I have known more than one person that would eat them. I never tried them and likely would not knowingly. One older guy I knew said cook them in vinegar and they are real good.
Big Possum guarding my oil drain pan
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Sounds like the beginning of a BITOG blues song. The thread title, I mean.
Regarding the underhood kitty, I wonder if widespread front-wheel drive and electric fans have allowed an increase in the cat population. A fan shroud is a nice warm place to curl up on a cold day, until the clutch fan starts to spin.
Regarding the underhood kitty, I wonder if widespread front-wheel drive and electric fans have allowed an increase in the cat population. A fan shroud is a nice warm place to curl up on a cold day, until the clutch fan starts to spin.
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Maybe Indiana opossums are a bit more aggressive than what the OP has encountered? I've encountered quite a few that were the size of large rat terriers. While they aren't fast, they can sure bite. I've never had an issue with them (especially for living in a woods), but they are known to get into chicken coops etc.
A mamma opossum got hit on our road about 10 years ago. She had 4 babies that still made it so we raised them until they were big enough to set free. What a fun experience that was. They really can hang from their tails!
A mamma opossum got hit on our road about 10 years ago. She had 4 babies that still made it so we raised them until they were big enough to set free. What a fun experience that was. They really can hang from their tails!
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Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Then I'm a bumbling idiot.
I wasn't about to mess with the thing.
They may be non-agressive, but any animal (or man) will fight if threatened.
Ditto. I almost stepped on one a few years ago who had a mouthful of pointed teeth. I about browned myself.
In my younger days, my Uncle Buford, (real name) would catch them and put them in a cage he had made just for this purpose. He would feed them corn for two weeks to fatten them up and, as he said, "clean them out." Then, on the appointed day, he would send them to critter heaven with a hammer and it was "Possum and taters" for supper that night. Very greasy meat and sits heavy on the tummy. If you eat too much, you don't want to stray too far from the outhouse. 'Nuff said.
Then I'm a bumbling idiot.
I wasn't about to mess with the thing.
They may be non-agressive, but any animal (or man) will fight if threatened.
Ditto. I almost stepped on one a few years ago who had a mouthful of pointed teeth. I about browned myself.
In my younger days, my Uncle Buford, (real name) would catch them and put them in a cage he had made just for this purpose. He would feed them corn for two weeks to fatten them up and, as he said, "clean them out." Then, on the appointed day, he would send them to critter heaven with a hammer and it was "Possum and taters" for supper that night. Very greasy meat and sits heavy on the tummy. If you eat too much, you don't want to stray too far from the outhouse. 'Nuff said.
i can't find the pic anymore, but a few years back My brother in Dallas went out to the back yard to take some pics of the flowers and stuff, when he heard a noise inside his gas grill. got the camera ready, lifted the lid, and there's an Opossum in "attack mode" hissing at him.
JHZR2
Staff member
The thing about if opossums will attack or not has less to do with their personality or typical situation, and more to do with IF you encounter a rabid one. Maybe that's still playing fearful, but if the thing isn't bothering your crops/animals/cars/trash, then it's quite possibly not worth messing with it.
We had a big one that was living in, and ultimately died in a kayak of ours. Not fun.
We had a big one that was living in, and ultimately died in a kayak of ours. Not fun.
Just shu him out of there with whatever you have. No need to kill him, or use your car wash bucket for dirty oil! Yuk! One of my neighbors girls discovered three baby coons in their trash can. He was going to shoot them, then I replied "It'll be another week before the trash comes. In this heat, they'll really stink by then!" He wanted nothing to do with them, (and his girls and wife were freaking out), so I pinned each with a broom, then grabbed them on the neck and put them in a smaller can. We dropped them off in the woods on the other side of the river.
Compare that to another neighbor who set up a squirrel blind in his garage. He has a mighty fine RCW (RCS?) Diana pellet gun and shoots the varmits right off the bird feeder! Perfect head shot. He puts them in a plastic bag and throws them in the trash. He'd had enough when they chewed holes into his attic, and thought his wood trim was an appetizer.
Compare that to another neighbor who set up a squirrel blind in his garage. He has a mighty fine RCW (RCS?) Diana pellet gun and shoots the varmits right off the bird feeder! Perfect head shot. He puts them in a plastic bag and throws them in the trash. He'd had enough when they chewed holes into his attic, and thought his wood trim was an appetizer.
When a possum wonders into our yard my dogs get me and I pickup them up and take them out to where I think they live and wait until they wonder off. With a raccoon I lead them back with a dog biscuit and if it's a skunk I vacate the area and take the dogs with me. Our Australian cattle dog gets skunked about twice a year. She knows how skunks work but she still gets the short end of these encounters. It takes a lot of bathing to get rid of the smell. The other dogs keep their distance and if I get involved we leave the area.
I have a soft spot for possums because they are so slow and stupid. One wonders into our yard so often I've given him a name, Buster and I sometimes give him a flea bath and dry him off before sending him home. This has been going on for a couple of years. The dogs just ignore him, now. It's hard to get upset at Buster. When he rolls over I rub his belly and he makes a squeaking noise and grips my hand and pulls it back to his belly. One cold morning I found him sleeping in the dog house cuddled up with our Australian cattle dog. He woke up and waddled back thru the yard toward his home making noise the whole time. I wonder how anyone could get upset at Buster.
I have a soft spot for possums because they are so slow and stupid. One wonders into our yard so often I've given him a name, Buster and I sometimes give him a flea bath and dry him off before sending him home. This has been going on for a couple of years. The dogs just ignore him, now. It's hard to get upset at Buster. When he rolls over I rub his belly and he makes a squeaking noise and grips my hand and pulls it back to his belly. One cold morning I found him sleeping in the dog house cuddled up with our Australian cattle dog. He woke up and waddled back thru the yard toward his home making noise the whole time. I wonder how anyone could get upset at Buster.
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