Hello,

I have an opossum that was living in my basement. I found footprints and droppings in my basement. I hired professional help and they set up the traps outside right by my deck where they found a footprint in the mud and over the course of 1 week, captured 2 juvenile opossums. So far I have spent $400. It's getting costly to hire the professionals. I wish to trap them myself. Please advise me on this. 1) How much does the Nuisance Wildlife Permits cost? 2) Once the animal is trapped, can I release them right then and there? My main objective is to make sure all the opossums are out of the basement so I can start the process of sealing up the crack in my foundation. I have no intention of getting rid of opossums, but just ridding of them in my home. I tried to look for one way traps so they can leave the deck and not re-enter but have been unable to find one.

3) Can I set up my own trap while I wait for my permit?

I thank you in advance.

You will need to contact your local IDNR district wildlife biologist to request a removal permit. You can find the phone number of the biologist in your area on this website on the Find a Professional page. The permit is free. It should be fairly simple to trap the young opossums. Traps must be checked at least once a day. And the animals can be released unharmed on the same property. Make sure that the access to the basement has been closed off before you release them, otherwise they will just head back in to the basement. The IDNR biologist will be able to provide you with tips on how best to trap and release the animals. Good luck.