Foxes neighbor's been feeding

[Liz Birdlover]

Have you tried reaching out to some type of wild life rehabilitation group? They might have more of a vested interest in the foxes living, and might be willing to come trap it and reintegrate it into the wild somewhere that's actually appropriate for it (since they probably have permits and such).

I will try to find one but it's a challenge in this area. This place is not like where I used to live, very different viewpoints.

 

[ackie]

I will try to find one but it's a challenge in this area. This place is not like where I used to live, very different viewpoints.

I totally understand. I wanted a wildlife group to come get some possums because I didnt want to kill them or rehome them somewhere they shouldnt be, and they just went off about how possums arent a nuisance and how live traps are inhumane. o.o

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I wonder if something could be done about her being on OPs property? like trespassing? but it's hard if OP doesnt wanna stir up any ish.

Well, she puts plates of food near my property line, so technically it is her yard by a few feet but the wind Always blows the fox crap encrusted plates into my yard (yeah foxes didn't get that memo, you're not supposed to crap where you eat). She's not going to stop. I'm not going to stir things up with her. I spoke to her abt it months ago in summer & also told her the horse people have trapped & or destroyed foxes in the past due to the parasite in their feces causing illness to the horses. Every time they have to call the horse vet, that's $1,500 & up, so do ya think they're going to let anything happen to those Thoroughbreds? No!
I actually don't dislike foxes, I appreciate their rodent removal service & have some amazing photos, but I do miss them being more aloof, especially this summer when I could not even have my chickens out gardening with me...when I can't even enjoy my own freaking property, that's bullshit, that's when I took a look to see what the hell was going on, why are these foxes suddenly so friendly, & I saw the paper plates. At 1st I thought a gust of wind blew their paper plates from their July pool party over, but then I was picking up plates every freaking day...that's when I asked her, what is she doing? That was July. I think to her, it seems like a kind gesture, but she is not helping them, they need to know how to hunt successfully to survive winter, let them hunt mice & rabbits. I let her know that by making them tame, someone is going to notice & do something about it. It all went in 1 ear & out the other. Now, it's down to 30s at night, she's putting out more plates of food! Yeah...I overheard the horse folks talking abt shooting the foxes a few days ago as they drove by on the Gator. So her "kind" actions are going to get them shot. Darn shame. There is supposed to a balance, leave them alone to maintain it, fox hunt mice. When the horse people take action, a good mouser will be gone.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I totally understand. I wanted a wildlife group to come get some possums because I didnt want to kill them or rehome them somewhere they shouldnt be, and they just went off about how possums arent a nuisance and how live traps are inhumane. o.o

Possums are beneficial eating ticks, so they should be willing to rehome them. I guess it depends on who you call. I called a few years ago when so many groundhogs were under sheds & one shed is actually dangerously leaning. The trap caught a few groundhogs but also a racoon & the same possum 2x. They were going to relocate the possum but I let it stay, there are a lot of ticks here.

 

[Jenwisp]

Throw the plates of food back over her fence. I know you don't want to stir issues with these a-holes but really you are teaching them that it's okay to be jerks to you. Are there neighbors on the other side of them? I'm sorry you have to deal with this.

 

[ackie]

Yeah...I overheard the horse folks talking abt shooting the foxes a few days ago as they drove by on the Gator. So her "kind" actions are going to get them shot. Darn shame. There is supposed to a balance, leave them alone to maintain it, fox hunt mice. When the horse people take action, a good mouser will be gone.

I understand that. We can't have possums on the chance that their poop has a really awful equine disease in it. Possums can carry it but obviously no way to know if a particular one has it, but it's not worth the risk. So we remove them, but of course all the rehab groups say they should be left alone because they're not a nuisance. Grumble.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I understand that. We can't have possums on the chance that their poop has a really awful equine disease in it. Possums can carry it but obviously no way to know if a particular one has it, but it's not worth the risk. So we remove them, but of course all the rehab groups say they should be left alone because they're not a nuisance. Grumble.

Did not know that. Gotta take care of the horses properly. The horse property has 1 tree, the majority is open acreage & corrals. Next door to me is a 2 acre lot left totally overgrown so that's mainly where our possum & much wildlife will hang out. Possum only occasionally waddled over & went under my shed that the darn groundhogs "excavated" under. I also had a fig tree once...did you know possums like figs? Lol I love figs but that tree turned out to be more trouble than it was worth, so it went bye bye. If I ever plant another one, it will NOT be near the house or coops, figs attract way too many nocturnal visitors, even skunks. If you walk your dog those summer nights, you do not want to walk by a fig tree LOL!

 

[Folly's place]

Here there's a major issue with EPM in horses, brought to them in opossum poo. We shoot any who want to live in or around the barn or coop, as they also like to eat chicken food, eggs and chickens. No love lost here!
One of my horses had EPM twice, expensively treated, and survived, but unridable, and it shortened her life even as a pasture pet. She was a very sweet mare, much missed.

Mary

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Throw the plates of food back over her fence. I know you don't want to stir issues with these a-holes but really you are teaching them that it's okay to be jerks to you. Are there neighbors on the other side of them? I'm sorry you have to deal with this.

I took a photo of plates and asked her if they were hers, I keep finding more & more in my yard. She must be trying to pick them up before wind does now, there aren't nearly as many..
There are neighbors on the other side of her, they rarely come outside, haven't lived there long, only spoke to them 1x, they're related to who owns the house they're in. I'm not going to talk to them abt it. I'm not going to talk to anyone right now, it'll just stir things up. I said something to the source in July, went in 1 ear & out the other. I think one of these days we just won't see foxes anymore...from what I overheard the horse people say. I'm staying out of it. I was going to try & humanely trap & relocate, but I can't even find that size trap in stock at a reasonable price & I don't know if where I would release would be a good idea. If foxes already have established territories then wherever they get released could end up being a bad scenario.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Here there's a major issue with EPM in horses, brought to them in opossum poo. We shoot any who want to live in or around the barn or coop, as they also like to eat chicken food, eggs and chickens. No love lost here!
One of my horses had EPM twice, expensively treated, and survived, but unridable, and it shortened her life even as a pasture pet. She was a very sweet mare, much missed.
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Mary

Oh she is beautiful, I'm so sorry.