Time was, you shot a rabid animal, you got a well done.
How did he know possum was rabid? Was it tested? A possum will grin at you, drool, etc. before it goes into it’s dead animal trick. There are a lot of people out there that have no idea what nature is anymore, they grew up in their safe little houses in front of the tube and never took a step in the woods. May not be the case here but I have seen it often. Every racoon seen in my exurban neighborhood is “rabid” according to the newly rurified neighbors around here. (They also complain about the loud noises, i.e. cows mooing, from the farm next door).