Now that I have your attention, please let me explain what this can mean to you and why you as a trapper should read on.

On Monday morning we had to have our daughters' horse put down. The horse had succumbed to a condition known as EPM (Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis). This disease has been known to affect horses since the '70's, and the source of the disease became known to researchers in the early 1990's. The cause of the disease is a parasitic organism called Sarcocystis neurona. This parasite requires two hosts to develop; the first believed to be birds and the second or intermediate host being the North American Opossum. At this time the opossum is the only definitive host to carry the parasite in a form that infects horses--skunks and raccoons have been identified as carriers in laboratory settings. The parasite is passed to the horse through the fecal droppings of the opossum when they are ingested by the horse in a food source, i.e. grain, hay, grass, or in water that has been contaminated by an infected or host opossum.

Where do you come in? As a trapper with this knowledge in hand, you may be able to obtain a welcome invitation to trap the farms, particularly horse farms in your area that otherwise might not be open to you. Who is in a better position to assist in controlling the numbers of possible hosts in an area than we the trapper? Perhaps we need to refine our 'possum catching skills, and specifically target them in horse raising areas, then be sure to notify the stable owners of our success in the numbers caught--this may provide you with years of permission to trap the farm. Note, I would be sure to dispose of the carcasses in proper fashion. If targeting the opossum gains you the permission to trap new previously unavailable territories and increase your annual harvest of the more profitable species, then the opossum may become your most valuable target species.

Just a thought that may help prevent a similar occurrence that happened to us with our horse and increase your territories, goodwill with the landowners, and hopefully your annual harvest.

For more information on EPM visit www.vet.purdue.edu/horses/EPM.html or do a Google search for Equine EPM.

Good luck.

P.S. Do any of you have any suggestions for sets that target opossums other than a fox set? Since Monday morning I feel the need to nab a few!


(edit..Subject edited to accurately reflect topic..Ric)

I sympathize with you ... we had to have a mare put down that had EPM in 2002, and on my farm it's a "no quarter" deal with Opossums .... and as a land owner, by the state laws concerning wildlife damaging farm produce/livestock it's legal for me to do so year round ... and I do.

Steve

Dated for search.