Well... TWO ‘possums trapped, dispatched, gutted (intestines and musk gland), boiled and fed to the chickens — and I go out this morning and there’s more damage to the Opo plants, and now the Japanese cuke plant too. Jeez. And I’d spread around some repellent too, near the trap. (the active ingredients are Cinnamon Oil and Thyme Oil.
Critters .... the only effective deterrent (other than a totally electrified fence) I know of is a dog. My SIL has no ‘critter’, deer or crow problems because they have a dog. The previous dog, a Brittany Spaniel, would actually kill possums & skunks he found in the yard. The current dog, a mild-mannered Collie, ‘barks & bounces’ & chases other animals away. Since the dogs were & are not outside in the yard all the time, I think the smell of dog keeps critters away. No such luck with the chicken coop which was away from the yard & inside the wood line ... possums, coons & foxes all raided.
Super aggravating to put in a lot of work on plants, veggies, chickens, etc. & then find them chewed on, damaged or destroyed. :-(