Dealing with a Red Fox

[centrarchid]

Late yesterday I was moving an old (8 years) game cock from one pen to another. He was in molt so a bit squirrelly. He bolted, went past fence and hid in high weeds I could not find him in. Red Fox and Raccoons I know work the area outside fence. I camped out on deck with intent of intervening if rooster disturbed and to get him before he started to fight another rooster through a pen. About 1:40 AM I dogs started to grumble then bark as they sprinted over to location where rooster let out a single squall. Dogs where to location in about 90 seconds and I ran up clear path to south of where rooster was. Fox ran within a few feet of me across my path with my female dog a couple seconds behind. After fox ran off when back tracked to kind moribund rooster with heart still beating but otherwise dead to world.

Will post images of damage done showing particular way fox dispatched the rooster on the ground. Very typical of what I have seen before but this time better knowledge of timing and situation.

Will be trying to go after this fox with snares.

 

[centrarchid]

Major and repeated bite marks on back at base of neck. Probably what killed rooster.

Bites from side where fox made initial contact. Fox light bit rooster from side then transitioned quickly to go after back. This part normally very fast because fox once to make a quick kill. Odds the rooster could not see fox even when it was inches away.

Carcass placed in compost heap so we can watch insects do their job.

Route fox took when zipping across my path. I almost tripped on it and likely fox did not know I was there.

Direction fox comes from and retreated to. Prescribed burn area.

 

[centrarchid]

It is possible losses I attributed to raccoons prior to our vacation back in July was due to this fox. MO exactly the same. Raccoons I know were getting into feed but did nothing to chickens just a few feet away.

 

[YdogsflY]

Snares can be a very efficient way to dispatch the Fox. Hopefully It's the only one you're dealing with. They are sly critters. You might want to try some bait if you don't get him in a few days.

We had one running around the farm a couple weeks ago. Broad daylight with one of my Setters sitting on the front poarch, it ran up the driveway and into the front yard. 10ft from the dog and front porch, I opened the front door and it took off.

Saw him here and there next couple days working around the chicken coop(penned chickens within their run). Shot a groundhog and left it lay. That evening the Fox was feeding on the grounhog. Was an easy clean shot.

 

[centrarchid]

It was just out working high weeds. I could see where it was because rabbits kept running out of weed patch then running to another location to dive back in. Weed tops barely moved as fox noodled it's way through. Could be more than one but I am having hard time even seeing that one directly. Brush is very heavy.

 

[centrarchid]

Darn fox is about living out there. What I find surprising is I have yet to here a rabbit squeal even though the fox must be taking the majority of the young ones. When I pan flashlight closer around yard half-grown to adult rabbits are easy to see within just a few feet of each other. The weedy area where fox hunts I can generally see only golden eye shine. Blue eye shine appears to be some sort of moth that is hard to see when you get close with light. Rare instances where I see the fox or cat, two eyes shine back versus the one for rabbits.

 

[centrarchid]

Fox got a game stag today. Penning all birds up tonight. Rabbits still appear to be target of interest. I have seen fox directly only once but smell it very clearly. To game cameras have been deployed. One to provide better insight into exact path fox is using to come in. Second camera positioned in barn to make certain it is not getting pantry area. For some reason feral cat left and mice effectively disappeared after cat. I have a sneaking suspicion fox is barn after dark a lot and more than one fox involved. I have a lot of rabbits, enough to entertain more than one fox for at least a while.

Snare option I will not be able to pursue until taking a class with Missouri Department of Conservation.

 

[centrarchid]

First night nothing on camera. Not even rabbits and I was flushing those in to camera's feild of view as I approached. I am not pretty in eye of the camera. We appear to have a settings issue. Weather was dynamic with rain in early morning which may be changing up everyone's movements.

Camera positioned pathway along fence perimeter where fox likely comes in was set off numerous times but images are overly saturated with light. Camera does fine in full light but night shots bad.

Camera in barn appears to be working fine but only me in images. I could not even see Bullfrog.

Every last bird penned now. A couple cock pens will be moved in to dog kennels to double up protection.