Possum in my Backyard

You don't need to do anything. No significant disease issues. Possums are typically "immune" from rabies due to a lower body temp.

There is probably a possum in your yard multiple days each week.

They are fairly benign critters. Other than eating cat/dog food they don't really do anything. Just wander around looking for food, a mate and trying to not become food.

As creepy looking as they are, they aren't dangerous and rarely do anything other than try to escape. I've caught many young ones with my bare hands.

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My dog cornered a Possum last night in my yard. Luckily She showed restraint and I was able to get her inside before she got bit or anything.

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Ever heard the term "playing possum"? It's not in reference to putting George Jones on the radio.

If the dog gets aggressive the possum will just curl up in a ball and let the dog chew on it. Once he's tired of it and leaves the thing alone, go out there 30 minutes later and the possum will be gone.

I've seen a German Shepherd fricking one up before. I thought surely the thing was dead. Nope, went out there a little while later and he was gone.

They're so docile you can literally walk up and pet them.

Thank you all for the education. I will leave the little guy alone and let him do his thing.

And they have eaten the heads off several of our chickens. I caught one in the act and knew it wasn't raccoons.

Live trap and relocate. I did not kill them. I understand the benefits of having them around but don't kill my hens. LOL
The possums were able to get under the coop as I would close the door each evening. Last 2 hens will not roost in the coop. They get up on patio furniture now.

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Thank you all for the education. I will leave the little guy alone and let him do his thing.

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Good man. Theyre good to have around. They have a very short lifespan anyway. 2 years is average iirc

Awwwwwwww, you should let it inside, they like to do house-cleaning:

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Raccoons I’ll trap and take off to release due to aggressiveness and disease

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The animals bothering me the most are Racoons and Armadillos. One of my neighbors on one side is feeding Racoons and loves them. My neighbor on the other side is trapping them. The coons keep using our deck and sidewalk and get under our shed and climb trees. My wife is scared of them so I would like to trap and relocate them as long as the one neighbor who loves them doesn't find out. Raccoons convert into scary menacing little devils when you trap them.


The Armadillos are digging up the ground all around the house. They are so oblivious to what is going on around them its almost funny.

I only see Possums and ground hogs occasionally. I like the possums, but the Ground Hogs need to go just like the Coons and Armadillos.

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The Armadillos are digging up the ground all around the house.

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And it's hard to stop those SOBs.

We used to see possums frequently L.A. one night my dog took off running and grabbed one trying to escape over the backyard fence. He dropped it at our feet as a gift.
We thought it was dead, but it had departed by morning. Just playing possum, I guess. We’d see them around the neighborhood just wandering and checking things out.
West Coast possums. Who knew?