I caught a possum overnight in the trap. It's a cute thing, light grey and big black eyes. My first inclination was to let it go but this is the city and almost every backyard has a big dog so it's probably best to have the animal control officer take it to a wilder area to release it. Possum in the trap this morning ( photo / image / picture from toni's Garden ) I am now on a first name basis with one of the Animal Control Officers, Bobby has been the one to pick up 4 of the 6 cats I caught and he just left with the possum.
If you do happen to catch a skunk, sneak up on the trap very slowly with some kind of a cloth cover and gently lay it over the trap. Pick up the cage threw the cover by the handle and move to a different location and open the release door with cover still over it and the skunk will bound out and leave without spraying. I was the Animal Control Officer here for 5 years back in the 80's and did this many times.
Toni, If you think 'possums are cute, I'll send you some darling ones! We have a resident 'possum under the workshop and I occasionally frighten him early in the morning as he's returning home. The first time he flopped over on his side I thought I'd given him a heart attack, but he got up eventually and waddled back home. We have others who come to drink from the birds' watering stations, and occasionally taste a few things in the vegetable garden. We don't have an animal control officer out here, but our neighbor Larry will willingly transport our catches to the town lake area. He just pops the cage in the back of his pick-up and off they go!
With continuing construction not far from here the 'wild areas' are slowing disappearing and the wildlife has to go somewhere. We have had possums in the neighborhood for years, I know when at least one has visited our yard by all the little holes that have been dug where they were looking for grubs, etc. If this one hadn't found the trap it could have continued living in the neighborhood and I wouldn't have minded. But since the trap was baited and it had eaten the bait we were afraid finding it in the trap would become an every morning routine now. Several years ago our Field Spaniel, Rambo, was out back for his before bed time potty trip and started making a really weird sound. We went out and found him with his nose pressed against a furry ball, barking like crazy. He was going to play with the new toy but it smelled funny and was moving so he 'caught' it. Randy had to use the shovel to dump it into the alley before Rambo would come into the house.
I would be too scared to even pick up the cage with that critter...someone told me when I used to trap rabbits that it is against the law to move them to another area...I never did find out if it was true or not. Great picture..
We used to have a bad problem with squirrels in the attic, chewing holes in the eaves and through wires then dying up there and causing a horrible stink. We trapped some but sealing up the attic was the only way to solve the problem. Anything I catch in the trap gets taken care of by the animal control officers, I forgot to ask Bobby what they would do him. Not sure they could release it into the wild or not. And Erika came to pickup cat number 9 Tuesday morning. I know there are more out there but she recommended returning the trap for a couple of weeks and if the colony starts coming back to come get it again.
I think I would not want to know what happens to them after he takes them away...I would rather think they were out there ejoying themselves on someone elses property...plus they can be mean if cornered. I have not had possums here and I hope I never do at this house.
We have been trapped 30+ chipmunks and squirrels and release them a couple miles down the road. My husband kidded about putting orange X's on their backs to see if they are coming back . We still are over run with them, its an on going battle.
Bobby told me what would happen to the cats I have been trapping.... they, uuuuuh, hummmmm, were taken to a kitty farm way out in the country where they can live out their lives with plenty of healthy food, good medicine, no more litters to worry about and with people who love and care for them. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
