I saw him the other day, at least his tail. It's a fox. We have 4 traps set. Tried sardines and bacon (trapper's suggestion). We tried chicken backs and necks from the grocery store (caught a possum). My chickens are locked up until we get him. How do I catch him????
Doing what you are doing is the only thing I could think of. You may try cat food as bait in the live trap. The only other thing is to "hunt" him. Hide yourself with a gun and wait, perhaps in view of the baited live trap.
OK - four traps set. So far 7 possums, 2 coons, 0 fox. Tried sardines, bacon, bread, chicken parts (from grocery store) , marshmallows, eggs, Little Debbie cakes, pastries, macaroni (possum loved it). We haven't seen or heard any sign of the fox in two weeks. Could he have been just passing through or maybe left when we stopped free-ranging our chickens?
Those are the most difficult animals I think. We had 2 of them take out about 30 hens early this year. Usually they will not go in a live trap. A trapper helping us suggested to try hanging up a rooster in a live trap. I think he said about 6 feet up. He told us that the fox would come and jump up to try and get him. We then set about 6 steel traps below. He never came and did it, but you might try that. Foxes are the worst animal I have had to deal with. Our birds stayed locked up for weeks. Finally the trappers shot one. We never saw the other one again. We also purchased a llama and a mule to try and use as guardians. We have noticed that the Coyotes are not nearly as close this year as before.
So now maybe he's gone? they won't hang around if there's nothing to eat. Far as traps go, if there's ANY human scent around it, you won't get him. They are'nt as stupid (clumsy would be a better word) as a possum or a coon
Foxes are very territorial- but often move within their territory. That being said... If you are intent on trapping this fox, you really should set a snare or a foothold if you can. Live traps, in my experience, are next to worthless for fox- unless you bait them with a (dead) cat. A fox will do just about anything for a cat. *Please keep in mind I am not suggesting or in any way condoning this as bait* When setting any trap for a fox, coyote, or other canine, try to keep human scent to a minimum. Wear rubber boots and gloves if you can while setting. If you can pin up your critters for a night or two, I highly reccomend a dirt set *foot hold* Edited for clarity
Quote:I can`t quite agree with these ideas. You may not see him, but foxes are territorial and don`t move often. Anywhere you see a fox there will be abundant human scent. They are much more active in suburban areas than most folks think. Years ago, while doing construction work in Palm Beach, of all places, I saw 2 foxes while eating my lunch in my truck. There`s hardly a square inch of undeveloped land in PB and yet these two were healthy and fat. I lived in the suburbs on a little dirt road with only six houses. It was zoned aggricultural so I kept my flock there, even though the city had built up around me. I caught plenty of foxes, amongst all the other predeators that seemed to proliferate in my little corner of paradise. However, the saga could continue forever. If you continue to have predator problems, PM me. I have a solution......Pop
The scent thing has to do with city vs country fox. Fox in urban areas won't care about human scent, since it's every where. Country fox that don't "have" to encounter human scent for food... are going to care. Animals use scents as guides. Country fox, know human scent can mean bad things. City fox... human scent usually means easy food. So the trapping of a fox depends on the type of territory the fox lives in. Live traps can work for urban, but for country, the less humane leg trap or a snare would be more likely to work. Still no garentee. If you do opt for leg traps, be sure to check it OFTEN, and bring a gun or something to finish things. No creature deserves to suffer. Are you hanging the bait in the live trap and/or setting it away from the back/sides to prevent easy access? I never bothered to trap the fox around here, we had a pair of them who would occasionally come around in the afternoons for the chickens, but the chickens were never surprised and got up into the bushes fast enough. After setting my cattle dog on them a couple times, they quit showing up. Never got easy food, dog always set out... chicken hunting never paid off for them. Fox are only bad when they succesfully catch a chicken. If they never get the chance, they'll never associate your chickens with easy food. The biggest mistake is not setting the food right on the trap, and giving them "free" meals, that will definately keep them in the area, and you'll never trap them unless they make a mistake.