'Possum trouble - AR15.COM

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Posted: 9/20/2005 4:52:35 PM EDT

I've got two German Shepards and at night they stay in a kennal along our fence line. In the last week or so possums have started gettin into their kennel.

The possums aren't all that big, just a foot or so not counting the tail, and so far haven't hurt my dogs. But the possums are getting bigger. I can't see any reason why possums would wanna get into their kennel other than for the food.

Any advice?

Posted: 9/20/2005 4:54:59 PM EDT

[#1]

Get rid of the pansey assed German Shepards that wont put the chomp down of a couple of sassy possums. Problem solved.

Posted: 9/20/2005 4:57:44 PM EDT

[#2]

Draw down on them?

Posted: 9/20/2005 5:00:03 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Get rid of the pansey assed German Shepards that wont put the chomp down of a couple of sassy possums. Problem solved.

They kill em alright. I find em with chunks missing and at odd angles

Posted: 9/20/2005 5:01:15 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Draw down on them?

I could but then the neighbors would probably hear and since they're all cops well lets say that wouldn't be good.

Posted: 9/20/2005 5:12:54 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Draw down on them?

I could but then the neighbors would probably hear and since they're all cops well lets say that wouldn't be good.

Next suggestion...call animal control.

Posted: 9/20/2005 6:31:09 PM EDT

[#6]

Nasty ugly germ infested critters get rid of them, they are the worst. At least it would justify a supressor on a form 4......

Posted: 9/20/2005 6:37:49 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Get rid of the pansey assed German Shepards that wont put the chomp down of a couple of sassy possums. Problem solved.

Try taking the food away, your dogs don't need to eat at night!
Feed the dogs someplace else so there is no food smell inside their cages.
Good Luck.

Posted: 9/20/2005 6:40:47 PM EDT

[#8]

Try a .22 rifle with CCI CB ammo. it is pretty quiet. I have a possum and racoon problem in my neighborhood, and that is what I use.

Posted: 9/20/2005 6:43:43 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Try taking the food away, your dogs don't need to eat at night!
Feed the dogs someplace else so there is no food smell inside their cages.
Good Luck.

I don't feed em at night, just about everyday around noon or so. They get fed right after i wake up.

I would kill em myself, only i can't figure out where the hell they're gettin into the kennel at.

Posted: 9/20/2005 7:05:47 PM EDT

[#10]

FWIW, the possums won't hurt your dogs and they don't carry diseases. They are one of the most disease-resistant animals in North America. And they have an incredible knack for dying. #1 cause of possum mortality is starvation, followed by canine-induced possumicide, followed by B. F. Goodrich.

Posted: 9/20/2005 7:10:05 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
I've got two German Shepards and at night they stay in a kennal along our fence line. In the last week or so possums have started gettin into their kennel.

The possums aren't all that big, just a foot or so not counting the tail, and so far haven't hurt my dogs. But the possums are getting bigger. I can't see any reason why possums would wanna get into their kennel other than for the food.

Any advice?

Shoot.

Posted: 9/22/2005 5:58:12 AM EDT

[#12]

Shoot them with a pellet gun? Trap them in a Have-a-Heart trap? Food should be plentiful enough this time of year that they would stay away from the dogs but the 'possum might be interested in eating your dog's crap.

Posted: 9/22/2005 6:05:51 AM EDT

[#13]

I'm not advocating this but my father shot a possum twice with his .25 pistol many years back because it was eating his grapes. We all thought it was dead and went back inside the house and when I went back outside, it was gone. Those things are incredibly tuff.

Posted: 9/22/2005 6:08:14 AM EDT

[#14]

thought about a live trap?

Posted: 9/22/2005 6:11:04 AM EDT

[#15]

Don't free feed GSDs! They are FINE with twice daily feedings and will be easier to control the weight.

All they can eat for 10 minutes, twice daily is PLENTY of food for ANY dog.

Posted: 9/22/2005 6:15:57 AM EDT

[#16]

Havahart trap will work. Some Ace hardwares sell them.

Even a high powered pellet gun with powerpoint pellets won't kill one. I shot one a few times and the possum was bleeding profusely, but it crawled right off. Bird shot won't kill them, even after 5 rounds.

A .22 to the skull works. A CB cap probably won't.

Posted: 9/22/2005 6:18:11 AM EDT

[#17]

My GSD used to bring up possums. He would bury them in the mulch around the decorative yard trees. We would then chain him and wait. Usually the mulch would start to buldge and the possum would free itself. Then the game would start over again

I shot one in the crook of a tree from 9-10 feet away with a 12 guage one night. Probably 8 shot or something? Shot him, he fell out on the ground and kicked, so I shot him again. Blew the bark off the tree at that spot. There was fur blown out behind the crook for 15 feet. The shot pattern couldn't have been bigger than 6" or so at that range. Next morning he was gone

I swear something had to come and drag him off, there is no way he lived. Hell I'm surprised the tree lived.

Posted: 9/22/2005 6:24:06 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
I'm not advocating this but my father shot a possum twice with his .25 pistol many years back because it was eating his grapes. We all thought it was dead and went back inside the house and when I went back outside, it was gone. Those things are incredibly tuff.

Guess you never heard of playing possum?

amos.indiana.edu/library/scripts/possum.html

Shok

Posted: 9/22/2005 7:43:49 AM EDT

[#19]

Those stories remind me of some personal experiences. Even though I said above that possums "have an incredible knack for dying" (they almost never die of old age) at the same time, the can be unbelievably tough! They're little furry tanks. I love the little critters, but they can't be domesticated, so I just enjoy them in the wild.

Meet Blossom The Awesome Possum:

After her mom kicked the bucket, she got a flea dip, a few days of nourishment and a free ticket to the woods. At this age, they're very pleasant and a lot of fun, but then they grow up.

Posted: 9/22/2005 7:45:16 AM EDT

[#20]

my mother just let her rescued possum go. Though it keeps coming back every night to eat the food that she leaves out.

Posted: 9/22/2005 7:48:56 AM EDT

[#21]

Two or three rounds (just to be sure) to the dome and they are done. Thats how I kill the vermin around here. Supressed P22 and aguila colibris, they get done "execution style". If they would just learn to play nice and not amke a mess of everything we wouldn't have problems..... they never seem to learn though..

Posted: 9/22/2005 8:06:47 AM EDT

[#22]

edit messed up my own post and to lazy to fix

Posted: 9/22/2005 8:07:25 AM EDT

[#23]

I a the possum king.

They are nasty and can really hurt the dog. They can't fight as good as a coon, but they will bite and did I mention they are nasty!!
Small live trap baited with about anything will work. Most probably some young one's have went out on their own and you'll have to trap 4 or 5. Make sure to kill 'em. They are coming for the dog food.

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