So, I have a possum. Not as a pet, but hanging around my house.
pic (not actually him, but you get the idea)
I would just leave the little guy alone, but I hear they can tunnel and burrow and stuff around the ole homestead. That, and it is driving my dog apoplectic. He smells him in the front yard, and every time he finds him, the possum scurries up a tree.
Once he gets up the tree, it’s impossible to get him out. I beat him out of it once with a broom, he hit the ground hard, and ran off. I have tried poking him with a spear. I taped a torch to a makeshift broom handle and tried burning him out. I ran the garden hose on him one night when it was like 32 degrees, and tried to freeze him out. Last night, he was way up, and out on a pretty small limb. I got the limb moving and he was flying back and forth like a crazy thing, but just kept hanging on. I was somewhat concerned he was going to land on my head. So far, his strategy of digging in, and playing Possum is working pretty well.
My neighbors already keep an eye on me from behind their curtains, so I don’t really want to pull out a shotgun, or .22. I went and picked up my old pellet gun from my folks, hoping I can drop him out of the tree, and then finish him off with a shovel. I hear their brain is the size of bird seed, so getting a clean hit with the pellet could be problematic. The little guy is proving to be a bit of a challenge. If I'm being honest, I think the rodent with the tiny brain may be slightly in the lead.
Any other suggestions?
pic (not actually him, but you get the idea)
I would just leave the little guy alone, but I hear they can tunnel and burrow and stuff around the ole homestead. That, and it is driving my dog apoplectic. He smells him in the front yard, and every time he finds him, the possum scurries up a tree.
Once he gets up the tree, it’s impossible to get him out. I beat him out of it once with a broom, he hit the ground hard, and ran off. I have tried poking him with a spear. I taped a torch to a makeshift broom handle and tried burning him out. I ran the garden hose on him one night when it was like 32 degrees, and tried to freeze him out. Last night, he was way up, and out on a pretty small limb. I got the limb moving and he was flying back and forth like a crazy thing, but just kept hanging on. I was somewhat concerned he was going to land on my head. So far, his strategy of digging in, and playing Possum is working pretty well.
My neighbors already keep an eye on me from behind their curtains, so I don’t really want to pull out a shotgun, or .22. I went and picked up my old pellet gun from my folks, hoping I can drop him out of the tree, and then finish him off with a shovel. I hear their brain is the size of bird seed, so getting a clean hit with the pellet could be problematic. The little guy is proving to be a bit of a challenge. If I'm being honest, I think the rodent with the tiny brain may be slightly in the lead.
Any other suggestions?