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Post by Ozarks Tom on Dec 29, 2022 17:28:38 GMT
I dispatched two armadillos with one shot, while they were otherwise engaged.
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Post by blackfeather on Dec 29, 2022 21:22:08 GMT
Generally, if I see an opossum, I just leave them alone. But once they start to hang around the chicken coop, then they are usually sentenced to death. One that I shot, I took down and threw it where I knew the coyotes would run. I went back several days later, and they didn't touch it. I guess they don't know any good recipes for them. One interesting fact, opossums don't get rabies. Their body temperature is too cool for it to flourish. I had one that fled from me and wedged himself under a board with his tail hanging out. I put on heavy gloves and dragged him out and took him way down in the field and released him there. I suspect he might have found his way back; we had several opossums at the time. Then one day they all moved on.
Skunks is the other thing we get from time to time. This year several got killed on the road. Across the street in the low-cost housing development one family feeds them. They have become rather tame, and they can feed them right out of their hand. The kids picked up the baby skunks and pet them. I generally approve of skunks because they eat yellow jacket nests. They eat grubs out of the lawn as well. My wife was working in the garden, one was eating grubs and she was pulling weeds till they looked up together and noticed each other. Both backed off really quick. The skunk has to feel threatened in order for him to spray. We don't threaten them, and they don't spray us, we seem to have an unspoken agreement. The county drops pellets for them and the raccoons to eat, they have rabies vaccine in the pellets. We don't usually have too many cases of rabies in animals around here. Once they start to increase, they take a helicopter and drop more pellets around the county.
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Post by wildhorseluvr on Dec 29, 2022 22:15:15 GMT
Possums can get rabies, it’s just rare. On the other hand, skunks have a fairly high incidence of rabies. Bats are the worst, I think coons and skunks are next. One of my vet friends frequently had people bringing sick bats to him to take care of. He always send their heads in to the state for testing and he told me every last one was rabid. I worked with a couple vets and have been good friends with several vets and learned enough about rabies to know I’d never handle a skunk or coon or allow them around my livestock. Skunks can also carry rabies for a year or more. Not sure of they can transfer it until they actually show symptoms but I wouldn’t care to be the guinea pig.
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Post by ceresone on Dec 29, 2022 22:24:20 GMT
remember rockpile? he ate ground hog, possums, anything that could be cooked--
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Post by wildhorseluvr on Dec 29, 2022 22:47:57 GMT
remember rockpile? he ate ground hog, possums, anything that could be cooked-- I would if I were starving. In normal times, not very likely. 🤣
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Post by Ozarks Tom on Dec 29, 2022 22:56:54 GMT
I remember in Texas someone referring to eating armadillos as "possum on a half-shell".
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Post by themotherhen on Dec 29, 2022 23:33:27 GMT
Y'all are hilarious!
Grandma cooked squirrel once while I was there. She dipped it in seasoned flour and fried it lightly browned.
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Post by wildhorseluvr on Dec 30, 2022 0:11:09 GMT
I’d assume squirrel would be similar to rabbit…fry the young ones and slow cook or simmer & bake older squirrels. I would try squirrel, they don’t have the yuck factor possums do.
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Post by farmrbrown on Dec 30, 2022 2:08:52 GMT
I dispatched two armadillos with one shot, while they were otherwise engaged. Pretty sure they have a shooting contest in Texas for that, you might have gotten 1st place down there!
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Post by farmrbrown on Dec 30, 2022 2:20:59 GMT
I’d assume squirrel would be similar to rabbit…fry the young ones and slow cook or simmer & bake older squirrels. I would try squirrel, they don’t have the yuck factor possums do. Yep, they both taste about the same, like dark meat chicken. I didn't mention this earlier when you brought it up because it could make it harder to eat one and I don't wanna be the cause of somebody going hungry, lol. But.....try not to look at the little fellas after you skin'em and throw'em in the stew pot. Anyone who has dined on squirrel knows what they resemble - being delicate here. Just remind yourself how hungry you are, put the lid back on, and pass the potatoes!
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Post by wildhorseluvr on Dec 30, 2022 3:34:16 GMT
farmrbrown, yeah, I know what you’re referring to. I can eat rabbit just fine, I guess as long as squirrels look more like bunnies and not like rats, I’m good. Besides, once they’re cut up they look a lot different. Not sure anything could make possum more appealing.
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Post by farmrbrown on Dec 30, 2022 3:38:31 GMT
The only thing that I know of was mentioned already wildhorseluvr,........ extreme hunger, lol.
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Post by wildhorseluvr on Dec 30, 2022 4:57:59 GMT
The only thing that I know of was mentioned already wildhorseluvr ,........ extreme hunger, lol. And a blindfold…
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Post by farmrbrown on Dec 30, 2022 5:03:55 GMT
LOL
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Post by wildhorseluvr on Dec 30, 2022 5:22:02 GMT
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