Fox Question....

[Calebs Acre]

Thank goodness for Craigs List. My husband was threatening to send me to Craigs List Anonymous because I have been purchasing so many Little Tykes Houses and Dog Runs. I JUST bought THREE different dog runs. This gives me plenty of panels to house the entire group, including covering the top. This will allow them to have space during the day and night. I can even put kiddie pools in there with them. I cannot wait for my husband to get home so we can start putting this together to help protect them.

I have my entire yard fenced, so I think I might also put an electric perimeter fence, if that will help. It really IRKS me that I might not be able to legally kill that darned thing.

I also want to add that no matter how many helpful threads this forum has to offer, I could NEVER put a value on how comforting it is to be able to post here and have all of the support from all of you! I felt so alone here in the middle of the night with my husband 40 miles away at work...until I started hearing from so many BYC-ers. Thank you. It's wonderful and it sure made me more prepared for what happened. I had no idea the fox was so horrible.

Let's see how today goes.

 

[Jaybr]

Quote:
That is rediculous!

Red fox is not even native to North America, they where brought here from Europe by hunters for sport a couple hundred years ago.

Gray fox is native here. Neither red or gray are anywhere close to endangered.

 

[Calebs Acre]

I have to double check this. I don't have the "official" word on it, but the source is usually pretty darned reliable. Regardless, I am making a HUGE pitcher of iced tea for my husband when he gets home. I just told him that I had an all day project for him.

He has no idea that he is going to have to pee a streak of about 4,000-plus feet. I was hoping that my male horses and male goats and male dogs would help, but most of them are "fixed."

Thank goodness I never made the husband get that snip snip operation. I knew there might be a good reason, one day, to have him "intact."

It's a heat wave here...mid-90s. Wonder if I should have him use sun block in that "sensitive area" while he is "working" out there?

 

[Jaybr]

I should have been more clear on my post. I expect that foxes are protected, but that mainly means there is a set hunting season on them. They are in no way endangered though.

There is actually a county or 2 here in VA where fox hunting with guns is not legal, but they have a "chase only" season. These are counties where they have some big money old school fox hunting clubs that chase on horseback. They still wear the traditional red/white fox hunting outfits and all.

 

[Calebs Acre]

Jaybr:

You're gonna laugh, but I'm one of those Virginia Hunt Country girls who used to get all dolled up in my outfit and "ride to hounds" in Winchester, Leesburg and "all that rot."

When I used the term "endangered" I was probably misquoting. "Protected" is probably much more accurate. I probably wasn't listening that well because my mind was in so many different places at the time. This part is all so new to me.

I was born in Arlington and moved to Annandale until I finally moved to New York. I do NOT feel like a New Yorker, but when I return to Northern Virginia, I don't recognize it either. I'm there quite often, but it still confounds me.

Feel like a lost soul now. LOL.

 

[Ang]

Actually, the red fox is native to North America.

Our fox population has exploded in the last year. I used to see them only occasionally. But now I see and year them regularly. I lost most of my flock last summer to foxes when I was on vacation and someone was taking care of them. I figure they visited during the day when it was quiet. In fact, we had several close encounters with them in the yard. We now have everything locked up tight at night and keep a close eye out during the day.

 

[Jaybr]

Quote:
Nothing wrong with that. I have a pack of foxhounds and love to hear them run but i know nothing about horses. My son and I run the dogs in a few field trials every year and he has a room full of trophies to show for it. I'm not a purist fox hunter though and I run my hounds on deer during the season.

You'll never catch me in one of those "outfits" though.

 

[Calebs Acre]

Maybe I need a fox hound?

 

[Jaybr]

Quote:
My mistake, they are native to Canada and Alaska and maybe some of the northernmost US states. The ones here in VA where introduced from europe long ago.

 

[Jaybr]

Quote:
That would be a tricky situation. I don't trust any of my foxhounds around my birds and mine are not really pets. They will for sure run a fox off, and kill it if they can catch it. I'd be afraid if I tried to train them not to mess with the chickens it would effect their hunting. That said, I've seen them walk right past rabbits and turkeys in the woods and never pay them any attention, so who knows.

I'll send you one if you want to give it a try though.