Our Unwanted Visitor - Make that Two!

A skunk managed to dig under our chicken coop and get one of our chickens!  This was not acceptable so it was time to prevent the intrusion again!
I nailed a board over the area where the skunk had dug and thought this would take care of the problem.  Boy, was I wrong!
Later in the day when I went to gather eggs, I opened the door to the nests and quickly and quietly shut the door because the skunk was close to the door in the nest area!  I called Mel to come help!
We carefully thought about a plan.  Finally, after several scenarios, we decided to put the chickens in the caged area and just leave the door to the nest area open with a trap outside the door.  We put Oreo cookies in the trap to entice it to go in.
The next morning, fortunately, the plan worked and the unwanted visitor was caught and no longer a threat for our chickens!

If you look closely at the dark spot under the third nest area, that is the unwanted visitor.

Our bait food

The trap was set the next night and this time a possum was caught with the Oreo cookies.
You have heard of "playing possum", this one did!  Mel thought he had shot the possum.  Later in the day when he went to dispose of it, it was still alive.  So that possum did "play possum"!

The chickens checking out the possum that is in the trap

You see it is not longer "playing possum"

Things you have to endure for country living!!