My Journey Dealing with the Non-Native Red Foxes in California

[casportpony]

For the last several years, we've lost one or two here and there, but in the last few weeks, we started losing at least one a day, and the day before yesterday, at least four were killed and at least two were injured. I say "at least" because those were the ones I found and it's possible some were carried off.

I've tried trapping, but no luck, so now I am gonna shoot it.

A few problems:

• I have no experience shooting a gun or rifle
• I don't own a gun or rifle
• I don't have a hunting license
• I don't have a depredation permit
• I don't know what sort of weapon I need to buy

Plan of attack:

• Get a CDFW GO ID card
• Take a hunter safety course
  • Registered for in-person
  • Online
• Get a hunting license
• Get a depredation permit
• Take a private firearms lesson
• Buy a rifle and accessories

Links I've found:

• 6 ‘Non-Native’ Species We Love to Hunt
• What is the best rifle for shooting foxes?
• Hunting blind
• Videos (warning, contains footage of foxes being shot)
  • Foxing With HIKMICRO Thermal
  • PHEASANT CHICKS AND EGG THIEF.
• West's Annotated California Codes. Fish and Game Code. Division 4. Birds and Mammals. Part 3. Mammals. Chapter 3. Nongame Mammals and Depredators
• Long Range Hunting Forum
• Local gun ranges
• California Hunter Education
• Today's Hunter
• Sierra Nevada Red Fox Identification
• The red fox - managing non-native species in California
• Gilroy Wildlife Removal
• Fox Removal and Control
• How to Get Rid of a Fox
• GILROY WILDLIFE CONTROL, ANIMAL TRAPPING & REMOVAL
• https://www.creaturecatchers.net/
• GILROY PEST ANIMAL REMOVAL: 408-550-6660
• Gilroy Wildlife Removal | Gilroy All Stars

Rifles:

• Hunting Rifles For Sale | Price Match Guaranteed​

• Rifles for Sale - Bolt Action, Lever/Pump, Single Shot​

• What's the best foxing calibre?​

Forums​

https://www.huntingpa.com/​

Videos

Long Range Foxing & Varminting in the UK | Element Optics Global Hunting, S1E3​

Thoughts? Advice?

 

[sourland]

All that is going to take time. How about contacting an animal control specialist?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm sorry for your losses, Pony. Good luck.

 

[casportpony]

Update - Adam at the Department of Fish and Game says I do not need a depredation permit.

 

[sourland]

Update - Adam at the Department of Fish and Game says I do not need a depredation permit.

Do them in !

 

[casportpony]

Do them in !

Once I take a hunter safety course and get a rifle, I plan on it.

Today I headed it off at the pass so to speak. I started walking the fence line at about 5 am and spotted it trotting across the neighbor's field towards me. I shined the flashlight in its eyes and it stopped and went in a different direction.

About an hour later heard the neighbor's chickens & dogs, so I think it was trying to get the neighbor's hens.

 

[casportpony]

Tomorrow I am going to try to get my Firearm Safety Certificate. I'm going to Storming Norman Gunworks here in Gilroy, CA.

I gotta study tonight!
https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/firearms/forms/hscsg.pdf

 

[Brooks_]

Keep your line of sight in mind and only fire safe shots. Happy hunting.

 

[casportpony]

Keep your line of sight in mind and only fire safe shots. Happy hunting.

Thanks. After I do the test tomorrow I am going to find someone to give me proper lessons at a range.

 

[Smokerbill]

How close do you think you'll be to the fox when you shoot at it? 30 yards or less? If so, maybe a shotgun would be a better choice than a rifle.

With a rifle you'll need to be accurate with your shot. With a shotgun there's room for error because the shot pattern spreads out.

Rifle bullets can travel a lot farther (up to a mile or more) than shot pellets from a shotgun, and could be a hazard to neighbors.

Oh, and with a shotgun you can shoot at them while they're running. Shooting at running game with a rifle isn't advisable.