So much of living out here is based on opposing forces. How to prepare against these forces, or manage through them, is what makes a great homesteader. My regular readers will recall that my wife and I have a hearty flock of chickens, and if you’ve ever raised chickens on any scale, you’ll know there are quite a few of these forces to contend with.

A week or so ago, I was getting home quite late from work, and still had to go feed and close up the birds for the night. It was about 1 a.m., and I was filling the feeders in each chicken hut and closing the doors behind me as I usually do.  I looked into the open door of the last building, and saw a pair of eyes staring back at me—and no, they were not those of a chicken. 

I quickly shut the door and closed off the other exits of the hut before going back inside to retrieve my pistol. After returning, I found the egg-thieving possum in the bottom run of the hut attempting to make his escape. I dispatched him quickly, without any excitement, and disposed of him as I would any other varmint. 

Normally I wouldn’t shoot a possum, because they do a lot for tick control, but once he crossed the threshold from where he belongs to where my chickens belong, it wasn’t worth the cost of overlooking the invasion. On the other hand, you can’t blame the critters for looking for a free meal. 

I’ve set a variety of traps, both in pursuit of fur and as protective measures in the past, both at home and in my excursions. 

In my first few years, before I had pets that could get caught, I had even set leghold traps around my chicken enclosures. As a result, I ended up with an escape-artist chicken that lost her toes to the trap, and was thereafter dubbed Stubby. 

Despite her injuries, she was a very loyal and lovable chicken, but the experience taught me a few things about predator prevention and livestock safety. 

Nowadays, since I have a dog and a cat who regularly spend their days scouting the property, I don’t use traps close to home that would cause bodily harm. 

And for any young people reading this and considering their options, I would say you also have to consider the proximity of neighbors’ pets when doing anything like this. 

All this has been to say that there is a safer option, at least for varmints up to a certain size. Box traps or Have-a-Heart traps, as they are also referred to, are simple box cages with a trap door meant to humanely capture invasive critters you don’t want around. With the advent of the possum, and having seen other predators about, I wanted to get ahead of any other potential run-ins. I’m not out to kill everything that comes sniffing around, especially if there is nothing to be gained, besides defense, by dispatching them. 

So I spent the $40, or whatever it was, at Tractor Supply, and picked up a fresh trap. 

I had to chuckle, seeing how the sticker advertised for armadillos as well as raccoons, skunks and possums. I sure hope I don’t see any armadillos up here in the cold north. I’m not exactly sure what the game warden would have to say about that, but he would be getting a call for sure. 

These traps are great for educating kids on problem critters and trapping. Unlike other traps, these are very safe to handle. Even if my son reached into the trap and triggered the panel, he wouldn’t be hurt. So for a quick family activity, I put the trap in his little electric tractor and wagon and allowed him to drive it out to the chicken yard. 

I picked a nice spot on the corner of the fence where circling varmints might not suspect it as they round the bend. My son pulled the trap out, we took off the packaging, and I showed him how to set it. A simple lift of the door and a push of the trigger wire and it was ready for action. 

We sprinkled a little cat food in the back to entice any would-be intruders. I also like using things like tuna in a can, marshmallows and sometimes peanut butter and apples depending on what you know you’re trying to catch. But I’ve had success with cat food before. 

So far, we haven’t caught anything in the trap, but there hasn’t been any evidence of interlopers in the chicken yard or huts. It costs us nothing to keep the trap set, in case something new comes by—and if something does, we can release it where it won’t bother our chickens or other people’s properties anymore. 

The way out here we try to solve our problems by not allowing them to happen. And it doesn’t hurt to make a simple chore or activity for the kids in doing so. Here’s hoping we don’t catch ourselves a skunk, but if so, it would be just another adventure to write about.