How to kill determined Foxes

[Bryant Redhawk]

I use a live trap for coons, opossum and foxes. Once they are in the trap I dispatch with a 22LR to the head.

 

[aart]

So you have no forest preserves in the middle of nowhere where there are no homes? Justcasking because I really don't know of any places that don't. So call up the wildlife people and ask them where or if they can be brought somewhere.

You do that, call them and then tell us what they say. My bet is that they will tell you relocation is illegal.

Yeah, I meant the foot traps for duke. Cat trap is what I’ve always called the wire cages with a pressure plate.

Those Duke dog proof traps are for raccoons, not likely to catch anything else in those.
Good luck catching a fox in a live trap, pretty tricky.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

What’s the best way to decimate a fox population?

The things to think about when thinking about trapping, particularly foxes, and particular when you're talking about making an impact on the population are:

a) read up on the laws (and seasons)
b) understand that the traps are just tools, they really don't catch foxes... but they might catch a fox
c) what catches foxes is technique and knowledge of specific and effective "sets"... sets just meaning setups

If you're serious about it, read up about fox trapping on a site like "trapperman" if you think this is for you. Understand that is a site dedicated to serious critter gettin'... and not about the causal chicken killer type trapping, so the tone and subject matter will be different that what you read on here.

But basically you'd want to get some fox sized spring coil traps, learn how to do some basic sets like a "dirt hole" set, a "step down" set, and maybe a 'sign post" set ... and then prepare to be schooled because foxes are foxes. If you go that route, you could have the population cleaned up by spring, assuming laws and limits allow it, and if you figure it out.

Most likely though it's just one or two foxes causing the issue, and "decimating" the local population is not needed.

 

[centrarchid]

Trap set I used that will be repeated when ever subsequent foxes figure out how to beat fence and evade dogs. I was violating a lot of conventions used to trap Red Fox away from a poultry yard. My scent and that of my dogs appears to not have been important to fox targeted. I used live bait in the form of juvenile pullets confined to a small cage, crayfish trap from Walmart as shown. Fox could not even pull feathers from contained birds. Several setups were used and it became evident the fox likes to pull cage away from its original position. Fox will also try to dig under and can dig pretty fast. The moving of cage tended to make foot-hold trap set in ground useless, especially when fox avoids stepping where trap was located. I then blocked fox from three sides using a piece of tin roofing (a board would have worked) and two 8 x 8 x 16 cinder blocks. Foot-trap itself was set following standard methods except I was not overly concerned about leaving my scent. Dirt area in foreground is where trap was placed. Bait was pulled from roost each night and released early the following morning with all sets. My fox was coming in at night only. During day traps were covered to protect free-range chickens and dogs. A day time set would need shade, water and possibly food for bait bird. I also rotated birds used as bait since likely not fun for them. Dog dispatched this fox, but I suggest using a light firearm with head shot.

All components of setup, minus bait birds, are stored in barn with other poultry equipment between uses. You need to be very vigilant when trapping to minimize suffering and reduce risk to non-target wildlife. A Great-horned Owl was a major concern for me as it kept messing around traps going after bait birds where is could have be conceivably been trapped as well.

 

[redranger209]

The things to think about when thinking about trapping, particularly foxes, and particular when you're talking about making an impact on the population are:

a) read up on the laws (and seasons)
b) understand that the traps are just tools, they really don't catch foxes... but they might catch a fox
c) what catches foxes is technique and knowledge of specific and effective "sets"... sets just meaning setups

If you're serious about it, read up about fox trapping on a site like "trapperman" if you think this is for you. Understand that is a site dedicated to serious critter gettin'... and not about the causal chicken killer type trapping, so the tone and subject matter will be different that what you read on here.

But basically you'd want to get some fox sized spring coil traps, learn how to do some basic sets like a "dirt hole" set, a "step down" set, and maybe a 'sign post" set ... and then prepare to be schooled because foxes are foxes. If you go that route, you could have the population cleaned up by spring, assuming laws and limits allow it, and if you figure it out.

Most likely though it's just one or two foxes causing the issue, and "decimating" the local population is not needed.

Ok, thanks. It’s legal, that species foxes are a pest here and I can kill as many as I can get my hands on. I’ll read up on that site and buy the trap.

 

[Jamisonbrooks]

Can you trap them and relocate? Is there some wild life group that might help you do that? I hate to see them killed just for being foxes. They’re just doing what comes naturally but I understand your frustration.

most of

 

[OhZark Biddies]

Trap set I used that will be repeated when ever subsequent foxes figure out how to beat fence and evade dogs

You can often get away with a lot concerning scent etc, when trying to catch a single fox that is accustomed to you around the house or barn, and if they come in consistently every night, half the battle is over. And if you have a litter of young ones, they'll fall for a lot, with out much need to jump through a lot of hoops.

But if you tip your hand a bit, that fox can become educated and will do all kinds of things but never go in that box.... of course using the game cameras can help even the playing field quite a bit.

When you're trying to catch them in numbers you're not able to put a camera on each set and so you're having to rely on technique. Once you figure it out, it can be much easier to catch them with traditional coil springs than in a cage trap though, for all kinds of reasons, but it seems like you still end up with one ornery one every time.

And then there are they grey foxes that we have here... such a neat little critter, but they'll give you fits!

As a rule raccoons and possums no worries, bobcats are easy but they don't like to go in cage box, coyotes I've never tried to catch in cage, but with traditional gear they've always been easier for me that what I was told they should be... it's the foxes that trouble me.

Of course I was getting schooled by a ground hog a couple of weeks ago, so maybe it's just me

 

[Jamisonbrooks]

Trap set I used that will be repeated when ever subsequent foxes figure out how to beat fence and evade dogs. I was violating a lot of conventions used to trap Red Fox away from a poultry yard. My scent and that of my dogs appears to not have been important to fox targeted. I used live bait in the form of juvenile pullets confined to a small cage, crayfish trap from Walmart as shown. Fox could not even pull feathers from contained birds. Several setups were used and it became evident the fox likes to pull cage away from its original position. Fox will also try to dig under and can dig pretty fast. The moving of cage tended to make foot-hold trap set in ground useless, especially when fox avoids stepping where trap was located. I then blocked fox from three sides using a piece of tin roofing (a board would have worked) and two 8 x 8 x 16 cinder blocks. Foot-trap itself was set following standard methods except I was not overly concerned about leaving my scent. Dirt area in foreground is where trap was placed. Bait was pulled from roost each night and released early the following morning with all sets. My fox was coming in at night only. During day traps were covered to protect free-range chickens and dogs. A day time set would need shade, water and possibly food for bait bird. I also rotated birds used as bait since likely not fun for them. Dog dispatched this fox, but I suggest using a light firearm with head shot.

All components of setup, minus bait birds, are stored in barn with other poultry equipment between uses. You need to be very vigilant when trapping to minimize suffering and reduce risk to non-target wildlife. A Great-horned Owl was a major concern for me as it kept messing around traps going after bait birds where is could have be conceivably been trapped as well.

The best why is use a snair so you can get the one fox going into the coop if you have a pin if free ranged then duke foot hold traps are the best if set up correct but after words a fence is needed.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

The best why is use a snair so you can get the one fox going into the coop if you have a pin if free ranged then duke foot hold traps are the best if set up correct but after words a fence is needed.

But please don't use a snare if there is a chance pets might roam through! Use "cable locks" instead

edit: I meant "cable restraints" not cable locks

Also the term "Foot Hold" some one earlier took that to mean "Dog Proof"

Foot Hold = Coil Spring trap

just wanted to clarify those terms in case it helped the OP

 

[centrarchid]

Term "coil spring trap" better since advent of "dog proof trap".

I have many pens over multiple acres, but like most people will not need to do more than a little culling to keep predator pressure (not always equal to predator number in an area) low. Snares also involve legal issue here and can be very problematic when a dog or other pet is taken.

I have taken to using game cameras owing to investment being protected. I also study my bad guys for a good while before going into capture mode. Fox in this case was basically experimented on while under observation for better part of a year. Doing observations of Great-horned Owls, opossums, and Black Rat Snakes trying to figure out ways of making their efforts going after chickens, eggs and feed less productive.

Some of the watching can be fun.