+RJFerret Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 I was scouting a possible night/multicache location today and was checking out various geo-trees, toward the end, near the trail by a rhododendron, I saw a possible cavity at the base of a tree that had leaves packed in it. Before I pulled out the leaves to see how large the cavity was, I looked around the tree to find a large opening on the other side with a tail and fur sticking out!!! Not sure it was even alive, I peeked around a bit more, keeping the tree between me and whatever, and found a rather large possum had climbed over the edge, down into the cavity, leaving the tip of his tail sticking up... It's poor tail was scarred at the tip, but he moved a bit, presumably from my presence. Poor guy, I stepped back and let him return to his rest. It's always enjoyable to get a glimpse of the natural world persevering, despite a road a couple-dozen feet away with houses lining it. Enjoy, Randy Quote Link to comment
+Desert_Warrior Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 I would have hid the cache anyway, and you KNOW what would be for dinner tonight!!!!! No, seriously... you did the right thing. Mike. Desert_Warrior (aka KD9KC). El Paso, Texas. Citizens of this land may own guns. Not to threaten their neighbors, but to ensure themselves of liberty and freedom. They are not assault weapons anymore... they are HOMELAND DEFENSE WEAPONS! Quote Link to comment
Cholo Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 Last year my wife was driving on the road near us. She saw a possum up ahead, and almost on cue the possum rolled over and played dead. Which brings me to armadillos. I've only seen them in Texas. They appear to be possums who've developed armor as protection against speeding good ol' boys. This didn't seem to work for the armadillos I've seen, unless they were playin' possum. Quote Link to comment
Dinoprophet Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Last week I spotted a great hollow tree, and yesterday I returned to get the coordinates. As I approached, a strong musky smell hit me...animal pee-pee. I then went looking for a new hiding place. "Winter's just the curtain. Spring will take the bow" -- Richard Shindell, Spring Quote Link to comment
+Desert_Warrior Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Cholo:Which brings me to armadillos. Where it isn't warm till it gets over 100 deg F, it isn't food unless it hurts, and even the state animal is armor-plated! Ahhhhh.... livin free in Texas! Mike. Desert_Warrior (aka KD9KC). El Paso, Texas. Citizens of this land may own guns. Not to threaten their neighbors, but to ensure themselves of liberty and freedom. They are not assault weapons anymore... they are HOMELAND DEFENSE WEAPONS! Quote Link to comment
+Rebel Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Yep, armadillos are here in Georgia too. What next? Gila monsters? Y'all know why the chicken crossed the road? Well, it was to show the possum how it's done. Have a Dixie Day! Quote Link to comment
+bitbrain Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Armadillo is simply possum on the half shell. Quote Link to comment
+Delta-S Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 »Place a fresh and cleaned possum in a large roasting pan. Also place a large rock in the pan with the possum. »Add about 2 inches of water to the pan. Add onions and spices as you see fit. »Cover and roast in a 350°F oven for 1½ hours. »Throw out the possum and eat the rock. Quote Link to comment
+RJFerret Posted March 26, 2003 Author Share Posted March 26, 2003 ...heheh, I'll have to go back and let the possum know how much entertainment he provided! I've never seen one play dead, caught one in the chicken coop when I was a kid, but he tried to escape and never played dead, even in the bucket... "possum on the half shell" {grin}, Randy PS: Although I won't use that tree, I'm currently planning a night cache for that park! Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 I had a similar experience. I was looking for a spot to hide a cache and noticed a hollow stump that was about 4 feet high. I looked down into it and was startled to see an equally startled family of raccoons looking up at me. Mama and maybe 3 or 4 little ones. I walked away very quickly. "An appeaser is one who keeps feeding a crocodile-hoping it will eat him last" -Winston Churchill Quote Link to comment
+RJFerret Posted March 28, 2003 Author Share Posted March 28, 2003 quote:Originally posted by BrianSnat:I had a similar experience. I was looking for a spot to hide a cache and noticed a hollow stump that was about 4 feet high. I looked down into it and was startled to see an equally startled family of raccoons looking up at me. Mama and maybe 3 or 4 little ones. I walked away very quickly. Aww... How cute! Before I was born (and regulations now prevent such) my parents found and raised an orphaned racoon. She proceeded to raise several litters in the neighbourhood and came back to visit for dinners... One year when I was little, we found a cleft in some rocks on our property that she had denned in... Thanks for evoking the fond memory! Randy PS: When little, I argued with my brother whether a specific rattle was mine or the racoon's! Their are still racoon claw marks in the screen door to the deck. Quote Link to comment
Dinoprophet Posted March 29, 2003 Share Posted March 29, 2003 quote:Originally posted by RJFerret:Before I was born (and regulations now prevent such) Now that's an impressive credential! "Winter's just the curtain. Spring will take the bow" -- Richard Shindell, Spring Quote Link to comment
+RJFerret Posted March 30, 2003 Author Share Posted March 30, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Dinoprophet: quote:Originally posted by RJFerret:Before I was born (and regulations now prevent such) Now _that's_ an impressive credential! Haha...LOL!! To add to the saga, as a buddy and I went to the same park to setup the night cache, we "tree'd" a young 'coon. We got rained out (arrived hours head of forecast), and it's forecasted to rain Tuesday when we were going to return. At this rate, it won't get setup until after we set the clocks ahead... Randy PS: I've rechecked the possum's tree but it hasn't been back--I'm not using it for the cache anyway, as it's too close to the road and he might want to come back some other day.. Quote Link to comment
enfanta Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 Last spring while driving through a local park I saw some grey fluff on the road. Pulled over and got out and found two baby possum on the road. I was concerned other drivers would hit them (they weren't moving very fast) so I picked one up in a tee-shirt to move him and was dismayed to see the poor thing expire right in my hands. He sort of deflated and slid over and his jaw went slack and his eyes even seemed to unfocus. I was a bit upset until I *finally* remembered where "playing possum" comes from! I set him and his sibling at the side of the road and they scampered off fairly quickly. Quote Link to comment
Cholo Posted April 8, 2003 Share Posted April 8, 2003 Playin' possum and a cat's nine lives. There must be some natural survival instincts happening here. Back in the late 60's I had a VW bug. Our kitten tried to sneak into the back seat and got slammed with the car door. His eyes rolled and it looked like he'd gasped his last breath. While the kids were crying, the kitty slowly started to come awake. Within 15 minutes he was acting like nothing happened, tho he didn't try to get into the car. Around Jan. of 74, I had a 73 Chevy station wagon (nice fuel choice, huh?). One morning as I was backing out of the driveway, it felt as if I'd ran over a kid's toy. Our big, white, tom cat, Big Shot was running towards the woods. His left rear leg was sticking straight out to the side. It's a good thing there was snow in the drive way. The night temps were about zero degs then. Five days later he showed up with no injuries and the same attitude that had earned him his name. Beach Park, Il USA Quote Link to comment
Cape Cod Cacher Posted April 8, 2003 Share Posted April 8, 2003 A couple years ago I decided to go to the local market for the evening's supplies when I ran into a possum...................... Thing was, I was walking I'm not sure who was more scared, it or me... I also learned that possums can jump straight up about 3-4 feet and then run horizontaly, just like a cartoon Quote Link to comment
jackbear Posted April 8, 2003 Share Posted April 8, 2003 You mentioned scarring on his tail. Opossums (North America's only marsupial) don't have much fur on their tails or ears. They were not originally adapted for northern climates, and (perhaps foolishly) have continued to extend their range northward. They are very susecptable to frostbit on the tips of their tails and ears. You will often see 'possums with blackend or missing ears and tips of tails. Hows that for your daily dose of useless knowledge. Grrrrrrrrr... jackbear Quote Link to comment
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