On 3/26/2019 2:09 PM, Mishi wrote:
On Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 1:55:03 PM UTC-4, Jill McQuown wrote:
On 3/26/2019 1:07 PM, Bill Stock wrote:
On Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 11:58:03 AM UTC-4, Jill McQuown wrote:
On 3/25/2019 9:22 PM, Bill Stock wrote:
I've mentioned that we leave food out for a couple of strays and the wildlife sometimes gets into it. But the other night I turned on the light and I see a large Raccoon and a Possum at the same food. The Possum left as soon as I turned the light on, but he didn't exactly run away either.

Opossums aren't exactly known for speed.

I thought Possums were relatively timid, despite all those sharp little teeth. I don't know what happened before I turned on the light, but the Raccoon was not aggressive at all, which really surprised me.

Maybe the Possum and the raccoon are BFF's in private life. LOL

The only opossum I ever encountered was outside my fenced patio back in
TN. It was a young one. I spotted it hiding in some shrubs along the
back wall of the apartment when I went out to check the mailbox. I sat
down and stayed very still. It sort of meandered out from under the
bushes, across the lawn to a tree and proceeded to climb up, very
slowly. It didn't seem at all disturbed by me. Didn't show me it's
teeth. Wasn't Speedy Gonzales, either!

Jill

Just after I posted this last night, I looked outside and there they were eating face to face again. Yeah, I don't know if the Possum is female or not, but I don't want to be Godfather to those babies.

They would look weird, for sure! Perhaps they just both realize a good
thing (free food!) when they see it and have called an armistace.

I honestly don't know if they are are naturally antagonistic towards
each other.

Jill

It depends on the raccoon. I heard screaming coming from my garage a few years ago, and ran out to see what the heck was going on. A raccoon had a opossum by the tail, and was dragging it around, snarling and growling. I stomped my foot, and the coon let go, then went right back after the poor possum. I grabbed my hose and hosed the coon down, driving him away from the poor possum. I trapped the coon that night, and turned him into a animal control guy that lives down the street. The coon was a miserable SOB - he turned the trap over while he was in it, growling and snarling at me. Even the animal control guy said he was a mean sucker!

I gather they can be mean suckers! Fortunately I've never encountered a
situation like that. I gather you were using a Hav-A-Hart trap. They
don't have to like it. I've never tried to trap either one.

Jill