You know you're rural when.............

[WarrenF]

Let's turn the question around. Why would you want to kill it if you aren't going to eat it, don't intend to sell the hide, and it isn't doing you any harm? Maybe some others are a bit like me, in that I have no desire to kill anything. I would kill (and have killed) animals that I can eat. And I'll kill those that are believed to be dangerous or that may do damage that costs me. Otherwise, I'll just live and let live.

Okay, I can understand that line of reasoning. Let me continue with this thought. Possums carry disease, Possums breed like rabbits, Possums, in my opinion have no real purpose on earth, other than to make a persons life miserable. Now I know that God made everything for a purpose....however I have yet to figure out what the purpose is for varmits like Possums, Rats, Skunks, etc..

I perhaps should not tell this...but here goes. Living out in the country, city folks tend to think they can dump their cats out here because "they are tired of their pets....and we can give them a nice home out in the country."

At one time, several years ago I got inundated with more than 16 cats. I decided to take things into my own hands, and try to neuter the males using my 12 gauge. I could never get the males to live through my 12 gauge neutering technique. I asked a Veterinarian friend of mine what he thought the problem was with this technique. He suggested that my cross hairs were not thin enough.

 

[Bird]

Warren, it's been many, many years ago when I was a kid living out in the country, and yes, we got both dogs and cats dumped. We usually first tried to just run them off, throw rocks at them, shoot the ground near them, etc. Occasionally that worked, but when it didn't, yes, I've shot both cats and dogs (way back then there was no animal control officer as far as I know). In more recent years, out in the country, we had some dogs dumped on us, and I took some into town to the animal shelter instead of killing them myself, but for reasons unknown, no cats were dumped in our area that I ever knew about.

 

[MicroPilot]

You know you're rural when.............

you're crowing rooster let's you know you've stayed up to late playing computer games!

 

[txdon]

Ummmm....question for all of you. Why in the world would you want to trap a possum and then let it go. Why not walk it trap and all to the back of your property with your 12 guage in hand and then cut loose on it.

I like wildlife and don't want to domesticate them. There is a LOT of wildlife gone in the area from when I was a kid. Everyone wants to shoot and poison.
I do wish there were Bobcats in the area then nature would take it's course, but sadly man has eliminated them around here.

No luck last night in the relocation program.

 

[Dozernut]

txdon,
we have Bobcats in our neck of the woods, a good viable population. However they are very elusive and sightings are rare. The possums are still raiding the cats feed bowl along with some obese Raccoons, so the Bobcats are not thinning the herd too well.

We also have something that the DNR says does not exist, Cougars. I have seen one while sitting in the deer stand and a local feller struck and killed one of these extinct animals with his car. The picture is a prominent display at the local barber shop. Also have seen a Gray Wolf (DNR also says there are no Wolves in Illinois) while in the stand, starting to wonder if I will see a T-Rex as they are also reported to be extinct.

RB

 

[Bird]

Don, I don't know how many Bobcats are left in central Texas. In the 8 years we lived in Navarro County, I had one cross the road right in front of me one morning a half mile from the house, and I saw one that had been run over in the road one time nearly 10 miles from the house. So two was all I saw in 8 years and one of those was dead. I was so surprised when I saw the dead one in the road that I had to stop, turn around, and go back to get a better look to be sure that's what it was.

 

[Stimw]

I catch opossums and raccons by putting bread in the trap. I tear it into pieces at the front and then on into the trap. My cats won't go after the bread.
My neighbor was trying to catch an armadilla and kept catching one of my cats. I told him the next time he caught the cat squirt it with a hose before he let it go and sure enough the cat took the hint! He still feels bad for the cat. He said Boggernose looked so pitiful all wet!
Here's a hint, take them away so they have to cross as many highways as possible to get back. Chances are they will commit suicide before they make it back.
That opossum that you caught is a baby judging by the size. You might catch more because I think they have litters.
Opossums are extremely nasty, smelly and they will dump in the trap everytime!

 

[MikeD74T]

I also see little need for rats. 'Possums are rare in my area, but see them of little use as well. What I don't understand is the rampant desire to exterminate skunks. I've freed them from leg hold & Havahart traps without getting sprayed and even fell onto one once while running a swing saw without getting sprayed. They dig up grubs & hornets from my lawn. I see skunks as a benefit. MikeD74T

 

[dmccarty]

starting to wonder if I will see a T-Rex as they are also reported to be extinct.

If you see one do you have a wall big enough to hold the mounted T-Rex? That would be way cool and a topic of conversation.

Later,
Dan

 

[Dozernut]

Dan

I think the T-Rex mount would look good on the North wall next to the buck that my wife shot. Then she would quit smirking at me and be humbled by my manly hunting abilities. Hey, I wonder how a possum would look on the wall, since T-rexes are very elusive, got to contemplate this one.