YO GEORGIANS! :)

[ChickDancer]

That's 2 votes for the hat. How much trouble for killing the fox or bobcat depends on when and the circumstances.

3 votes hat.

4 votes hat.

Bobcats and foxes, just like opossums, squirrels, rabbits, deer,bear, turkey,dove, beaver and all the other game species in Georgia have hunting seasons. Most are from around September to January. Others are longer, like the poor squirrel who is in season from August to February. But as far as foxes go, DNR does not differentiate between gray and red. It's just fox season. Coyotes have no season and can be killed year round, no limits.

Oh, and DNR will not bring out traps and take care of them. They don't remove nuisance animals like beavers or Canada Geese. They will give you a list of licensed trappers that you would have to pay.

Correct, and they charge a f**king arm and a leg to trap them for you. $120 for them to come lay a single trap down for a single predator. I bought my super-huge, live, catch-and-release trap for $150. The spring trap? Only about $25 with shipping.

Screw that $120 charge!

 

[ChickDancer]

What if the fox is 205 yards from your house and killing your livestock? What if it's a bobcat doing it 195 yards from your house? We all "hear" different things about what can or cannot be done. I am going to find it in writing in Georgia laws so we know exactly what can or cannot be done. I, like some of you, grew up in the country where any predator attacking livestock was fair game. As far as I know, you can still protect your property from attack. However, I am not going to present this as fact to anyone until I see it in writing in our laws. I will find the answer but it may be after the holiday weekend when people who can point me in the right direction are back in their offices.

I just go by what Animal Control here in Butts County tells me. "Fox attacking your chickens? Okay, we don't catch those, call these people and pay lots of money. If you catch it yourself, we'll put it down because we have a rabies problem with foxes right now."

 

[ChickDancer]

§ 27-3-62. Open seasons


(a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Code section, it shall be unlawful to trap any wildlife in this state between March 1 and November 19.

(b) It shall be unlawful to trap any wildlife during the period between November 20 and February 29, except as otherwise provided in this Code section and except that it shall not be unlawful to trap a fur-bearing animal during that period or a portion thereof if that period or portion thereof is designated by the board as an open trapping season for such fur-bearing animal.

(c) In accordance with subsection (b) of this Code section and as may be appropriate in accordance with sound wildlife management principles, the board is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations establishing open seasons for the trapping of fur-bearing animals on a state-wide, regional, or local basis.

(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a) or (b) of this Code section, it shall be lawful to trap beaver, rats, and mice at any time during the year. It shall also be lawful for any person to set steel traps within 200 yards of the residence or dwelling of any such person for the protection of livestock, ratites, poultry, or other fowl or domestic animals from any predatory bird or animal.

(e) Notwithstanding subsection (a) or (b) of this Code section, it shall be unlawful to trap raccoons in that area north of and including Carroll, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Barrow, Jackson, Madison, and Elbert counties at any time during the year.

(f) Any person who violates any provision of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Residence, unless defined otherwise within this law, actually includes the entire property on which you reside. So if you have five acres, that means the entire 5 acres, PLUS another 200 yards.

I learned that law the "hard way" when I had to research search and seizure laws to find out that a code enforcement officer has no rights to enter a private home like a certified law enforcement officer does "under reasonable circumstances". So that much I do know.

 

[ChickDancer]

So far it seems that birds of prey are totally off the list of things you can harm in protection of livestock. They are federally protected and the feds don't care how many chickens they eat.

What they don't know, won't kill THEM.

 

[ChickDancer]

What would take three chickens in one night/morning and leave little trace of the chickens/attack?

That's what I'm dealing with. And I am thinking it's a fox with kits.

 

[ChickDancer]

I'm thinking of setting traps for foxes earlier this year. Do you guys think it would be worth it? I know for a fact that they are in the area and we had a big problem with them last year. I'd really rather not kill them but if they snatch a single one of my pretty roosters again they will be not be spared. It's gotten a lot better now that the dog sleeps next to the chicken house but I'm really scared for the ducks who are about 50 ft or so away.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KL78OA

That price for the lives of my chickens and roosters?

Oh yeah, it's worth it!

 

[ChickDancer]

Oh no! I'm sorry to hear about your chickens getting taken. I know that a raccoon can open certain kinds of locks on coops. Also someone else on one of the forums or a chicken site said that they believed a raccoon had taken one of their chickens and left nothing but a couple of feathers in the yard. They believed it was a raccoon because they had seen one on their property earlier that week.

I think it also depends on the size of the bird, and the temperament of the bird. Brownie was taken without a single trace. My little half-bantam EE was taken with only a small bit of feathers left behind.

Skeeter left feathers ALL OVER THE PLACE. Huge piles of them. Skeeter put up a fight! But only a fox would have been big enough to take him down. He was HUGE. Brownie could have been taken by a big raccoon. And the little half-bantam EE could have been taken by anything.

So if they didn't put up a fight, think about what would have to DRAG them, and what could actually pick them up and carry them off.

 

[ChickDancer]

Looks like one and five are your buffs, the sexlinks will have white feathers mixed in with red/gold. Your buffs should be solid buff, sometimes the chick fluff will be smutty, esp when from a hatchery.
Also, doesn't look like your Silkies will have huge crests, neither one have vaulted skulls, just fyi

Okay, I'll have to get pics of my buffs tomorrow. My phone was dead, and by the time it got a charge, it was too dark outside to get good photos. I'll try again tomorrow when the sun comes back up.

 

[jdduck]

ANYWAY, wanted to share a funny bit while most of you were probably still awake and online. During my route today, I had to avoid a pile of dead animal in the middle of one of the roads. And wouldn't you know it... that pile of dead animal was a FOX! HAHAHAHA!

That's what you f**kers get for eating my chickens! Oh it was so satisfying to see that. Most likely it wasn't the same fox, but it felt good anyway! JUSTICE FOR SKEETER!

if u are talking about the one on teagel had to wash him off the side of my truck today. week old dead fox stinks almost as bad as skunk.

 

[ChickDancer]

if u are talking about the one on teagel had to wash him off the side of my truck today. week old dead fox stinks almost as bad as skunk.

HAHA, yes!

That was such a sweet sight!