Would pellet gun kill a large possum?
I live in the suburbs, and the other night my dog, who lives in the house, went wild. I let him out, and he corners what to me seemed like a large possum. (I know it was a possum, and I think it was large for possums.)
Thankfully, he didn't tangle with it, after it showed its fangs. Nasty.
Got the dog in, and eventually went back to sleep.
Since it caused me to loose sleep, I wanted to kill it, but can't discharge a 22 in city limits. Would a powerful pellet gun have done it? I was only a few feet away. Eventually it hid in a bush clump, withs just its rear and tail showing. Would a rear shot be fatal with a pellet gun?
Sorry if these are dumb questions...I'm mostly a handgun guy, and I've never hunted.
Officiall I should call Animal Control, but who wants to do that at 4:30am? Once I got hold of my dog, the possum was just a nuisance due to the neighbor's dog barking.
thanks
Thankfully, he didn't tangle with it, after it showed its fangs. Nasty.
Got the dog in, and eventually went back to sleep.
Since it caused me to loose sleep, I wanted to kill it, but can't discharge a 22 in city limits. Would a powerful pellet gun have done it? I was only a few feet away. Eventually it hid in a bush clump, withs just its rear and tail showing. Would a rear shot be fatal with a pellet gun?
Sorry if these are dumb questions...I'm mostly a handgun guy, and I've never hunted.
Officiall I should call Animal Control, but who wants to do that at 4:30am? Once I got hold of my dog, the possum was just a nuisance due to the neighbor's dog barking.
thanks
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Why would I do that? I like my neighbor, and his dog. His dog is an outside dog, and provides a niece outer perimeter alert system. If something bothers him enough, my dog wakes up.
It drives me crazy when they bark and run around at 2am, when I can't see anything, but they probably scent something that is now up in a tree or bush. But if someday they chase a burgular out of my yard, they've earned their keep.
{ Since it caused me to loose sleep, I wanted to kill it, but can't discharge a 22 in city limits. Would a powerful pellet gun have done it? I was only a few feet away. Eventually it hid in a bush clump, withs just its rear and tail showing. Would a rear shot be fatal with a pellet gun?}
why would you kill a possum for being a possum? ;Q
That animals has just about much right for being their as your dog did.
why would you kill a possum for being a possum? ;Q
That animals has just about much right for being their as your dog did.
I wouldn't suggest that you assassinate the neighbor's dog. If you have a variable power (like a pump-up) pellet rifle, pump it maybe once and sting the barker in the butt. I'm a lot more incensed at my neighbors who let their dogs bark at night than I am about a silent, slinky, harmless possum.
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With one of the powerful pellet guns (1000 fps or more) and a head shot you can kill a possum.
The shot you described with only the Possum's backside visible you would not have killed it. The possum most likely would have wandered off and died a painfull death from the infection.
If the Possum is really a problem, get a HaveaHeart trap (don't use a leg hold trap because if you catch your neighbors cat by mistake they will get really pissed. Don't ask how I know), live trap the possum and while it is in the trap shoot it in the head with a pellet gun.
Walter's advice actually isn't too bad, but for a different reason than he gives.
The real reason the Possum is hanging around is because there is food for it. Most likely your neighbors "Outside" dog's food bowl. Get rid of the food source and the possum will leave for better pickins. (as will the rats and other vermin)
The shot you described with only the Possum's backside visible you would not have killed it. The possum most likely would have wandered off and died a painfull death from the infection.
If the Possum is really a problem, get a HaveaHeart trap (don't use a leg hold trap because if you catch your neighbors cat by mistake they will get really pissed. Don't ask how I know), live trap the possum and while it is in the trap shoot it in the head with a pellet gun.
Walter's advice actually isn't too bad, but for a different reason than he gives.
The real reason the Possum is hanging around is because there is food for it. Most likely your neighbors "Outside" dog's food bowl. Get rid of the food source and the possum will leave for better pickins. (as will the rats and other vermin)
vafish is right about the pellet rifle. a good one will kill possum with a head or heart shot. but neither will do it quickly. those little suckers are pretty tough. call animal control during the day, tell them you have had a "late night" visitor and they will come and set a trap (or they should). that would be the best solution to keep you outta trouble.
If this late night visitor is so much of a problem that it must be kill, then why don't you place raccoon/possum posion bait out?
That would be easier than to bait them, you don't have to worry about get a pellet gun to shoot it, and last I check traps cost alot more than a single box of possum pellet bait.
That would be easier than to bait them, you don't have to worry about get a pellet gun to shoot it, and last I check traps cost alot more than a single box of possum pellet bait.
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The Sheridan (SP?) Silver Streak .20 caliber pellet gun does REAL well (when put in an eye socket) on 35+ pound woodchucks
dont ask me how I know. 
Oh yeah, I also hear a laser is a MUST for the nighttime shooting of opossums something about making their heads light up.
Oh yeah, I also hear a laser is a MUST for the nighttime shooting of opossums something about making their heads light up.
G
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·Back when I lived in South Florida, rabies was becomming a problem in animals such as possums, and racoons. If you called the animal control office, they would come out, set a trap(havahart) in your backyard, bait it, and then come back and haul off anything they caught overnight. It was very easy, and you didn't have to fool with anything. They would do it all for you. And this was in a typical middle class neighborhood. If you did this yourself, it was considered "trapping without a license", and you could get ticketed, or fined. And if you shot it, the SWAT team would probably be at your front door within a few minutes.
Give your local animal control a call, and see if they have a similar program.
Give your local animal control a call, and see if they have a similar program.
Michigan: My Silver Streak is about 40 years old. Still looks pretty good, and I can't tell any difference in its power, than from when it was new.
When I was a kid, I had several of the Crosman (or is that" Crossman?) pump-up pellet rifles in .22 cal. I was deadly accurate with the C's, and actually killed a mullet with mine. My father bought the Silver Streak for my brother and I later "appropriated" it.
When I was a kid, I had several of the Crosman (or is that" Crossman?) pump-up pellet rifles in .22 cal. I was deadly accurate with the C's, and actually killed a mullet with mine. My father bought the Silver Streak for my brother and I later "appropriated" it.
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Would not a baseball bat work ?
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The last time I heard a dog barking at night, it was my dog waking me up to a couple of thugs trying to steal my truck a few days ago. Anyone who shoots my dog with a pellet gun is going to need their pellet gun surgically removed from their anus later that night.
And as far as the "harmless possum", I'm guessing that you've never seen a dog tangle with one. Those little buggers can be ferocious when cornered, and many dogs will corner them just due to their natural territorial and hunting instincts. A possum in the back yard is not to be taken lightly when pets are involved.
As for the original question, a pellet gun can kill a possum with a well placed shot. I'm not sure that it would do so reliably and cleanly though, as they are tough little beasts. I would leave it to animal control and save the pellet gun for starlings and crows.
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