All of my life I had heard about possums, but just recently they started moving into southern Maine. This year I started seeing them laying in or on the side of the road. I always have to wonder; are they dead, or are they just "playing possum"? 
Raccoon War
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2LaneCruzer
Epic Contributor
I don't think they are playing.
joecoin
Gold Member
I live within two miles of the old State of Ohio racoon farm:
Popular Science - Google Books
I see a lot of the descendants of these original racoon pioneers. So far (33 years) I have had minimal problems with them. I think the coyotes are keeping them in check somewhat.
The property where the racoon farm was is now State of Ohio hunting land. When I live catch something/anything I take it there and release it.
Popular Science - Google Books
I see a lot of the descendants of these original racoon pioneers. So far (33 years) I have had minimal problems with them. I think the coyotes are keeping them in check somewhat.
The property where the racoon farm was is now State of Ohio hunting land. When I live catch something/anything I take it there and release it.
Wait a minute, are you telling me that they used to raise them to release for hunting? I read the first page, and found the article about the white coons interesting, but my connection is too slow to finish the article.
joecoin
Gold Member
Yes, the state was worried about the loss of habitat, so they grew them and released them in all 88 counties.
They built a concrete wall extending into the river which they topped with a wire fence. The concrete is still there.
beowulf
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We had one figure out how to get into the sealed cat food container. I kept blaming the wife for leaving it open until I came upon a coon caught red handed. He took off to the loft and I eventually chased him out. He has returned a few times. I will look into the Duke trap. My brother in another state had a huge raccoon problem and mixed up some mountain dew and fly poison and put in his shed. He said that mixture is irresistible to coons, and said he has never had a problem since. I don't particularly like that idea - seems other animals could get into it and also seems much less humane.
fried1765
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I just "relocated" one last week......to the back side of my hill, as vulture food.
PhysAssist
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All of my life I had heard about possums, but just recently they started moving into southern Maine. This year I started seeing them laying in or on the side of the road. I always have to wonder; are they dead, or are they just "playing possum"?
Look out for the ones without tire marks....
My SWMBO called me at work one evening to tell me that Sully- our Gold-colored, unknown [hunting type-dog] mix had killed a possum and was playing with it- tossing it up into the air, and running around with it in his mouth.
She went out and lured him in with one of his favorite treats [which exactly skips my mind], and left it laying out in the dog's yard.
I got home about 2 hours later, [and after dark], and went out with a shovel and gloves on to dispose of it, but it looked unhurt to me- no blood, or signs of trauma- so I poked it a coupla times with the shovel- a little roughly, but not hard enough to cause damage- and it sure enough started to growl, opened its beady little eyes and slunk off out of the yard through the fence.
Talk about playing possum...
goeduck
Super Star Member
Around here a raccoon size carcass will be consumed by coyotes. Vultures do come in for our dead cows.
tjkubota93
Veteran Member
He is probably more educated than both of those idiots. If they were smart they could probably tell by talking to him.
PILOON
Super Star Member
Coons and I are at war.
They yanked the facia off of my house and nested in my roof causing leakage as they nested in the displaced insulation.
I set (illegal leg traps and finished them off by .22 cal)
The young'uns were caught and learned they could not swim when in a sunken cage.
I deplore the urban authorities that live trap and release in the rural areas just to satisfy the tree huggers.
They have introduced skunks, black squirrels, and coons to areas that never had any.
All to satisfy tree huggers that want the problem gone without harming god's little creatures.
If they love the creatures so much then keep them in your home, not mine!
They yanked the facia off of my house and nested in my roof causing leakage as they nested in the displaced insulation.
I set (illegal leg traps and finished them off by .22 cal)
The young'uns were caught and learned they could not swim when in a sunken cage.
I deplore the urban authorities that live trap and release in the rural areas just to satisfy the tree huggers.
They have introduced skunks, black squirrels, and coons to areas that never had any.
All to satisfy tree huggers that want the problem gone without harming god's little creatures.
If they love the creatures so much then keep them in your home, not mine!
groundcover
Elite Member
allstate raccoon in attic commercial On YouTube,can’t get link to work but pretty clever.
