I got bit by a possum.
 

I thought I'd lighten things up and tell a funny story. A true funny story. About 2 weeks ago, I was looking for a welding clamp and went over to my welder cart where I had a box of them. I keep the whole shebang covered up, so I reach into where I think I can grab a clamp and something tags me. I think what the hell was that? So I peel back the cover and here is this dude sleeping (or was) in my welding helmet on a pair of gloves. He's just sitting there with this big, wide mouth full of teeth open, but no aggression.

Probably in my stupidity, I picked up the helmet, possum and all and carried the thing out to the yard. Now, I just got a brush with the thing, no broken skin. Nevertheless, I washed up real well and poured peroxide on the area.

I wish I could say I was really scared, in fact, a snake would have scared the crap out of me. I'm still trying to figure out how long he was trapped in the garage. I know where he lives if I ever need him. ;) We have a bit of wildlife hard in the city. I've been face to face with a raccoon and we have some big ass rats. Squirrels have just arrived.

Last thing I would have thought of was to have my hand in a possum's mouth right next to the Boxster. I don't reach into blind spots anymore. :D

Sorry, wrong forum. I looked on how to delete, but I can't do it.

Milt,
Possum don't stay anywhere alone... look for the other possum... you have them!

Better a possum than a viscous attack mole that takes a while to kill...........I love it when I get one in a pinch trap!


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HEHEe I don't know how many hours I've wasted scouting out the deep dark passages in my garage for things that slither... we have a ton of venomous snakes down here in FL. I've had to chase them out of the garage a few times. Luckily, the 911 is on stilts so they wont slink in to the foot well... :eek:

-Michael

Better a Possum than one of these fuzzy little bunnies,,

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I had a giant Eastern Grey Kangaroo buck come at me once! I could not believe it was happening. I ran to escape it but tripped over a log and then it was on me. Thankfully my buddy was watching the whole thing unfold and was able to nail it with his trusty rifle or else I would have some serious scars and maybe only a half a dick left!

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Those are the one's with the HUGE teeth

When I use to live in Long Beach, I heard something making noise under my bed one night. I reached under to see what it was and pulled out a baby possum. I was like what the heck. On some of the hot days I would leave the back door open and I guess the little feller snuck in.

I took him outside so he could be happy and eat more of the plums from my plum tree.

been bit by a nyc sewer rat. still got the scar.

Our (New Mexico) jackrabbits will kick your possums ass...

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Why can't we all just get along?

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Wow, I haven't heard of any possum sightings since I lived in Muskogee, Oklahoma. I remember that possums like to pretend they are dead, then they attack you. But I was just a kid then. Wow, in Long Beach, CA? I would call up Harbor UCLA Emergency Department and ask them if there is any disease you should be concerned about. (I am a doctor.) Two weeks ago, I would guess you are ok. Harbor UCLA is an academic institution, very good, and I am sure they will ask the Infectious Disease specialist. Seriously Milt, give them a call. (310) 222-2345.

It appears he's OK. However now I hear he likes to sleep all day while hanging upside down from his new prehensile tail...
:D

Many years ago, I was on a family vacation at a remote lodge in Canada and some of the squirrels were friendly and would come up and beg for food. Well, I had been feeding a couple of them and one had a torn ear, he ended up biting me, but did not break the skin. Later that day, someone mentioned that a squirrel that had a torn ear was running around and was thought to have rabies... Good thing he did not break the skin. They did not have the new vaccine yet and I would have had to endure the 12 shots in the stomach. On the other hand, maybe that explains why I have been foaming at the mouth for so many years ;).

Not too many big critters here, but we do have our share of field mice. Once, as I was eating lunch at work, I thought I felt something on my foot. I dismissed it, and five seconds later a small field mouse found it's way up the inside my pant leg to almost my knee.

Needless to say, I stood up to shake it loose and of course it went higher. Now, I'm not much of a dancer but for that instance Michael Jackson would have been put to shame.

The only good possum is a dead possum

:)

When we still lived in San Clemente (this is about 14 years ago), my wife and I arrived home late one night from a date. I hit the garage door opener and started to pull into the garage and my wife starts screaming and freaking out. I then noticed what she was hyper about - a possum had decided to check our garage out and then apparently could not get back out until we opened the garage door again. He wasn't too sociable and the bugger would not get out. I honked and honked, and then finally, I had to get out and get a shovel to kind of prod him/her along out of there.

Now that I live in western Tennessee, holy cow, possums are a near every night sighting... or Racoons, foxes, coyotes, deer, turkey, etc.

The funniest and coolest wildlife sighting I ever had was at my property up in SW Montana. I had just had a 6 foot deep trench dug across an area where we were preparing to build the house (for the water line). I was up there pounding in fenceposts for my dog pen and was quite into the moment and then as I looked up while taking a breather, there it was... No, luckily, it was not a bear, but it wa a VERY large bull moose. Good grief the thing was huge in real life! He was about 40 feet away from me, standing at the trench, acting as if he did not quite know how to get over it. Or maybe he was trying to decide if he should kick my butt for digging up HIS yard. I was worried most about my kids who were playing up on the hill from where we were at, but he finally hopped over the trench and meandered up the hillside. Glad HE didn't bite me.

watch out folks, just a clever ploy to make us think a possum story will overide Mrs. Milt's skunk(works) story.
not fooled for a minute.
where's that bumper from again?
Bill K

Keep an eye on it, possum is a nasty critter, not as bad as an armadillo for wierd infections, but 'dillos don't bite. How about if it were a poisonous snake?

This should take care of any killer rabbits in the area:

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A Møøse once bit my sister...
Mynd you, møøse bites Kan be pretty nasti.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To convince the possum it could be done.



What is the difference between a dead possum and a dead lawyer lying in the road?

There are skid marks leading up to the possum.

I had a squirrel attack my car one day. He must have misjudged his jump & thudded on my car roof. Then stunned, he slid down the windshield spread-eagled. Truly bizarre. The wipers cleaned him off.

Ian

All possums are born dead on the side of the road.

Wife screamed last night as we pulled onto our street and something was scurrying across the road. Thought it was a possum, turned out to be an Armidillo.

I see opossums in our neighborhood occasionally and dead on the side of the road all of the time. Armadillos too.

Milt, that's pretty scary. I suspect that if he'd have been grouchy, you'd have a nasty wound.

I have these strange little holes in my lawn... then one night I notice a skunk grubbing around in the yard, so I think that's not so bad. then one morning I'm stumbling down the stairs half asleep on my way out to work and as I hit the bottom of the stairs there is Mr. skunk browsing the lawn about four feet from me. I thought "nice skunky" and tip toed past it... the thing never even looked at me.

Back when I had my Honda XL500 thumper I was roaring down Paseo Del Mar along a row of parked cars and a BIG possum walks out from between two cars right in front of me. I had half a second to react so instinctively I stood up on the pegs and "whump whump". I felt bad for the critter so I turned around to check out the carnage... and he was gone. The next morning he was in the gutter dead... to this day I can't figure out how he survived long enough to crawl to the curb, direct hit, 300lb bike + 200lb rider doing 35-40 MPH.:eek:

Armadillos have been slowly migrating north over the years. Used to see them on travels south into Arkansas, now they are all over us in Missouri.

Dog barking one night at dusk. I investigate. Armadillo, head down, digging furiously at the concrete foundation of a storage building. Dirt flying out from under him like a trenching machine, seemingly oblivious to my barking dog just behind him and being covered in flying dirt!

I walk back into house, fetch .22 handgun., slap in mag., and return. Dirt still flying, dog still barking. Wife follows. I grab dog by collar to get him back, wife holds him then.

Background: Armadillo/SLOW MOVING/low center of gravity, VERY short legs (1 1/2" inches tops??) Ok.

I am almost on top of him, just to the side. Take aim at shoulder area, trigger squeeze...POP!!! On impact.... this short legged/slow moving bastard leaps STRAIGHT UP INTO THE AIR, head high. (About 5 1/2 ft!!) JESUS!!!!!

Scares the S**T out of me, visions of him attacking my face!! LOL. I fall backwards and crank off two more rounds in mid-fall (one missed, second one hit him in the hind quarters). Land on my aZZ!! As situation settles, my wife walks over ...hand over her mouth, not containing her laughter well at all. "Are you OK?" *Giggling*

If ANYONE had told me those short legged creatures could leap 5' to 5-1/2' straight up into the air I would have NEVER believed it. (I was shooting DOWN, it was not bullet impact.)

Why would you shoot the Armadillo? Are they considered pests?

Note: I'm not a tree-hugger...just curious as I've never dealt with an Armadillo before.

Well, he was digging under the foundation of that building to find a new home, I assume?

They are pests, yes.

I live in Cerritos Ca,

My kids saw a coyote last night. there's no open space for that thing to live in 20 miles!

Quote" there's no open space for that thing to live in 20 miles!'
__________________

No doubt about that. As we humans expand our 'living areas' the 'wilderness' that wild animals live in is only going to be squeezed more. We already see it with bears, deer, wolves, foxes, coyotes and all these smaller animals. Inevitable.

Dillos and skunks will tear the crap out of your yard looking for grubs, etc... We hunted them very aggressively when I worked at a golf course. We'd go flying down the fairways with shotguns blazing, man that was fun.

We had what seemed like several generations of possum living in our neighborhood when I lived in Austin. Our Chesapeake averaged 8-10 kills a year for several years.

Milt...be glad it wasn't a skunk! :D

+100:D

I have to ask why you didn't simply figure out a way to convince the armadillo to leave peacefully instead of shooting it.

As for the Possum, they're pretty scary looking animals when they've got their teeth bared but in reality seem to be pretty benign. I see them in my neighborhood all the time (skunks too). Years ago I was standing next to my car with a few friends of mine in a park parking lot at night. I sensed something like a cat near us and looked down to see big full grown possum literally tip toe right through our group and keep going, like we weren't even there. He could've cared less about us and we just stood there watching, amused.

QUOTE: "I have to ask why you didn't simply figure out a way to convince the armadillo to leave peacefully instead of shooting it."

Well...gee, as I walked inside to get the gun, I REALLY did contemplate having a real heart-to-heart with the little fellow. Do they understand English? Hummm. What if he was so cunning as to out negotiate me??? He may have moved into the main house with the wife!!???

F**K it ...I dispatched him MY WAY.

saw a possum last night....took my cat out for a walk (yes my cat) and we were behind my
building when my cat goes crazy and I look up to see a possum over my shoulder on the fence
about 2 feet away from my head...I made a little noise and he runs away...possums generally
are scared creatures and dont want any part of conflict...my cat would have kicked his azz anyway.

skunks and racoons live behind the building too... last week a skunk let one go underneath my
balcony... man it stunk enough to make your eyes water...

Had a couple raccoons that would come onto the back porch and eat the kitty food. Came out with a broomstick and the bugger still thought he was going to run past me into the appartment.
Whacked him good on the back, but it was like hitting a tight bushel of hay.

I had a possum get into my garage last year, he was huddled under a shelf and wouldn't come out. After a few hours i made a snare and lasso'd hum and drug him out, hissing and baring teeth the whole time. Him, not me. I took him to the santa ana river trail and let him go.

Right up the road from Long Beach In Wilmington there is full on a racoon population explosion.
One of em already got into an electrical sub station and took out power to 3 refineries, estimated cost of at least $20 million.
Where I work we have one guy on temporary assignment who's full time job is to set traps and catch racoons. He catches at least 1 a day and then turns it over to animal control. No idea what they do with them.
The Valero refinery next door is trapping them too. Darned things are all over the place.