Shhh I’m hunting a fox!

[tsperry88]

Im considering picking up a cheap night vision rifle scope. Basically a digital camera with crosshairs and an ir blaster/flashlight. It’s not legal in all areas, but it is in mine. I lost too many chickens not to fight back

 

[The Backyard Bantams]

Poor foxes. They are just hunting to survive. They don’t know any better. It’s sad, but I suppose it has to be done to protect your flock. I’d rather lock my birds up so they are safe at night, and no foxes are harmed. It would be much nicer to trap them, but they are trap-shy and intelligent, so I guess shooting them is more efficient. ;(

 

[tsperry88]

I love animals, so I understand your feelings. My coop is secure at night. Nothing is getting in. I tried free ranging during the day and lost 12 chickens over 2 fox attacks. My run is probably safe during the day, but I’m not going to risk it. At this point I’m a little mad too.

 

[RW1984]

Poor foxes. They are just hunting to survive. They don’t know any better. It’s sad, but I suppose it has to be done to protect your flock. I’d rather lock my birds up so they are safe at night, and no foxes are harmed. It would be much nicer to trap them, but they are trap-shy and intelligent, so I guess shooting them is more efficient. ;(

My girls do get locked up at night but this fox comes around at various times of the day when he thinks I’m not home and the ladies are out.
My coop isn’t very predator proof (first coop I built and didn’t have funds to get cinder blocks and a bunch of cloth wire. I had enough to get the coop built and the run which is 30x20 sq ft with poultry netting.
I’m a live and let live guy but I put too much into these birds to let a fox get off easy
Right now I have my 3 dogs chained up around the coop during the day while I’m at work as a deterrent. Normally their inside so they’re a bit put off I’m sure lol
But it’s about time them dogs earn their dinner I guess lol

 

[RW1984]

I love animals, so I understand your feelings. My coop is secure at night. Nothing is getting in. I tried free ranging during the day and lost 12 chickens over 2 fox attacks. My run is probably safe during the day, but I’m not going to risk it. At this point I’m a little mad too.

I understand your pain. I had 36 birds last I counted a week or two ago. I let them out the other day to free range while I was home and counted 35. Over and over and over again. One is missing. No idea how or when. No holes are dug and everything’s fairly secure so it must have happened while free ranging one day.

 

[RW1984]

Im considering picking up a cheap night vision rifle scope. Basically a digital camera with crosshairs and an ir blaster/flashlight. It’s not legal in all areas, but it is in mine. I lost too many chickens not to fight back

That would be a nice touch. I have my bow set up for night shooting and will be using that after dark.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Im considering picking up a cheap night vision rifle scope. Basically a digital camera with crosshairs and an ir blaster/flashlight. It’s not legal in all areas, but it is in mine. I lost too many chickens not to fight back

Don't forget the Elmer Fudd hat!!

 

[RW1984]

Don't forget the Elmer Fudd hat!!

Haha! Finally someone got my reference with the title!

 

[cmom]

Recently Elmer Fudd had his gun taken away. I have caught fox that had killed some of my birds in leg traps and live traps. With the leg traps, since I knew it would be back, I put one of the bodies from the kill of the previous day as bait with the leg traps around the body and caught the fox. Another fox was coming out during the day and got a bird. I no longer use the leg traps only the live traps. We are rural and some of the neighbors have been dividing up their land and selling off a few acres here and there so we have had an influx of people buying the land and building homes. I guess I knew it would happen eventually. We were the last house on our road which eventually got extended. I have caught a couple of cats and have seen some dogs around the traps. I bait the traps and let the fox take the bait for a few days then set the trap and caught it. I also had a bobcat kill 14 birds one night. It made the mistake of coming back and got caught. I do eliminate the predators that have killed any of my birds. The foxes I have caught were mangy and stinky. I have several game cameras up on my property. Most nights I get something on at least one of the cameras. I do have electric wires around my coops and pens, concrete under the gates and good heavy duty netting covering my pens, all due to losses from predators in the past. The predators know the electric wire is there and haven't penetrated. They have gotten right up to the electric wires but don't touch them and if they do touch them they don't test them again.

 

[DaisyG2317]

Savage makes an excellent .22-250 that is no match for foxes

Love mine!