You have a nuisance Oxnard opossum damaging your stuff in your garage or shed. And you have had enough. So you decide to trap it. And finally being successive in trapping it, you don't have to worry anymore. But while you are celebrating your victory, there is a much more important question that begs your attention: What are you going to do with the trapped California opossum?



You'll be left with two choices; either you kill it or you relocate it. While the former may rid you of the animal, and good riddance it must be, a lot of people don't have the stomach to go through with it. The latter, however, seems a reasonable choice all in all. Besides, Oxnard opossums mean no damage. They will hiss at you like a cat and show you their 50 teeth, but that is about it. Killing it may not be the most humane choice after all. But if you still want to go through with the killing, shooting, poison or lethal traps may be better and gentler ways to quickly end their lives as compared to drowning. However if you are of a politer nature, you can easily relocate the opossum some place where it doesn't bother you anymore. But that can be a little tricky ‘legally'. You see, it's perfectly legal to trap one or even kill it, but you need a special warrant to relocate it and there are some rules for relocating a trapped opossum. You need to release it within 24 hours of trapping. Also, you cannot relocate a trapped opossum on someone else's property; this isn't permitted by the law. You'll have to relocate it in the same state. This is done keeping the best interest of the animal at heart. It is highly unlikely the California animal will survive in another habitat

Sometimes an Oxnard opossum will get its jaws caught in the trap or play dead. The animal will dehydrates faster because its mouth is open. It is unlikely you will be able to shake the possum out of the trap by turning it on one end. You can:

1. Use wire scissors to let go the possum.
2. Push the Oxnard possum's head to the fore inside the cage to free. Think about it. The possum got trapped since its mouth was open wider when it drew back from the confine than when it pushed in. When you push the skull forward the mouth should shut a little (the jaws will be exhausted) and then be drawn back out with no trouble.
3. Wearing a coat plus gloved hand, scruff the California possum like a cat as well as push its head forward. Pull back softly and see that the jaws have free, and then rapidly draw your hand out.
4. Or, fill the trap through towels before pushing the possum's head onward. The towels create a barrier among you plus the animal
5. Cover the animal with place in a calm, cool place and call your local Oxnard wildlife hub.

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