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All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Hunting Gate => Topic started by: HeadOfPoland on September 11, 2013, 12:51:11 PM

Title: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: HeadOfPoland on September 11, 2013, 12:51:11 PM
Hey all! Its good to be back for however short it may be! I have, again, been busy with the life of a dad and full time car salesman. And now, in my own apartment. Here is one of the issues besides the obvious (the title). The apartment is actually the girlfriends grandmothers two family so no landlord to help us out. When we first moved in two weeks ago we discovered a flea problem. We don't have pets, so i decided to do investigating. Set up my girlfriend's step dads hunting camera., and low and behold... a possum! I have NO idea how its getting into the basement, but with a 8 month old.\, fleas and a wild mammal are not a good addition to the family. As some of you know I have a Hatsan 135 .25 cal break barrel and a couple and a few .22's including a Diana RWS 34. How do I trap and dispatch the flea ridden varmint so I can have my apartment back!


Im assuming theHatsan wpould be best and I know cat food is a great bait. Shot placement? Best approach? Thanks guys
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: daemon2525 on September 11, 2013, 01:01:00 PM
I would recommend a baited HavaHart trap.  Should be easy.
   
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: HeadOfPoland on September 11, 2013, 01:06:08 PM
I would recommend a baited HavaHart trap.  Should be easy.
 

Thats what I plan on, but i believe I will need to dispatch the animal as well. Reason being, I cannot transport it in my car due to the fleas, and releasing it will only cause it to return to our basement.
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: daemon2525 on September 11, 2013, 01:13:44 PM
Ah, I see!   You are leaving out some of the details so if I may.

I would take it outside and stick the rifle through the cage and shoot the thing! 
Nope, can't do that , live in the city.   

Um,,, Put the whole trap in a trash bag and throw it in the trunk?


Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: Gertrude on September 11, 2013, 01:15:47 PM
first use this,

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=trap (http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=trap)

then follow up with a headshot
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: HeadOfPoland on September 11, 2013, 01:18:19 PM
Ah, I see!   You are leaving out some of the details so if I may.

I would take it outside and stick the rifle through the cage and shoot the thing! 
Nope, can't do that , live in the city.   

Um,,, Put the whole trap in a trash bag and throw it the trunk?

Well I live in Massachusetts and state nlaw as well as city law says I have the right to destroy any pest or varmint on my property that is causing damage or is being a nuisance (ie fleas). So I guess my question is what gun do I use, type of pellet, caliber, and shot placement (obviously head shot, but what par of the head) . Also is cat food a good idea?
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: gandalfretlaw on September 11, 2013, 01:24:50 PM
I've trapped two in a medium trap. Might have been a havaheart or another brand. It's about 8"x8"x24". Larger traps should work also. Sometimes feed stores rent them. They cost around $50 so renting or used are popular options. I got mine used for $20. I think I used fruit scraps for bait for Possum. The possum will probably find it anywhere in the basement, but right where you saw it going in the camera would be best.

Dispatching through a trap can be interesting. Study the possum skull pictures.
http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/news/files/possum-and-hadrocodium-250x250.jpg (http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/news/files/possum-and-hadrocodium-250x250.jpg)

I think a straight down shot worked best for me. The real interesting part is shooting between the bars of the cage and the aiming at something a foot away. Iron sights would be best. Then getting the possum to stay still so you can shoot it. Also be prepared for multiple shots. Possums are tough and they almost don't need their brain. When you do get it, the possum will usually become still and then violently thrash around for several seconds. If it hisses at you, it's still alive.

An easier solution might be putting the entire cage in an ice chest with some dry ice in water or something similar.

You can clean it an eat it if you like, but it doesn't taste great, not bad, but not great; just kinda neutral. Still it's experience cleaning and the head can be used for target practice.
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: LET on September 11, 2013, 02:25:54 PM
I would just put the bait about 15ft outside where I could get a good safe shot and use the Hatsan and put 1 right behind the eye ....... problem solved. Take a garbage bag and put it in tie it off and dispose of it. One shot no one will know what happened. I had a nutter problem ( before my AG's) and used my 17 HMR and no one noticed.  my .02  Larry
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: gandalfretlaw on September 11, 2013, 02:43:12 PM
He is right. People notice repeating shots. One or two shots isn't going to raise any eyebrows unless your right under their nose. It's probably also easier to shoot at fifteen feet than in a cage.

The easiest way to take down a possum is with an axe or machete. When you see it run up and shout. It'll fall over. Then cleave it's head off. They're not real fast anyway. I'd imagine this makes them a very good survival food. A rock would probably also work. Your never going to be able to get a squirrel that easy.

If you shoot it in the open and don't kill it, run up fast and use the same technique before it waddles off into cover.
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: HeadOfPoland on September 11, 2013, 03:37:07 PM
He is right. People notice repeating shots. One or two shots isn't going to raise any eyebrows unless your right under their nose. It's probably also easier to shoot at fifteen feet than in a cage.

The easiest way to take down a possum is with an axe or machete. When you see it run up and shout. It'll fall over. Then cleave it's head off. They're not real fast anyway. I'd imagine this makes them a very good survival food. A rock would probably also work. Your never going to be able to get a squirrel that easy.

If you shoot it in the open and don't kill it, run up fast and use the same technique before it waddles off into cover.

Thanks for the replies1 I will most likely cage it and then take the cage outside and dispatch it then. Reason being, if i shoot in the basement, itll make quite a mess. I mainly wanted to make sure my hatsan would do the job. I assumed it would, just I've read than possums are impossible to kill with pellet guns. Thanks again  Ill post my results. keep ideas coming!
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: gandalfretlaw on September 11, 2013, 04:00:27 PM
Hmm, 750fps 25cal. Yeah that's not ideal for skull cracking. Better for chest shots. I'd prefer a 900fps gun but it will probably work just fine. Be sure to shoot as flat as you can so the shot doesn't glance. You'll want round nose or pointed if you have em. The two I dispatched were with my Whisper (the muzzle was a pain to aim close in) and it only shoots 800fps or so in 177.

Does it sink pretty well into wood? You want something that doesn't dent but completely buries into pine. Penetrating a skull is a similar task and Possum skulls are decently hard.
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: Sqrl Klr on September 11, 2013, 07:42:56 PM
You need to look for entry points and block them off. Possums are filthy so I would suspect oil & dirt marks on the entry point. Good luck.
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: PakProtector on September 11, 2013, 08:02:05 PM
Possums are not impossible to kill. I have done it repeatedly at 60 yard distance with a Marauder shooting Kings at 850 FPS. Examine the anatomy, and place the shot carefully. A shot perpendicular to the surface and between eye and ear will do the trick quite well. Your 135 has plenty of power.
cheers,
Douglas
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: Roadworthy on September 11, 2013, 08:22:10 PM
I bay be blackballed for this, but I have a solution not involving airguns.  Catch it in the trap, put the trap into a large garbage bag, run a hose from your auto exhaust to the bag.  Start the car.  At some point the possum just goes to sleep.  Later he dies.  Done deal.  Empty dead possum into bag and recycle trap after cleaning and fumigation.
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: daemon2525 on September 11, 2013, 08:25:42 PM
They are not that hard to kill. Any one of the first three guns on his list will do the job.
As far as the scope not working at that distance (which is true), I don't worry.
I just stick it though the bars and touch his head with the end of the barrel.
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: HeadOfPoland on September 11, 2013, 10:04:43 PM
Hmm, 750fps 25cal. Yeah that's not ideal for skull cracking. Better for chest shots. I'd prefer a 900fps gun but it will probably work just fine. Be sure to shoot as flat as you can so the shot doesn't glance. You'll want round nose or pointed if you have em. The two I dispatched were with my Whisper (the muzzle was a pain to aim close in) and it only shoots 800fps or so in 177.

Does it sink pretty well into wood? You want something that doesn't dent but completely buries into pine. Penetrating a skull is a similar task and Possum skulls are decently hard.


My 135 shoots clean through 3 pieces of ply wood that are about 3/4 inch thick each. Ive destroyed nutters with it as well as my parents fence :) .
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: HeadOfPoland on September 11, 2013, 10:06:14 PM
They are not that hard to kill. Any one of the first three guns on his list will do the job.
As far as the scope not working at that distance (which is true), I don't worry.
I just stick it though the bars and touch his head with the end of the barrel.

If anything youve given me enough confidence to move forward with the task at hand. Ima trap the intruder take him out back and put a .25 caliber polymag red tip in his brain. No more fleas!
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: Gertrude on September 11, 2013, 11:01:54 PM
They are not that hard to kill. Any one of the first three guns on his list will do the job.
As far as the scope not working at that distance (which is true), I don't worry.
I just stick it though the bars and touch his head with the end of the barrel.

If anything youve given me enough confidence to move forward with the task at hand. Ima trap the intruder take him out back and put a .25 caliber polymag red tip in his brain. No more fleas!
Dispatching it while in the cage will be an easy task for ANY of the rifles listed.
 You REALLY do not need to use the .25,
Something else to be aware of,  is that it may be difficult to get a shot to the top or side of his head.
 This is because it will likely be VERY angry, scared and threatening you with it's jaws agape.
 Do not shoot it in the open mouth.
 
Look at an anatomy pic, and pay particular attention to the slope/shape of the skull around the brain.
 make sure you are placing your shot squarely to penetrate the skull and scrambeling the brain.
 p.s.
 don't be wearing your "sunday best" when you pull the trigger.
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: gandalfretlaw on September 12, 2013, 01:17:22 PM
My 135 shoots clean through 3 pieces of ply wood that are about 3/4 inch thick each. Ive destroyed nutters with it as well as my parents fence :) .

That sounds perfect then. Shouldn't' be a problem at all. My NPXL1100 very nearly penetrates 2" of wood, not sure what it would do on plywood, but probably not 3 (3/4") pieces. My Whisper will penetrate 1" of pine, but not much more.

Funniest ad for a used springer on CraigsList I've seen said something like: Very powerful. Shoots right through fence boards and right through neighbors above ground pool.
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: Mebits on September 12, 2013, 07:50:37 PM
I had a possum problem too. They are very dispatchable with almost any decent gun at close range. The trick is actually hitting the brain. At most angles, it's not in between the eyes but rather up above them. If you can, you want to send a pellet back parallel to the top of the skull and not far down from it.

It's really easy to shoot under the brain. Be advised. Manny provided some helpful graphics, I think.
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: enazle on September 14, 2013, 01:07:14 AM
Three methods to dispatch the critter:
1.  SSS
2. Trap and drown in trash can filled with water.
3. Trap and call animal control.

For the fleas use an indoor pesticide with IGR along base boards and away from where children play. Works unbelievably well but you have to give it time to do its thing.
Title: Re: Possum in my new apratment's basement!!! HELP!
Post by: madmullet on September 14, 2013, 01:26:52 AM
I often trap raccoons, groundhogs for my neighbors and my preferred method of dispatch is a H&N hunter extreme to the computer with my P rod while they are in the cage.  You don't want to mess with those type of critters the tend to carry all types of nasty stuff.  For skunks I throw a tarp over the trap and put it over the exhaust of my truck and let the carbon monoxid take them out.  The gassing method will take them out with little pain and they do not spray that way so it will not tait your trap.  Skunk odor in a trap and nothing else will ever go in the "dang" thing might as well scrap it.  I would say any air gun around 12FPE will work at close range to dispatch quickly, a nice hollow point pellet at close range will short circuit the computer providing a clean kill.  I also have had very quick and clean kills with my  Talon SS with Ultra Shocks .177 those little pellets are devastating.