Unbelievable!! Foxes are now coming in the middle of the day!

[CityChicker]

I cannot believe it. We have a major issue with foxes. They have been coming out every single day by early evening as soon as it is dark. My husband just screamed at me to hurry up and run out there. There was one out there trying to catch birds in the middle of the day! I screamed and yelled (which sounded like a cat being killed since I can't speak, LOL) at it and it just turned around and looked at me like- yes, can I help you? I mean I had to go all crazy woman on it. It ran about 20 feet away and just stopped and set down looking at me. We screamed at it some more and it jumped ON TOP of our six foot fence and just set there watching us. Balancing on TOP of the fence.

This really scares me for my birds. Granted, our cages are about as predator proof as you can get. We have not had one be able to get into the cages yet despite their trying forever. I am very scared though that we let our Runner ducks out during the day in an area that is not covered. It looks like we are done with that for the time being. I can't believe that foxes would do this if they were wild. There were two of them out playing on the sidewalk the other day at like 5:30 in the evening. It's all bizarre to me. Up at our farm in the mountains, we never see them trying to get into get the birds (maybe there are just more food sources up there). Seriously, we have had raccoons even come in the garage through the doggie door to get into dog/cat feed (at the farm, not here), but have never had one get into the birds. As I said though, our cages for the most part are like Fort Knox.

Anyway, I don't know what to do at this point other than what we already are. I can't shoot them here in town and we have already tried to find a company that is licensed to trap and dispose of predators and none of them apparently do foxes.

 

[ivan3]

The closer preds live to concentrations of humans, the more `unusual' the behavior becomes. They are smart, what we think of as strange is simply their way of adjusting their schedules to the time of day when foraging has the highest probability of success. Many years back, just off the U. of MO. campus, in older houses rented to students, there occurred a series of `break-ins' that took place between two and four p.m (no one home). Eventually, a cop recognized raccoon scat on the floor of one of the joints.

Foxes, however, are not strictly nocturnal in the most natural of settings. Every attack in this semi-rural area has happened in the evening, before sundown.

If I lived in town, where more direct methods of dealing with this couldn't be exercised, I'd call animal control and tell them the foxes were behaving in an unsual manner (not running away when confronted, biting at the air, etc.).

 

[babyblue]

if your husband sees a problem first why is he screaming at you to hurry up and take care of it. care of living animals is up to all members of the household, not just you even if they are "your" birds. Im sorry to be blunt but from what you said his actions are not very nice.

 

[FireTigeris]

Call animal control, but foxes are (how is it spelled?) Crepuscular- awake in early morning and evening, not just all night like nocturnal animals.

Many animals considered nocturnal are.

 

[sepiolida]

It's true about nuisance animals becoming much more brazen when the live next to humans. We've got raccoons here that don't seem to care at all if there are people nearby.

The animal shelter here gives out live animal traps to get rid of problems like this. Then you can either kill/relocate them. Foxes are smart enough that when they see this happening they might avoid your area. Or just invest in a rifle - it sounds like your area might be remote enough that you can do that.

It's really great that you've built a chicken fort knox to keep them safe, even from foxes that can jump 6' - really impressive!

Good luck!

 

[CityChicker]

Thanks, guys.... yes, I think calling animal control is a good idea. I will do that. I just don't know if it is ever something we will be able to totally solve simply because of where we live. We live close into the city, but we are across the street from a huge horse pasture that is probably at least a couple hundred acres and to the side of that is a lake/reservoir. The beginning of the trail that leads down to the lake and circles it is directly across the street from our house. If there was ever a good habitat for urban critters, this is it.

Babyblue- Believe me, my husband was right there with me, LOL. It was more like him yelling for me as he was running out there too. I'm sorry it sounded otherwise. He is awesome with the animals. I really couldn't ask for better.

 

[CityChicker]

Also, thanks for the suggestions. I will see if animal control will provide a trap because we don't have one fox size. We do have plenty of firearms as well, but I know we are not allowed to shoot where we are. Some other BYC'ers have been to our house, so I'm sure they will understand, but we are close in the city. It is hard to describe, but we are the last house in an older subdivision. Our house was built I think in '71. Our back fence borders one house on the side that faces the same direction and then backs to another house that is on a cul de sac behind us. That guy also has a huge lot that is partially wooded.

The real issue though is that on the other side of us is a new subdivision with very expensive homes (like $500-$800 K). Three of these expensive mini-mansion houses back to our side yard. Not only that, but they can see right into our yard (they are all great neighbors though). If they saw me back there shooting though, I don't think they would be well with it. LOL. I think we are just going to have to keep the birds out of the day pens, until those are covered too (which we are actually almost done with right now), put up more electric fence, and get the traps. I know they have been coming nightly for several months and haven't been able to get in yet, although I didn't know before today that they are coming during the day.

 

[sepiolida]

Air rifle. Legal, and an effective deterent!

 

[Chieftain]

Quote:
Absolutely right.

Get the best high powered air rifle you can find, and a $35 scope to put on it. Be sure to get a box of the good pellets that have points on them. They fly much better than the flat ones do and penetrate much better. Dial that baby in at 100 feet, and the next time that fox steps one foot in range, nail him. You can aim for any vital area you choose, and he will never know what hit him.

Peace through superior fire power.

 

[SuziQ991]

When I read this I had to laugh. I also found a fox circling my fort knox chicken pen at 1:00 in the afternoon. As you said, I went all crazy on him because he just looked at me and didn't run at first. My husband said he was looking out the window and all he saw were my arms and legs going crazy and me yelling. The funny thing is, when I did that the fox did run off which spooked my horses and they went running and bucking. All this was going on and my neighbor drove up. He just stopped the car with a confused look on his face (the fox was no where to be seen by now) and asked me if I was all right. LOL I must have really looked like the crazy chicken lady!