Not a moral debate, just wondering if you ever come up to a trap and say we'll I'm just going to release this one. Whether it's small, non target or what not. I ask because I'm averse to Killin possums, eat a lot of bugs is my reasoning but some folks just want everything you catch dead. Also don't kill stray cats, or any yearlings of any species I like to give them a fighting chance because trapping is like the ultimate chess game for me and I only want to beat the skilled players

Nope, the thought never crossed my mind. If it's in my trap it's gonna get thumped.

I particularly like doing away with non native invasives.

We routinely turn loose possums and small raccoons...also rubbed foxes..and even some rubbed coyotes that were 100 plus miles away from home.

I know some of you will holler about that but it's a fact.

If it was a paying job or near the farm,they are dispatched,regardless.

Trappers aren't heartless individuals ..I actually think most trappers are a little more soft hearted and sentimental than most people know.

I'm paid to trap. Were I after fur I would be very selective since so little southern fur grades high.

I've never kept a red fox. I can only remember letting two other furbearers go. I released one small, bluish silver colored opossum, which is the only one I've ever seen like that. It was beautiful. It was colored like a silver fox, without any of the darkness. I also released a probably 5 pound raccoon, that looked like a midget, rather than a young one.

Keith

I let stuff go all the time. Anything not worth my time dealing with like dink coons or badly rubbed animals gets let go if the conditions allow for it.

I've let a few possums go when little kids didn't want me to bring em home.

I’ve released some small fox and raccoons, but all opossum are dealt with. Eric

If I ain't skinning, being paid or some sort of management it gets turned loose.

Agreed, same here.

Yeah really depends on the situation, but I look at trapping like fishing in a way. I don't throw back legal fish too often unless they are a true trophy or don't taste good. Same with trapping if I can't eat it or sell it , or it's a one of a kind deal it might get a pass. I feel hooking a fish just to let them go so someone else can hook the same one seems mean. So does trapping for no reason. If I am actively trying to provide for myself or someone else then it is a part of the natural order of things. If I am just interfering with another living things life for fun I should just stay home and watch TV.

I have never let a possum go , but I trap farms and if the old man at one found out I was letting possums go I would be done

he lost a horse years ago to what the vet told him was possum or raccoon feces in the hay that made his horse sick.

they also have a LOT of free ranged chickens

so there is no mercy on either at that farm doesn't matter size or age

Used to release small possums mostly.

Only thing I’ve released is a couple Red Fox, yes it cost me money, but we don’t have many and dispatch is at my discretion. Everything else no matter how big or small gets counted.

I see more and more post like this and I see my comments getting less popular, I'm ok with that as far as myself goes, worried though for trapping and hunting. I believe that it's been proven time and time again that possums don't consume a ton of ticks and bugs as you say.

It's all propaganda IMO. Possums are in the top three of ground nest raiders, ie turkey. I feel like most of these kind of post are from people that are doing data mining. If you are in touch and care about huntable, trappable #'s for the future then you wouldn't have a problem with managing predators which include grinners.

If you like possums don’t ever trap during the Spring. One can equate to 12 or more. We don’t “count” those, in fact we just call them pinky’s. They all join their mothers. And yeah, the myth has been debunked about possums and ticks. The nest they raid would eat more insects than any possum ever could.

I'm just going oh hearsay thought they ate more bugs wasn't meant as a dig at anyone

Well whats not fiction is how important possums are to the ecosystem. They are one of the only mammals naturally immune to snake venom, and they eat so many snakes, mice and moles. In my opinion, unless you are in a fenced game preserve I wouldnt worry about animals eating eachother management wise. There are bigger tracts of land than 99.9% of people will ever see that are just hunted for deer & turkey across the USA with no problems number wise.

There is something called natural ecological thresh hold, that every piece of land in the world can be measured. In simple terms its how many animals, insects, plants, trees, etc can any piece of land support naturally? Once you have a good idea of that number, then you can understand how something so simple like cutting your grass for instance severely diminishes that capacity. Oh, you want to plant non native plants to attract animals to a certain spot? Yeah you can kill the possums off that land and see an increase in turkeys next year, but you are just making it harder on yourself in the future. Manage the animals as you see fit, but atleast try to have some method about it to help propogate the entire piece of land for the future.