Trapping a Fox Legally?

[mistydbowen]

We have a fox that has been getting our chickens one by one, right in the middle of the day when we're home and the dogs are outside.

A friend has offered to trap and kill the fox for us. But does anyone know what the laws are about that? It's not trapping season, but the fox is definitely a nuisance. Can we just trap and kill it? Or do we need a permit or something?

We live in Maine if that makes a difference.

 

[shmccarthy]

I think if you're commercially trapping you need a permit. That doesn't sound like the case for you because it is a nusience animal.
I found a PDF for Maines 2013 trapping regulations.
http://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting_trapping/trapping/
This may give you some information on the legalities.
You can also call your local sheriff or DNR officer and see what the rules are for disposing a pest animal like a fox. I would try the sheriff first because if the DNR is anything like they are where I live, they won't be too helpful. There's a lot of places where you can trap/kill an animal that is causing or about to cause damage to yourself or your property. But I think if you're looking for a trap and release method, there may be different laws. Good luck.

 

[mamagardener]

You should call your local animal control and see what the laws are in Maine. I live in Mass, and have had chickens for 4 years, and never had a problem with a fox before. Now in the last week two chickens have been taken out of the yard when free ranging and my cat was attacked. I called animal control and they said it is a nusiance animal and I can trap it. The only problem is that MA state law is if you catch it you have to kill it, you can't just release it somewhere else. In MA animal control will only help if it is sick or injured.

Hopefully Maine is different and will help, or you don't have to kill it if you trap it.

 

[mistydbowen]

I talked to a game warden. He says if we actually see it take a chicken we can legally shoot it. And that trapping should be my very last resort. He wants me to bury my fence in the ground 12 inches and put ammonia soaked rags in the fence.

It's just kind of a bummer because I live in the country so that I can do things like let my chickens free range. I don't want to have to keep them locked up in the run all the time.

If I can deter the fox long enough will it eventually give up and I'll be able to let the chickens out again?

 

[Dutchess]

Hello Mistydbowen, Good to see a fellow Mainer here!!! I'm from southern Maine (Lebanon) and we have had a heck of a time with foxes (and other predators) ever since we got the chickens (4yrs). The mother fox is feeding her babies so she will be back, time after time, if she was successful the first time. We just recently (3 weeks ago) lost 3 laying hens (out of six) to a fox. Brazen little thing, comes right out to the edge of the woods on our lawn and grabs them one by one! In the middle of the day!
I don't let them out to free range right now because I know that fox isn't far. They are in a predator proof run and coop, that's the best bet when you have predators. And you have to expect it here in the sticks of Maine.
But as for 'digging the fence underground', that's a lot of work. To make short of that work, I have taken the hardware cloth (1/4" hole stuff) and lay it on top of the dirt with the wall of the run in the middle so that both sides, inside the run and outside, have a portion of the cloth on each side. That way, they would have to start to dig about 1-1/2 feet away (3-foot wide roll) from the side of the run then dig down and toward the side of the run. It works really well and a lot less work! Eventually the grass grows up throught the holes and the fencing blends in and you don't even see it! I have never heard of ammonia soaked rags?? Must smell nasty!

Good luck with everything! ~Kim