Trapping Chicken Killers

[JJSS89]

How does he jump into the pen?

 

[Danieldude888]

How does he jump into the pen?

I have 6 foot tall wire fencing but no roof/cover on my coop. Somehow the fox just hurdles over 6 feet

 

[TalkALittle]

Foxes are smart and nimble. They can climb and clamber up and over all kinds of fencing. They will also scale nearby structures (rocks, trees, posts, piles of lumber, small buildings, etc.) and then leap over to clear a fence.

For what its worth, in her youth, my 55lb. dog could scale a 6 foot chain link fence. If she could do it, I imagine it would be no problem for a fox.

 

[JJSS89]

I have 6 foot tall wire fencing but no roof/cover on my coop. Somehow the fox just hurdles over 6 feet

Ah. I was hoping you'd say there was a specific hole that you could set. Close off the top. Then worry about the fox.

Otherwise you'll always be reacting to the latest predator.

 

[slingshotandLAR]

Fishers are easy to cage trap. What'd you do with that one?

Cage Trapping:
Pros: easy to understand, not "scary", can usually release non-target animals
Cons: EXPENSIVE, tough to hide from do-gooders, not coyote effective

I caught that fisher behind my coops, I wanted to see what was cruising by them at night.... Coops are secure so I released him so I could recapture him when the trapping season opened, caught him in a conibear bucket trap second day of the season.

 

[JJSS89]

Good deal, I am glad that Fishers are making a comeback across the country.

 

[Danieldude888]

@JJSS89 sorry for the late reply. I have a smaller coop with a chicken wire cover I put my ducks and chickens into. They can't stay there forever though. Its too small to be a permanent home for all my ducks and chickens. Now about that fox,what bait/lure, position, disguise, etc should I use? I was thinking a live bird inside a mesh cage. I could wire the cage to the end of my trap. The chirps as well as the smell might attract the fox. What do you think about this live bait method?

P.S - The trap I have is the Havahart Extra Large 1081 live trap. It says recommended for fox.

 

[JJSS89]

@JJSS89 sorry for the late reply. I have a smaller coop with a chicken wire cover I put my ducks and chickens into. They can't stay there forever though. Its too small to be a permanent home for all my ducks and chickens. Now about that fox,what bait/lure, position, disguise, etc should I use? I was thinking a live bird inside a mesh cage. I could wire the cage to the end of my trap. The chirps as well as the smell might attract the fox. What do you think about this live bait method?

P.S - The trap I have is the Havahart Extra Large 1081 live trap. It says recommended for fox.

Live bait is a good option and is effective IF it is legal.

Minimize your scent when making a set. It will matter less here than in the wild but it can't hurt.

Collect feathers, dig a dirt hole that goes into the ground at a 45 degree angle and is about 9" deep and 3" wide. Spread that freshly dug dirt around and make it look like a fox dug a hole and kicked some dirt around. Then spread those feathers (preferably white) and make it appear that an animal buried a piece of chicken and the feathers were coming off in the process. Then put some fresh or lightly tainted chicken or lamb meat down the hole, put between a teaspoon and a tablespoon down that hole. Don't put more than that or it will probably seem suspicious to the fox. Set the cage over this hole with the cage pan just in front of this hole. Then (again minimize scent) using leaves, grass, dirt etc. lightly cover the wire of the cage and pan so that Mr Fox does not feel the steel on his foot pads.

It would be best to do this where you could set the trap up against the chicken coop or another wall to stabilize it.

 

[kimberly35042]

Danieldude888 -- did you get the foxy? I have a friend with a similar foxy problem. He's spotted both red and grey in a his subdivision. AND missing chickens.

 

[HG2705]

If you can't dispatch them with a shotgun, they don't like the smell of creosote it is like a wood preserver. Wet a old rag with it and put a few round the fence.