dead opossums in the road

[Roswell]

I come from a long line of Appalachian hillbillies who would hunt and eat anything...except possum.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Roswell

I come from a long line of Appalachian hillbillies who would hunt and eat anything...except possum.

It all comes down to just how hungry are you. I have heard the worst possible "food" is raw seagull.

Benny had one very memorable moment in my life. I had just started drinking and trying different drinks. I tried a screwdriver, and it was OK. Alabama had state run liquor stores, so literally a small counter, and a few dozen bottles of booze in display cases with a number. So you told the clerk I want a quart of number 32, or whatever. Very limited selection. One of the choices was orange flavored vodka. I figured it was instant screwdriver. It was horrid and I had one spit take, and gave the bottle to Benny. Later I asked him how was that bottle of vodka.

He replied with great wisdom. "It was just right"

I asked him to explain and he said if it was any better, you would have not given it to me, and if it was any worse I could not drink it. This was from a man that drank "green lizard" or the stuff barbers used to clean and sterilize combs and and as hair tonic.

All of that led me to discover that I like beer instead.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

I'd say the same, but the way the world is turning right now, I don't want to tempt fate. Might be fighting your neighbor over a possom leg in the not too distant future!

Steve has way too many squirrels to worry about eating possum for supper! And he has deer just laying around in his front yard. I do worry though, if times get tough, about his turtles. Might be too tempting!

[stevej37]

^^^ I need to figure out a 'remote release'...but thinking about a 12X12 net in the tree above the compost pile.

Two or three in one drop without a gunshot! I'm sure the turtles would like venison.

[aigel]

They are pretty slow and harmless to a human. My dogs will stretch out a possum in seconds while a raccoon will put up a huge fight in comparison. They generally like fruit trees and also garbage. I'd sample one if it was in the wild, away from town and garbage. Strangely, I never see them anywhere but in town.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Jolly Amaranto

I had an old possum crawl into the shrubs in the back yard and die. It was getting ripe but I put off getting the stone rake out to drag it out and dispose of it when this fellow showed up.

Yep, around here, we'd have at least a half a dozen of a mix of those and their black cousins (turkey vultures and black vultures). A while back, I threw a turkey carcase out where we put our compost. The carcase had been boiled to death to make stock. The next morning there were a bunch of vultures hanging out to pick things clean.

[Jolly Amaranto]

We have plenty of possums and skunks here in suburbia. Here is one hiking across the green belt not far from the house.


A mama possum arguing with one of its disrespectful offspring.


The skunks insist on digging under my lawn shed in the back yard. I capture them and release them on a farm road on the other side of the Brazos River.


A different skunk that I just released.

[stevej37]

Skunks love to paw and dig small pits in a lawn looking for grubs.

I had a opossum crossing my lawn last spring with four babies on her back.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Roswell

I come from a long line of Appalachian hillbillies who would hunt and eat anything...except possum.

Your last name must not be Clampett then...

Granny's possum pie .... mmmm, mmmm... yuck

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by p911dad

Our local possum tribe digs little holes in the yard, maybe the size of a nickel. I assume looking for grubs...

Had a family of possums do a job on some new backyard sod one night. Must've been lots of tasty bugs in there.

[smadsen]

Clearly the officers didn't realize what a find they had.

I offer up LeRoy Troy singing his big hit, "Five Pounds of Possum in my Headlights Tonight."

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=leroy+troy+5+pounds+of+possum&view=detail&mid=D8D07FF75A6BEC0C150CD8D07FF75A6BEC0C150C&FORM=VIRE

[3rd_gear_Ted]

Armadillo on the half shell is a Texas treat

[Roswell]

Originally Posted by KC911

Your last name must not be Clampett then...

Granny's possum pie .... mmmm, mmmm... yuck

yeah...no


Huge fan of her rheumatiz medicine, though

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Jolly Amaranto

We have plenty of possums and skunks here in suburbia. Here is one hiking across the green belt not far from the house.


A mama possum arguing with one of its disrespectful offspring.


The skunks insist on digging under my lawn shed in the back yard. I capture them and release them on a farm road on the other side of the Brazos River.


A different skunk that I just released.

So, you trap them, then approach with some sort of tarp-like thing that goes over the box. Then you put the smelly box in your truck(?) as you move it to a new location. How does the truck not smell to high heaven after all of that?

[stevej37]

^^^ I wouldn't put it in anything but an open box of a pick-up.
The fun part is opening the trap to release the skunk without it spraying.

[Jolly Amaranto]

I have never had a problem. As long as they can't see you, they don't want to waste their jolly juice. I use a tarp or an old shower curtain held up to hide behind while I approach the trap. Drape it over the trap and grab the carrying handle through the shower curtain, haul it to the truck. Set it in the bed and make sure the curtain is tucked in well so it won't blow away. Drive to where I want to release it and put the trap on the ground with the curtain still covering it. Expose only the folding door and from behind reach around with gloved hands and release the catches for the door and raise it. Stick a piece of 2X4 under the door to hold it open and back away. It usually takes about a minute for the critter to saunter out and just keep on going. I think they are pretty confused by this point but don't feel threatened as long as they see their "escape route" open and clear. I have probably trapped and released 20 or so skunks at my home and up at the Armadillo Ranch. (They like to dig under the walls and set up house in the tractor barn.)

[stevej37]

^^^
I think the few times I did it....I never thought of the 2X4 trick.
Never got sprayed...but ended up holding the door open and picking the trap up until the skunk fell out...with the blanket still over the trap.

Next time...I bring a short 2X4

[Jolly Amaranto]

On occasion up at the Armadillo Ranch I just load the trap in the kids old coaster wagon and hike down the road a mile or so.


The skunk would not come out of the trap for a while and when it did it bolted under the fence and into the grass before I could get its picture.

I also have used a spring clamp on the side of the door opening to hold it open.

[masraum]

Interesting. Hopefully, I never have to trap one. I've seen one 2 or 3 times.

[shadowjack1]

Just down the street from where I Live.