Opossum Update - For the last time.

I've had a problem with an opossum.  It came back again Sunday night.  I let the dog out like I usually do.  Ten minutes later I was ready to go to bed so I went to call her in.  She wouldn't come.  I got a flashlight and my boots and went out.  I saw that she was inside the chicken area.  I knew instantly there was a problem.  She knows better than to go in there.

I got down there to find her in attack mode.  She cornered the opossum under the coop.  This time it wasn't playing dead.  It was in fight mode too.  It was standing up with teeth out.  My dog was having none of that.  She was ferocious!  She had teeth out and was snarling and growling at it.  I remember thinking how glad I was that I wasn't on the receiving end of that.

I went and got a shovel.  I used the shovel to get the thing out from under the coop.  Then the dog went at it.  I got her to back off and then whacked the opossum with the shovel.  It went down and the dog bit it.  Blech!  It was still moving a little, so I got the dog back and whacked it a few more times.  It stopped moving so I tossed it over the fence into the woods.

Monday morning I went out to check and it was still there.  I dug a hole and buried it.  I really didn't want to kill it, but that was our third encounter.  I think it's been coming in at night and eating the chicken feed.  It seemed like I was going through an awful lot of it.  I thought it was because of winter and the chickens were just eating more.  I was putting the feed in the shed at night but didn't always remember.  Anyway, hopefully it won't be an issue any more. 

Thankfully I have a dog.