senses I realized I just took care of a bakers dozen with one 22 shell :thumbup:

Sorry, but that is both kind of funny and not funny at the same time! Quite the surprise I'm sure.

My dad told me once, "Ever notice that when you see a dead opossum on the side of the road, nothing will eat it? It will lay there until it rots to nothing." Nasty SOB's they are!

Kevin
 

bmxr4life87

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 21, 2009
Messages
872
Location
Bixby Oklahoma
Greasy suckers swing em around by the tail and throw em in the woods... they won't be back and if they do come back then shoot em
 

Zeke

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
17,176
Location
Long Beach CA, the sewer by the sea.
I keep an oil cloth over my welders in the garage. I reach in under the cloth one day to grab a tool out of the tool bag and get bit by a possum. Like snakes, you need to watch out for them.
 

chassell

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2010
Messages
54
Probably had the babies before being shot...they are marsupials and carry their young in a pouch.
Years ago was out running one morning and saw a roadkill possum ahead. And what appeared to be pieces of bubble gum on the road surrounding it. Upon closer inspection, turned out to be the still-hairless babies that had crawled out of the pouch and died in the road.

About 5 years ago, my dog woke me up barking. It wasn't the normal bark so I got dressed and grabbed the gun. She had a possum cornered and the rodent wasn't happy. I shot it and threw it in the dumpster so the dog wouldn't drag it around for a few days.

The next morning I told our youngest son to take the trash out and I warned him that there was a possum in there. "don't get startled, it's dead".

He comes back to the house and says "It had babies". WTF. It's dead. How can that be. I go out there and saw about a dozen newborns sucking on the teets! She must of gone into labor while "playing possum" :dunno:

At first, I felt kinda bad but once I came to my senses I realized I just took care of a bakers dozen with one 22 shell :thumbup:
 

BFBOB

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
5,073
Honest, this is a real question, not a joke: Which part of "catch and release" is illegal?? And why???

Personally, I've solved a few '**** and groundhog problems with a .410
 

nehog

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 2, 2010
Messages
7,935
Location
Jaffrey, NH
Honest, this is a real question, not a joke: Which part of "catch and release" is illegal?? And why???

Personally, I've solved a few '**** and groundhog problems with a .410

I don't know the exact logic in making it unlawful to move wild animals, only that it is forbidden (in NH) for all except for the game wardens to do it. Perhaps to limit rabies or other illnesses? Perhaps because people (re)locate to places where the animal can't survive? :headscrat
 

Jackfre

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 26, 2010
Messages
4,406
Location
N CA
Take your air compressor and feed it down the duct and kind let it rip. Provide an opening for escape. Once you get rid of them how are you going to remove the "leavings" in the duct? I've used compressed air to get skunks to move. Had some out under the deck. Ran a length of 3/4 pvc and ran the air to it. Scared them out and they didn't leave a mess.

I'm kinda with the shoot them crowd. I use a Weirauch HW95. Straightshooters.com for high quality air rifle info. For around the house, they clean things up pretty well, are quiet and don't scare the hell out of the neighbors.:thumbup:
 

BFBOB

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
5,073
I'm kinda with the shoot them crowd. I use a Weirauch HW95. Straightshooters.com for high quality air rifle info. For around the house, they clean things up pretty well, are quiet and don't scare the hell out of the neighbors.:thumbup:

I lucked out with the *****. The hole they'd chewed in my roof was on an ell right outside the kitchen. 20' away, large brick chimney behind, and I shot from INSIDE the kitchen, out the top of a double-hung window. One single-shot .410, 3 days, 6 shots, 5 kills, 0 problems and the neighbors didn't hear a thing.
 

BFBOB

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
5,073
Use a live trap and bait it with pieces of hotdog. I caught 14 of them that set up housekeeping under my deck and released them in the woods about 5 miles away. Be careful, they get somewhat nasty when they're in the trap and they bite.
Don in Illinois
"People that think they know everything annoy those of us that do."


Get it right.

"People WHO ..... those of us WHO..."

"That" is for inanimate objects, like tools.
 
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