Possums...

[FPH]

I've only seen a black snake ingest eggs(about 12-14). Back in Tenn., a black snake and a chicken snake were two different snakes(least that is what Granny learned me).   I have seen a bull snake after it had climbed a pole and cleaned out a Swallows nest.

[Oldshooter]

That may be . what we have are actually rat snakes that are called chicken snakes, They are not completely black there are some dim yellow/gold lines on their backs(across). They eat eggs, chicks, purple martins, and field mice. If they didn't eat the eggs and chicks and purple Martins. I'd let em have the mice

[JonnyReb]

 Wish they'd eat the possums .

  Old Shooter, if you got a snake called "a chicken snake"    then i guess nuf said. And FPH you verify "chickensnake". Is it a black snake or another color? Glad those haven't attacked yet.. Gona go google them now but bet N.C. is sparce on them. I guess the egg question is answered too,.   

  To quote someone... "Everything eats a chicken".  j

  edit: supposedly ya'lls chicken snake is our eastern rat snake, or black snake. They definitely look different though.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=22&ved=0CH4QFjAV&url=http%3A%2F%2Fm.wisegeek.org%2Fwhat-is-a-chicken-snake.htm&ei=nHJnUbXiDYLM9QTl6YHIDg&usg=AFQjCNHI7HPyeHwHZDQcU0D_uOD858e1KQ&sig2=SCgZPRSrCrULDpCzyC5Ogg

[hunt-m-up]

They don't move very fast and aren't vicious, I've dispatched them with axe handles, Maglights, etc. They do seem to love cat food. Can't see them messing with a chicken unless it got in their way.

They rip off the heads of chickens.

Not likely a grinner if it just takes the head. More likely that it would be a mink, weasel or owl that would do that.

Your list is great, we should add raccoon's, hawks and I have seen with my own two eyes opossum rip off the heads.

I guess I've never heard of that, but they do have a good looking set of teeth that would be up to the task. Still doesn't classify them as vicious, not worth one of the now coveted .22 shells when a good rap on the noggin will do them in.

[Ranger99]

well built garden hoe works well

[JonnyReb]

 Never thought i'd say it but yes, it does.

[JonnyReb]

 Middle of the day today..  our typical blacksnake
 

[Oldshooter]

Thats a big un!
 
Fuuny thing I read in the link you put up Reb.
 

do not toss snakes. this will cause serious brain damage to the snake and could cause breaking in the bones. thank you.

Ha!     Well we wouldn't want that feller to get any brain damage would we?

[JonnyReb]

 lol I missed that line OS, probably was a PETA based group. I just want them to know here online that that particular snake was never once tossed in his removal

[squirrelslayer]

Damn, enough pictures of snakes! lol Got a kick out of the bobcat story! We used to keep the dog food in a big galvanized trash can and I kept gettin my butt chewed/kicked for leavin the lid off. I knew I was putting it on and one night we got home late and I headed out to feed all the animals, dogs first of course and braving the dark with my mag light and feed bucket (not entirely over being scared of the dark at the time) got to the big can and the lid was off! Damn! Glad dad didn't see, walked up to it and right there was the culprit! Huge monster with fangs and black eyes! down went the bucket and I ran clear out of my rubber boots up to the house to report the monster to dad and grandpa. When they finally stopped laughing and grandpa got up he grabbed an axe. I swore I wouldn't go out there without him taking a gun and after some reassurance we headed out with me holding on to grandpas bibs. He took one look in the can and laughed, kept the monsters attention with one hand and grabbed his tail with the other. He hoisted the bastard out of the can to reveal a smelly hissing beast like my eyes had never seen. After he explained that it was the same one I had watched down by the pond I was a little better off. He lowered it just low enough for his front feet to get traction and stepped on the axe head while holding the tip of the handle back kinda "loading it" and let er rip. Handle came down with a whack right across its head and it was over. One dead possum and one bewildered grandson. I'm still that bewildered grandson and although he's getting up there he's still the hero that killed that beast.

[Hellgate]

Squirrelslayer,

Dontcha just admire guys like your grandpa who fearlessly and professionally fetched the varmint outa the can and smacked it? That tells you that he's done enough stuff like that before to get good at it. I'm sure he had some adrenalin going but he was smooth.

[Buckskin]

Squirrelslayer,

Dontcha just admire guys like your grandpa who fearlessly and professionally fetched the varmint outa the can and smacked it? That tells you that he's done enough stuff like that before to get good at it. I'm sure he had some adrenalin going but he was smooth.

Nothing against your grandpa, I'm sure he was a hell of a guy, but it was just a grinner.  My 9 year old boy dragged a big one up to the house by the tail the other day, he said it was snarling at first then just played dead after that didn't work...

[cwlongshot]

Squirrelslayer,

Dontcha just admire guys like your grandpa who fearlessly and professionally fetched the varmint outa the can and smacked it? That tells you that he's done enough stuff like that before to get good at it. I'm sure he had some adrenalin going but he was smooth.

Nothing against your grandpa, I'm sure he was a hell of a guy, but it was just a grinner.  My 9 year old boy dragged a big one up to the house by the tail the other day, he said it was snarling at first then just played dead after that didn't work...

Awe cut him a little slack Buck.. You and your boy KNOW they are nuttin to fret about, but a boy (anyone really) who DONT know, then  seeing someone do that to sumpin' he/they considered the boogie man... Well then... Thats a pretty BIG DEAL!! Kids SHOULD have heros, sounds like Grampa was one of them!!



CW

[Buckskin]

Yep, and Grandpas are a good choice.

[squirrelslayer]

Well I've heard from several people "including grandpa" haha that back east and in the south the possums will actually "play possum." But here in central california no matter how hard or how often you smack em with a shovel or hit em with #6's out of a .410 or foul shoot em with a .22lr they don't give in! They give chase! Not to mention they're damn near as big as my runt Queensland heeler. In my teenage years I even tried chasing them easy like or just pestering them but to no avail. Since the monster in the trash can I've encountered dozens in wood sheds, road ditches and berry bushes chasing my coon dogs and never once got one to play dead. In fact out here I've never met anyone who has. I could catch one and ship him to ya If you wanna soup your local ones up    I'll snap some pics of the next one i come across. They really are nasty here.

[Buckskin]

Well I've heard from several people "including grandpa" haha that back east and in the south the possums will actually "play possum." But here in central california no matter how hard or how often you smack em with a shovel or hit em with #6's out of a .410 or foul shoot em with a .22lr they don't give in! They give chase! Not to mention they're damn near as big as my runt Queensland heeler. In my teenage years I even tried chasing them easy like or just pestering them but to no avail. Since the monster in the trash can I've encountered dozens in wood sheds, road ditches and berry bushes chasing my coon dogs and never once got one to play dead. In fact out here I've never met anyone who has. I could catch one and ship him to ya If you wanna soup your local ones up    I'll snap some pics of the next one i come across. They really are nasty here.

Are you sure you aren't confussing raccoons for grinners?  Every one I've tested played dead, you give them a little kick and they curl up.

[squirrelslayer]

Possums here will back a coon down on the back porch fighting over the cat food about half the time. Where are you located? I've never been able to get a possum to play dead here. I might even be able to get video for ya.

[Buckskin]

Wisconsin. You are likely dealing with a chupacabra...

[squirrelslayer]

basically, they're pretty gnarly

[FPH]

Well I've heard from several people "including grandpa" haha that back east and in the south the possums will actually "play possum." But here in central california no matter how hard or how often you smack em with a shovel or hit em with #6's out of a .410 or foul shoot em with a .22lr they don't give in! They give chase! Not to mention they're damn near as big as my runt Queensland heeler. In my teenage years I even tried chasing them easy like or just pestering them but to no avail. Since the monster in the trash can I've encountered dozens in wood sheds, road ditches and berry bushes chasing my coon dogs and never once got one to play dead. In fact out here I've never met anyone who has. I could catch one and ship him to ya If you wanna soup your local ones up    I'll snap some pics of the next one i come across. They really are nasty here.

Are you sure you aren't confussing raccoons for grinners?  Every one I've tested played dead, you give them a little kick and they curl up.

Same here.

[Oldshooter]

Heck yea possums play dead.........We even have a term for someone playing dead Its called playn Possum.
 
I opened a garbage can one night, and poped one in the head with the lid. He rolled up and played dead... So I made it permanent.

[squirrelslayer]

Oh I know they do some places. But for whatever reason none of the ones here do it. And we're not even talkin town possum either. Out in the middle of nowhere possums wont even play dead here. I actually mentioned this at work and we all agreed that next time we've got nothin better to do we're gunna go out and try to get one to do it. Ours dont have much black on em either, they're about three or four times bigger than the pics here and white. They've got about 1/2'' to 3/4'' of backfat usually.

[cwlongshot]

Now I did not weigh this one, but he is the biggest I have seen...
My little dog is 16/17#, this guy was much bigger around and almost as long...



CW

[Oldshooter]

A dog will get one to roll over quicker than you can. Let a big dog get after one and you will see.

[Buckskin]

Oh I know they do some places. But for whatever reason none of the ones here do it. And we're not even talkin town possum either. Out in the middle of nowhere possums wont even play dead here. I actually mentioned this at work and we all agreed that next time we've got nothin better to do we're gunna go out and try to get one to do it. Ours dont have much black on em either, they're about three or four times bigger than the pics here and white. They've got about 1/2'' to 3/4'' of backfat usually.

 
Maybe you're just not scary enough... I've never taken the time to measure backfat on a grinner, but they get pretty big up here to.

[squirrelslayer]

Haha! duly noted, I'll try a meaner approach than shovel whacks and running them down on foot in road ditches. As for my dogs, the wife would crap if I ran any of them as we're down to our two house dogs now. No more hounds or work dogs    so I'll get big Geech, buddys hound. I know he has a hatrid for them and is constantly chasing and fighting them.