An evil fox

[SuperPeacockman]

We now have a beautiful fox on our property, the only problem is it lives right near the peafowl and it is only a matter of time before it finds some way in. We set a have a heart trap which it sprung. I dont want to kill him/her because they are so rare on Long Island so we are going to try and catch it and release it somewhere else. Also does anyone know when she will have kits if it is a girl? We dont want to trap it and leave a bunch of kits behind. Any suggestions on how to catch it.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

deleted

 

[AquaEyes]

Quote:
OK, sorry I can't help with your question, but......

YOU'RE ON LONG ISLAND?!?!?

Grrr....why didn't I find BYC before I came to Buffalo? I'm from LI, and LOVE peafowl, but never got to have any of my own. I'd clean pens for you just to be around them during mating season to hear their calls. I'm leaving here next year, but moving to NJ to gain residency for grad school at Rutger's. But....perhaps a road trip?

OK, so getting back to the point, let me see if I can think of something to help you out.....

Do you have a dog? If you do, have you tried encouraging doggie "bathroom behaviors" around the perimeter of the peafowl pens? I'm just guessing, but maybe that will deter the fox from getting too "inquisitive."

Have you thought about those solar-powered LED lights that go on at night?

Oh, and before you try trapping...be sure you're allowed. I know New York State has a bunch of laws regarding rabies-vector species (especially skunks and red foxes), and while I'm not 100% sure, I think releasing a fox is a big no-no, even if you trapped it on your property. I think that can be done only by someone licensed for wildlife control. My memory brings me back to finding out about laws regarding exotic animal ownership for NYS and seeing red foxes and skunks mentioned all over the place with regards to restrictions. It might be better to call animal control, or maybe get someone who is otherwise licensed to trap the fox.



~Chris

 

[SuperPeacockman]

The fox roams in broad daylight so I dont think lights would work. I will try the dog idea. My dog, Annie, is a Jack Russel, so we brought her over to the pens strangely she was not very interested in the fox den, but I will try to get her to poo/pee there. Shhh... There is no way they can prove we caught/released it.

Oh by the way is that an M-16 Steve I do not know much about guns

 

[AquaEyes]

Quote:
You'll have to be VERY sneaky with the release. Just harboring a live red fox (wild or captive-bred) requires, at the minimum, a fur-bearer's permit (this is what my exotic vet told me when I asked him about a silver fox client I saw in one of the photo albums in his office). You'll have to find a place for release where there are no witnesses, be sure that no one sees the fox in your vehicle while you drive there, yada yada yada...Plus you'll have to drive VERY far away. Foxes have large territories. Oh, and are you sure it's alone? They usually live in pairs or small family groups.

Be careful.....and good luck.

 

[Yoda]

Why not try using the scarecrow sprinkler? You can find them on Ebay. When the fox gets too close the sprinkler will shoot water at it to scare it away?

 

[deerman]

yes trap and release is a very big NO NO, in just about all state, main reason spread of diseases ,yes like rabies , distemper, kill it is ok in most cases , but check your state laws..

PLEASE DON'T RELOCATE bad for everyone even the fox.

 

[featherhead]

We have several fox, and they've been around for many years. Rather than kill or disturb them, just predator-proof your pen. Our fox have kits under the neighbor's shed every year. This shed is about 1/8 mile from our aviaries and the fox routinely travel through our property. (They also hunt wild turkey in our front yard.) We've never lost a bird and the fox definitely know they are there.

1) On the outside of your wire pen, either bury the vertical wire 1 foot underground or run the wire 2' outside of the pen at a 45-degree angle. Cover the wire with rocks that weigh at least 10# each. (Raccoons can easily move rocks 10# and under.) Fox will try to dig their way in but cannot move the rocks and cannot get through that wire. Fox will go to the "corner" where the wall meets the ground because it's usually the easiest way in. In addition to being safe for your poultry, it's also attractive.

2) Poultry net ceiling = not the best idea. Use 2"x4" welded wire or smaller whenever possible.

3) Tack 2' tall chicken wire along the ground on the INSIDE of your pen. If a predator is grabbing for one of your resting birds on the ground, its toes will get stuck in the wire. As the predator pushes to grab, the chicken wire will push your bird farther inside the pen.

4) We tried the NiteGuard lights for a few years but aren't sure if they work, since the aviaries were already predator-proofed. Some people also use radios with all-night talk shows playing.

Hope this helps, and hope you enjoy watching the fox family in addition to your birds!

 

[featherhead]

Forgot to address the trap and release issue. I'm really ticked at some of those critter-ridder companies. My neighbor watched last summer as a critter ridder jerk pulled off the road and released 4 skunks at the end of our road. Yes, he got paid to trap them several times. As it turned out, when another neighbor called the same company to trap the skunks a month or so later, it appeared that the trapper was playing a "shell game" with these poor skunks. He dumps them on a neighbor's property, then gets paid to trap them again. Unethical, to say the least. And illegal.

 

[deerman]

Like to add , i have fox here all the time, yet never lose any birds to them. I never have trapped or kill any, not that if one was getting in my pens ,sure would. Now raccoons killed many of those, lost birds to them, even thru the wire , darn thing can get into about anything.