Fox

[Yep I Talk To Chickens]

I have a big fox problem. It has already taken a guinea hen and one of my chickens. I also suspect it took my neighbor's missing barn cat. This morning my other neighbor messaged me saying there was a bunch of feathers in her yard. The concerning thing is is that they were right next to her door meaning the fox isn't afraid of coming towards houses. Does anyone have any idvice on how to catch it? I can't set up foot traps because I have a barn cat. So far I am setting up box traps with chicken hearts and livers in them.

 

[Emelyn]

I have a big fox problem. It has already taken a guinea hen and one of my chickens. I also suspect it took my neighbor's missing barn cat. This morning my other neighbor messaged me saying there was a bunch of feathers in her yard. The concerning thing is is that they were right next to her door meaning the fox isn't afraid of coming towards houses. Does anyone have any idvice on how to catch it? I can't set up foot traps because I have a barn cat. So far I am setting up box traps with chicken hearts and livers in them.

I don't recommend doing the chicken heart and liver idea because your barncat still COULD possibly get stuck there. Instead you could probably try canned dog food (wet) and put it there since as far as I know cats probably won't be attracted to dog food. You can also use peanuts and cheese as bait since foxes enjoy those as well. For traps look for one that looks like the one below.

 

[cmom]

This one killed some of my birds. I was seeing it during the day. We had processed some birds and a couple of the packages found their way to the bottom of the freezer. I used it as bait. I eliminated it.

This one dug under a gate and killed several birds. I used one of the dead birds as bait. I used leg traps but now only live traps. I have electric wires around my coops and pens but nothing at the gates. I have since put an electric wire across the bottom of the gates and concrete under the gates. They kept coming back. I don't mess with them unless they kill any of my birds then I eliminate them. I have seen other fox but if they bother my birds I'll eliminate them too. Both of these fox were mangy and stinky even though at first they looked fluffy. Good luck...

 

[cmom]

I don't recommend doing the chicken heart and liver idea because your barncat still COULD possibly get stuck there. Instead you could probably try canned dog food (wet) and put it there since as far as I know cats probably won't be attracted to dog food. You can also use peanuts and cheese as bait since foxes enjoy those as well. For traps look for one that looks like the one below.

I have caught a couple of cats and a vulture in my live traps. I just opened the trap and let them out. No harm.

 

[cmom]

I have caught possums, fox, skunks, cats and a vulture in live traps.
I have caught fox and bobcat in leg traps.
I don't use leg traps anymore but still have them, but I use live traps. When we first moved here we were the last house on the street but over the years neighbors have divided their land and sold off parcels. Originally the road in front of our house was a dead end but it was extended and some dirt roads off of it but they are dead end roads. People have bought property and have either built houses or put in mobile homes or manufactured homes. With so many newer people in the area now I just use the live traps. I constantly get offers on my property but it's not for sale.

 

[Ravenseye]

Fox are notoriously difficult to trap. If you use a box trap, it helps to hide it under brush or stuff it between bushes...something to make it stand out less. Bait is important. You can NOT set it to trap but put food inside for a bit to see if you can entice the fox to trust it as a food source and then set it to trap. I have a former neighbor who had a large coop and he left the door to the run open with the trap right in the entrance and caught a fox the very first night as it tried to run inside. I think he just got lucky though. Patience and persistence helps...if you don't run out of time first.

 

[cmom]

I let the fox take the bait a few times before I actually set the trap so it would get used to going in them.