critters eating the cat/fish/etc.. food

[rockriver]

we've had some critters eating the food that belongs to the cat/dog/fish etc..
able to remove lids of large metal trash cans and heavy plastic tubs.
--
possum got himself caught and came down with lead poisoning.
he got buried in the garden with a foot of dirt on top.
i noticed some scratching around the spot.

then a large coon got himself caught. and got the same lead poisoning.
i was in a hurry and needed to bury him quickly, so decided he could share a final resting place with the possum.
dug the hole, and "no possum" made me wonder if the possum was just playing possum? he had sure looked dead to me.
but i don't know where a possum brain is?
anyhow, tossed in the coon and covered him and turned to leave realizing that a few inches of tail was sticking up.
well, not too concerned... whatever ate the possum could find the coon easier with a flag.

i would have thought that coon was tastier and be a quicker meal than possum. but nope!
flag waved for 5 days before something decided to to eat coon.. and whatever it is..
ate a part and left the rest!

we are guessing a coyote, that's been spotted..
yee hah.. just looked at the monitor... it's dark out there, but an eyeball is moving around in the trap!

edited to add.... doggone big possum! lead to the head. looked dead.

[protus]

Garden hoes work good. Just saying lol.
Last one the dog got I just have him a few stabs with my knife...Let him bleed out and tossed him on our back lot.
Once they know there's food they can be persistent..

[cpt_sfc]

Just got a big possum last night ate all the cat food for a week. Then crapped on the barn floor, a foot away from food dish.

[rockriver]

i tried the "hoe" method on a jumping rat... i wasn't fast enough...
i use a large trap... they enter. eat some food at end of trap. triggers a closed door.
this rat was springing from one side to the other. i called cat... time for supper.
cat came up, then disappeared.
turned trap on end with door at top.
wild eyed rat. i hadn't seen one before.

speaking of the cat grinning..
when i catch a possum or coon, the ducks will come watch... they stay way back.
their quack changes. them rascals are smiling too. they clearly approve of the
dispatching process and results!

when i opened door with hoe ready... he made about 3 bounding leaps. and was out!
he looked like a miniature kangaroo jumping.
he took a couple of quick bounds. and got slammed. cat was hiding!! cat looked up at me and grinned!
so. i decided best to spend a couple of coppers (zincs?) on some lead next time.
hoes are for you younger and quicker types.

[rockriver]

2 points for protus.

after my post above, i got another possum... fat welfare lovin, worthless, piece of animal life.
went to get the .22 and remembered protus's advice on the hoe. and remembered the speed of my reflexes and the jumping rat.
hmm. there's pieces of rebar! right there nearby. and they fit easily through the holes in the trap.
that possum hide is tough!
but rebar is effective...
next time i get the grinder running or the cutting wheel on the drill, i'm going to sharpen a piece of rebar.
hmm. on second thought, having a piece of rebar with a sharp point on it, propped in a corner of several outbuildings would be handy.
no telling when a critter might be seen