Backyard chickens and opossum. opossum hunt, night vision monoculars, havahart trap

I saw another opossum  out the back window last night so   I set up my   Wile E. Coyote net and sat out a distance away thinking it would be as easy as last time.  I was geared  up for benevolent war!  The net was laid out  with all enthusiasm, a hemp twine rope leading to my lawn chair,  which I quietly sat in and  kept watch with my night vision monoculars that Jimmy bought me for Christmas (for alien hunting).  It didn't take long.  After about 20 minutes  'they'  came out to nibble on the bait I had placed in the middle of the net.  The bait I had chosen was canned cat food which of course brought   the intrepid Drusilla  onto the scene and she frightened them off.  'Them' is definitely 2, possibly three opossum.  Siblings one and all.  I locked up the cat and started all over again.  They came out again after about 15 minutes.  I stayed quiet and still in spite of my excitement. I gave them all time to really start enjoying their snack and then gave the rope a mighty yank!  What I couldn't see with the night vision glasses was that the bright little creatures had nosed their way UNDER the net and were  eating it  from the backside. They got away again!  I then decided to go Rambo on them.  I put the net in the garage, got a big plastic bucket, moved my lawn chair into the chicken pen and put the bait back out.  I did my best Butoh. absolutely still and poised to pounce in the dark!  I sat there not breathing, in my pajamas  and waited for about 45 minutes before deciding  that I needed to rethink my strategy.  Yep.... I gave up!  I took all my toys, went in the house and  used the internet to find out if my local hardware store carried  a trap of any kind .  They do. Today I am heading out to buy a havahart trap.   Its worth the $25 not to feel outsmarted by the local wildlife!