Possum Catching 101
Possum Catching 101
So in today's lesson entitled "Possum Catching 101" I will discuss the do's and don'ts regarding the capture of Virginia opossums aka the 'possum. While preparing for this episode I scoured youtube to see if I could find anything on the proper technique for catching Virginia Opossums. Sadly there didn't exist anything even remotely close. There were several shaky low quality videos of vertically shot cell phone footage but nothing remotely educational. I took this as a challenge to myself and the Catching Creation team and we set out on our mission to bare hand catch possums.
If you decide to throw caution to the wind, call up your adventurous friends and launch into a full scale possum wrangling adventure, you're going to need a few things. For starters you really want to have at least one other friend with you. Someone you can trust in even the most dire of possum related injuries, someone to corroborate your story to the cops and most importantly someone to hold the flashlight while you run giggling toward the toothy marsupial. I would suggest a good pair of leather gloves to protect your fragile little hands from the razor sharp teeth of the Virginia opossum.
Long sleeves will help prevent any bites and sneaky claw slashes to your arms and they will make you look cool too. Long sleeves are in, didn't you know? It is winter after all. One item that is a must for a successful possum expedition is an all terrain vehicle. Whether it's a four wheel drive SUV or, as in our case, an ATV like the TERYX that we used in this episode; you're gonna need wheels.
Lastly you're going to want to find some pasture land that has been recently fertilized with the most aromatic chicken fertilizer available. If you don't live in close proximity to a pasture and have the misfortune of living in an urban or suburban area, have no fear, just look for the most raunchy dumpster you can find. You will be sure to find hungry possums behind a local McDonalds scavenging for stale indestructible fries and left over McRib trimmings.
I will offer a word of caution, however, for those city dwelling possums. Those guys can be sneakier than their country cousins and the urban possums have been known to carry switch blade knives, so be on your A game when dealing with those wily creatures of the night.
Above all else make sure you treat the animals with respect, keep safe while observing these amazing creatures and have fun! This has been Possum Catching 101. Happy hunting.