FOX: Is there ANY way to get EVICT them from the premises?

[MissE]

We have thought about a Havahart trap and relocation ourselves, but we know we have skunk in the area (as most urban/suburban neighborhoods in Connecticut do) and are worried that we'll trap a skunk instead-- and then what???

Keep in mind, relocation is illegal in many areas, and you are just making your problem become someone else's problem. Heck, the DNR doesn't even relocate bears around here. The rule is do your due diligence to not attract them, but if they are destroying or about to destroy property, you can shoot them. You just need to report it within 48 hours.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Can you pour ice water down the den?

 

[aart]

Can you pour ice water down the den?

Most animal dens, and underground insect nests, are built against flooding.
Even a garden hose running for hours won't to the trick.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Just a thought.

 

[Astrid]

Keep in mind, relocation is illegal in many areas, and you are just making your problem become someone else's problem. Heck, the DNR doesn't even relocate bears around here. The rule is do your due diligence to not attract them, but if they are destroying or about to destroy property, you can shoot them. You just need to report it within 48 hours.

"not attracting them." That horse is out of the barn. It's not like I posted a neon sign, "VACANCY!" but they found their way here on their own, at least two + years ago, attracted by the cozy, secluded, dry denning area under the barn.

Similarly, shooting them is not an option either, as I'm in a close, urban neighborhood of victorian homes on half-acre, in-town lots.

 

[cmom]

I have electric wires around my coops and pens, good heavy duty netting covering all of my pens and concrete under the gates all due to losses from predators in the past. I don't free range anymore either. I have used leg traps but now only live trap. If you have a nuecense fox, it will keep coming back especially if it has made a kill. It will lurk looking for an opportunity. Lessons learned the hard way. Since I put up the electric wires nothing has intruded. I also have several game cameras up on my property and fairly regularly see predators on them mostly at night here. The bobcat killed 14 birds one might. It made the mistake of coming back as well as the fox. In most places it is illegal to relocate catches without the property owners permission of where you relocate to. We are rural on a dead end road and have been the recipients of others relocations. My wires aren't pretty but they work.

 

[MissE]

"not attracting them." That horse is out of the barn. It's not like I posted a neon sign, "VACANCY!" but they found their way here on their own, at least two + years ago, attracted by the cozy, secluded, dry denning area under the barn.

Similarly, shooting them is not an option either, as I'm in a close, urban neighborhood of victorian homes on half-acre, in-town lots.

You misunderstood what I said. In my area, when it comes to bears, we have to do our due diligence to not attract them. That would mean no bird feeder or garbage left out. That does not apply to feeding livestock.

Using a live trap to relocate animals seldom works, and is illegal in many areas. The DNR here will not even relocate bears anymore. Either they just come back or they become someone else's problem.

 

[Astrid]

No, I completely understood what you said. We have a bear issue in my area too, exacerbated by folks feeding wild birds and/or leaving their trash unsecure. I'm not sure what due diligence I could have done to avoid attracting the foxes; they return year after year and dig through/under/around any barrier we put in place. I don't feed the birds, and my coop has been empty for two years. Our yard is fenced, and our large dogs are only out when we are out with them. It's a busy neighborhood, across from a school, and with neighbors behind. We can't shoot anything in this area, that's against the law. We haven't attempted to live-trap them as we also have raccoon, skunk, and neighborhood cats.

 

[cmom]

If you do live trap, many places have wildlife rescues. I have called them here. I had an owl that was persistent. I caught the owl and they came and got it. They told me they have release areas and the owl shouldn't come back.

 

[Thomas70]

We have a large Victorian home in a neighborhood of large Victorians on small, in-town lots. Behind our house we have a big carriage barn, and part of the barn has been our coop for several years. Two years ago I lost my whole flock to a fisher. Prior to this, we have had a small flock of 8 hens for 15+ years and never had a predator attack. One of the hens we lost was 8 years old. Anyway, I didn't replace them right away, and for two years (that we know of-- most likely longer!) a family of fox have been living in under the barn, cavorting in the back yard. We set up a trail camera and they're very active. Last summer they raised 4 kits under there, despite our many attempts to get them to leave, and the fact that we also have three big dogs in our fenced yard. They don't seem to care. This year we need them to GO because we have chicks ordered, set to be delivered on 4/28.

Is there any effective way to get fox to LEAVE?! Other than shooting them; as I said our lots are small and our neighbors are close. We have tried everything: solar powered flashing "predator" eyes, ammonia-soaked rags, motion-activated water blaster, radio, dog urine, husband urine, coyote urine (bottled. who knew?) tin foil, hardware cloth, crushed red pepper flakes... all to no avail. Latest was heavy-duty no-dig spike strips that are buried in the ground, to deter digging under. Last night they moved several cubic yards of dirt and rock and dug down 16" and got in again. We are at our wits' end.

Is an effective fox solution that doesn't involve firearms a rare unicorn? Does ANYTHING work?

I poured a concrete apron 12 inches wide and 4 inches deep around my coop and no predator has ever dug in.