I caught my fox! UPDATED.. now with the VIDEO!

[Colton]

that was AWESOME!! I had a fox problem and lost around15 chickens. I might just have to try this.....

 

[ozarkchicks]

awesome video and great idea to catch that fox!

 

[cmom]

I was sitting in my pasture watching for an owl that has been picking off my birds. I ran over my large trap because I forgot about it and had driven out with my headlights off and ran over it. I ordered a new large trap but I'm trying your idea with a smaller trap. So far no luck. We have seen a fox circling our pens. Now I have owl and a fox.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

One site I read said foxes only have about a five mile radius they call home. Hopefully he'll just make his new home wherever you took him and not try to come back

You transported him 20 miles but a fox's home territory is a 5 mile radius. A five mile radius is equal to a 10 mile diameter, so 20 miles is nothing to a fox. It is just the second house down the street. It would take several hundred miles each way to be sure a fox doesn't return.

 

[Manningjw]

thank you, im glad a few people understand that foxes need to eat to. There is a circle of life, and humans burn a hole right through it!! i despise humans who kill animals just because they had to live. In fact, i think i despise humans in general, life on earth would be better without most of us!!

But then we wouldn't have all the wonderful domesticated chicken breeds that we try so desperately to protect from harm

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I agree on the whole not killing every predator because it poses some threat to your livestock. They(native/non-invasive species) have been here longer and deserve our respect and protection, to an even greater degree than our domestic pets.

 

[AlyssaK]

Okay you are my HERO!

I adore predators and have been wondering how I will resolve my love for birds of prey now that I have prey birds ... being in the city I am less likely to deal with foxes and coyotes, though I imagine dogs, cats, skunks, coons and possums are all going to be things that might still pop on by.

I am glad that you opted to rehome it - predators get such a bad rap and they play an important part of the ecosystem and I can't really blame them for deciding to have a go at what they might think is an easy meal. Just hoping I can find a good way to deal with similar situations as you did!

 

[gootziecat]

Thanks for the picture of the setup and video. I have a terrible fox problem here and have been decimated every year down to just a couple of birds. Sure ruins any sort of decent breeding program, not to mention the heartache and cost. I not only have a red fox but my primary predator fox is a gray vixen that has pups every year.

A friend of mine caught 2 fox in his havaheart type trap, same one I have, by using eggs. He says the fox thinks it's found a nest. I've had mine set up with eggs for a couple of days now. If I don't catch him in a week, I will try adapting some of your techniques. Thank you so much for the tips. As hard as fox are to trap, we need all the help we can get from each other.

 

[cmom]

Quote:

If and when I catch the fox roaming around on my property I am going to release him on the other side of a lake and river. I wonder if they can swim? The only way across for many miles is a couple of bridges about 20 miles apart.

 

[aart]

If and when I catch the fox roaming around on my property I am going to release him on the other side of a lake and river. I wonder if they can swim? The only way across for many miles is a couple of bridges about 20 miles apart.

Hopefully you don't release him near anyone else's chicken coop or in another foxes territory where he well might be killed as an intruder.
Foxes can swim and there could be many ways for fox to cross the river that you don't see in that 20 mile stretch....downed logs etc.
Relocation might seem easier, and more 'humane', for the trapper but there are many other considerations to be made.

 

[zazouse]