What are some humane ways to kill a opossum in a cage?

Even though possums are neither aggressive nor extremely dangerous animals, in some areas they can become a serious threat to human households, farms and gardens. They are capable of devastating crops and plants, as well as hunting and killing poultry. For this reason, many farmers kill trapped possums. In these types of locations, releasing and relocating an animal simply doesn’t make any sense. It will either come back, or move to the next farm or household, which doesn’t really solve the problem. Most of us, even trained and experienced hunters, wish to inflict the animal the least amount of pain possible. To begin removing the animal in a human way, most homeowners prefer using cage traps. But, what are some ways to kill a caged possum in a humane way?



When it comes to killing an animal in a way that is least stressful, most people think firstly of poisoning it. But, is the poison the best solution for killing a possum? The answer to this question is NO. You should avoid using poison on possums, not only because it’s not going to be very effective, but it is also risky to have in your home. The poison could harm other animals, pollute the soil or even hurt the children who get in contact with it.

Another way people choose to put the animal down in a humane way is to kill it by hitting it in the head with a blunt object, like a wooden bat, rock, piece of metal, or a shovel. If your hit the opossum using one of these objects quickly and strongly, your will put it down in a matter of seconds and it will feel almost no pain. However, if you don’t have any experience in killing opossums, this way might not be right for you. If you are insecure of your ability, you might only inflict unnecessary pain to the animal.

The best way to put the opossum down in a humane way is to shoot it in the head with a fire weapon, like a gun or a shotgun. An advantage of this method is that it will kill the animal instantly. However, if your haven’t handled a weapon before, it might be dangerous for your to use it for the first time. If you haven’t handled any weapons before, you should try to have someone who has to this for you.

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