Well, it is a varmint

[Lefty2506]

I’ve caught possums so covered in ticks it’s pitiful. My understanding of the supposed study about possums and ticks was a possum was kept in a cage and eventually it picked all of the ticks off of it and ate them so someone claimed they run around eating ticks. If they’re such proficient tick vacuums how do they get covered in them in the first place.

I can easily understand how an animal that eats ticks could get covered in them, especially when that critter is the size of a small to medium sized coon and spends most of its life on the ground. I don't really care if they seek out ticks or not either. I have no problems with someone who shoots them. IF they eat even just a few ticks, I'm fine with letting them walk away. They aren't otherwise destructive around my place, and that's one less carcass I have to deal with. My dog loves to find dead carcasses and roll in them to camouflage her sent. Works really well too. I can't smell her natural sent at all after she does that....

 

[Doug Casner]

I remember when I used to trap spend an hour making a coyote set for a 40 dollar coyote and have a dam possum in it. My old uncle used to say, you might as well pull it coyotes wont come around a set after you caught a possum in it. I dont know whether he was right I pulled it. I guess the possum smelled it up. Doug

 

[372xp]

Mossberg model B!

 

[sacre]

Nothing seems to like eating possum unless they're starving. A dead one will lay along the road for weeks.

 

[Lefty2506]

Nothing seems to like eating possum unless they're starving. A dead one will lay along the road for weeks.

That's because everything out there knows what a opossum is willing to eat...

 

[sacre]

The trophy getting rifle!!

 

[hvacman04]

My wife let the dogs out before bed one night last month. We were having a warm spell, so there were more small critters moving than normal for a December night. The next thing I know, I hear her yelling my name and cursing first my bird dog (GSP), and then the little rug rats, then my dog again, then me, .... I get to the door and see that my GSP had found a opossum in the yard and brought it up to the front porch for us. The little ankle bitters were in a tizzy over it, not sure if they should attack it or run away. Mean while, my dog sat there on the porch looking at me like "what did I do wrong dad?" I let everyone back in the house, but I left the front door open (screen door was shut). It wasn't bloody anywhere, so I was assuming she hadn't given it a good crunch when she picked it up. I stood by the door and watched it for a bit. After a few minutes it slowly raised it head to look around. Upon seeing me in the door way, it reversed its motion and "went back to sleep". I couldn't help but chuckle. I went back in the house and gave it 15 min to move on, but it remained put. I grabbed the snow shovel off the back porch and rolled it down onto the sidewalk, and then went back in and went to bed.

Coons and groundhogs get shot on site at my place. I used to eliminate the opossums too until I found out they eat a boat load of ticks. After that, I started letting them go. The neighbor has enough old groundhog dens under his barn and mini barn that the opossums don't end up doing any additional damage so there's no reason for me to dispatch them.

Dear Lefty2506 , I heard that also about possums and Guineas. Guineas are great tick getters. I had some pet guineas when I would mow the field they come flying in and catch the crickets in front of mower, till all the coyotes killed them. I get to feelin better I will clean their timex, I have a infrared on my a.r
Thanks Lefty , Buck in n.c.

 

[jcarpen]

Walked to my shop and dog took off in a hurry. Went to see what got his attention.... he was nose to nose with a possum. Quick trip back into the shop and got my ancient 22ss. Looked around for ammo, 3 laying there. Went back out took a couple shots at, it acted hit but I wasn't sure so I walked down the steep bank and put one beside his ear.

The "varmint rifle" is of unknown heritage, a lot of people would scratch their head trying to get it to fire. After closing the bolt, you have to hand cock it (pull the striker back). Didn't have my phone with me for trophy photos!

REM mod 41