Attempting to Bag a Red Fox

[centrarchid]

Over the next couple of nights I will be setting out freshly killed mice as bait. Then we will position things so fox much more apt to get into trap. Dogs say fox coming in a lot. Fox left scent all over the place. About 0400 male dog came to where I was sleeping and started whining and getting in my face trying to get be to let him out the door. When I got up, all three dogs rushed door and quickly checked trap before scoring the yard. Chickens did not appear to be disturbed by fox as most continued sleeping as dogs and I walked past.

 

[centrarchid]

Trap location now bated with a dead bird. Fox may have to dig a little to get it out.

 

[itsasmallfarm]

good luck on your fox,

don't really have fox here (to many coyotes or wolves depending where am trapping)

can you shoot it? like use a game call and bring it in? then you know BANG!

 

[centrarchid]

good luck on your fox,

don't really have fox here (to many coyotes or wolves depending where am trapping)

can you shoot it? like use a game call and bring it in? then you know BANG!

No matter what I do, someone will suggest to do something else. Oft even when what is suggested is not practiced by the suggester.

 

[Perris]

following, as I lost a broody and have two injured cocks from a fox attack on Saturday morning (in daylight, 7 and 8 am).

I am trying deterrence, playing on the fox's cautious and suspicious nature, moving junk around on the open lawn every day, plus keeping birds in till after 8am, and staying with them from around 8pm when they start to go to roost. A neighbour with a flock has called in a hunter.

 

[centrarchid]

following, as I lost a broody and have two injured cocks from a fox attack on Saturday morning (in daylight, 7 and 8 am).

I am trying deterrence, playing on the fox's cautious and suspicious nature, moving junk around on the open lawn every day, plus keeping birds in till after 8am, and staying with them from around 8pm when they start to go to roost. A neighbour with a flock has called in a hunter.

In my experience, once a fox gets to know your habits, like mine has, it starts to ignore you. I can touch anything, my dogs can touch anything, and the fox is not repelled. What does repel is getting a good zap by fence or nearly getting caught by dogs. On the fence side the fox still comes in but maintains about 1/2 body length distance from fence, enough for rabbits to exploit. I can keep the fox out of small areas easily, but cannot keep the chicken in those same small area, especially when forage dominates what they consume.

 

[centrarchid]

Fox came in for bait on two separate occasions last night. First it took what was there. Second time about an hour later it checked to see if more. Fox may be thinking he is stealing from the big apes stash.

 

[cmom]

Several years ago I talked to a trapper. He would set his traps without any precautions concerning human scents and he was a smoker. I asked him if was concerned about leaving his scent, a butt behind or ashes from his cigarettes. He said no that he had no problems with it. I was surprised. Apparently the critters he was after weren't bothered by it.

 

[cmom]

A coyote dug a huge hole to try to get to a bird I had in a trap. It wouldn't go in the trap and tried to dig under it. I moved the trap over a bit. You can see the hole it dug next to the trap.

 

[centrarchid]

I am getting soft. As I get to know this yahoos habits, my motivation to trap and dispatch is dropping off. We are a good month before chicks go into orchard. If I kill him now, then kits might be in trouble if pair does not have a helper also bringing back food. I also do not want to cheat my neighbors of having all those fox kits going after their chickens. They need to enjoy nature as well.