On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 00:41:32 -0700, Glenna Rose wrote:

writes:


BTW I
wouldn't set a trap today, there is a major rabies epidemic among
raccoons, you don't want to go anywhere near them.

Well, it's impossible for them to bite while in the cage. If one does
attack, I suppose I'll be looking forward to the series of rabies
injections.

It might be a good idea to check with a good medical facility about the
rabies issue and how it is spread if it doesn't require a direct bite.
As I remember, they don't have to bite you directly if you have an open
cut or scratch and some of the saliva gets on it. Just for that reason,
please be certain to wear long, heavy sleeves and leather gloves to
ensure that nothing comes in contact with your skin.

Just one of those times when an extra precaution can go a long way.

Congrats on relocation. That looks like a good area to turn them loose;
they certainly have options as to where to go. The squirrels I have
been relocating go to a park on the lake; no homes nearby but still
"people food" in the garbage cans and lots of nut trees, etc., with
fresh water. I'm not so kind with the possums and turn them loose away
from the park, but near a lot of brush so they at least have a chance
with the hawks and eagles. Tonight, I caught a mouse in the smaller
trap so I guess he/she goes for a ride tomorrow if he/she doesn't manage
to squeeze out before morning. There's one more young possum out there
somewhere and I'm hoping it wanders in soon so it can join its siblings
and mother. The young ones were terribly bold, not old enough to be
afraid and were coming right up on my covered patio (and enclosed) and
going to the cat's dish with the cat right there in its bed asleep! The
first one we caught was sitting on the lawn furniture cushions looking
in my kitchen window! They are only about half grown, and I feel badly
taking them away from their "home" (wherever it is when they're not in
my yard), it's not their fault they were born there . . . but it sure
isn't mine either! I don't feel badly enough to let them have the run of
the yard and reproduce more of the vicious things in our neighborhood!
This last one was curled up asleep in the corner when I went out to take
it elsewhere. Darn it all, anyway, they should have been born
elsewhere, all the pests we must deal with should have been born
elsewhere.

Glenna

Is there any particular reason to relocate a possum or a mouse? Raccoons
will destroy a garden, a mouse certainly won't and I don't think a possum
will either. Trying to relocate mice is a hopeless task anyway, they
reproduce in the thousands. Possums also have a very high reproduction
rate, much higher than you would expect for an animal that size.