Well there is a fox frequenting my pasture for chickens. I thought I had a hawk problem but was wrong.

Saturday morning at just after 6 I saw said fox and in the dim light I did take a shot at him with my 22. I did not hit the running fox but must have been close after the ducking and diving he did.

I finished a fencing project to secure my birds in a smaller area. Naturally they are unhappy.

Afterwards I searched the bordering woods looking for a den and was unsuccessful.

Questions:

Will a shot at fox return?

Extermination...Am I best off trying to trap or poison this animal? If so, recommended poisons or traps. I work for a living and am not on the farm day and night.

Someone suggested coyote urine. Sounds time consuming with frequent application an thus would become expensive.

Am looking for advice!

I would guess a trap is that way to do it. I would belive that the fox will return, unless you hit it ofcourse. Some sort of box trap that you catch the fox unharmed in, then you shot him with a 22. I don't like foot traps and simulare. If the are sett so that they snap the fox's neck it ok, but requers a good deal of squill to sett up. It also kill dogs. Poison is not an option for me, it's kill everything without separating and also it's illigal overhere.

Setting out some bait for it and then spending a night or two at the bait might lure him in.

We once had a fox in out chicken pen. The pen is inside the barn. It killed 15 out of 25 hens, it had the time to take one of them!

The rest stoped laing eggs so we had to kill them to.

My father shot a fox cub that year and we didn't see any more that year. The cub was out in broud daylight searching for dead mice in the freshly cut grass not far from our house.

Johan

here in england we are allowed to snare them, i dont know if that is allowed where u are. best place to put these are on a fence line where the fox usually comes through or a gap in the hedge. another effective thing to do is to bait it and wait for it to return.we usually put out entrails from rabbits for a couple of nights at dusk and leave them to enjoy it then ot the third night they know what time the bait roughly gets put down and are not wary because they have fed undisturbed previously. we have shot nine foxes in four hours doing it this way shooting from our truck parked up just waiting for them.(you could set your watch by them) hope this helps if u want anymore ideas just ask and good luck!

I do alot of trapping on my farm get you a 1 1/2 double coil trap go to the edge of the feild and dig a small whole in front of a clump of tall thick grass and put a small dead chicken in the hole pack it into the back of the hole wear rubber gloves and boots to keep your sent down then dig a small bead for the trap to set in just below the ground set the trap and stake it down with a strong stake and cover the trap lightly with shaveings or leaves. you will get him in a day or two . The chick needs to be fresh!

Foot hold trap. Do it right the first time or you'll have a trap wise fox and they are the dickens to catch. I have found urine to be more of an attractant than anything, having used, mink, bobcat, fox and coyotes (whatever came to hand) urine at dirt hole sets and caught whatever happened by. Usually a possum.
If you use a box trap, set it up so the fox can't approach the bait from the back side. Kinda put brush over the trap and put several pieces of fresh chicken leading up to the trap. After you've caught all the possums on your place, you might catch the fox. Possum or fox,when you catch them, take the trap to the creek and drop in in until the bubbles stop coming up and then start over. If you catch a skunk, throw a blanket or whatever over the trap and then do the creek thing. FYI, if a skunk can't lift his tail, he can't stray.

Guys,

I really appreciate all the advice. I will be working on this situation. You have all been very helpful!

A spotlight and a cottontail or mouse squeak call might do the trick, if it's legal...

I've found foxes pretty easy to call.

On calling, would that work better in the early morning or evening?

Hi Anne -
I use a mouse call in the early morning. Night time is good too but can be tricky. I would also use a tree stand of some type.
I some times will take the call and attach a tube to it so it lays on the ground . This works great! I can fool them enough to use a bow but if you can shoot a 22 I would use it.
Good luck and let us know.

Back To The Stove
Turtle

Calling might be good but if you're just interested in getting rid of the chicken-napper, use a shot gun instead of a .22.

Anne

on calling I find it works best at night. Try rubbing two pieces of polystyrene together to get a squek. I spotlight helps too of course!

I would not consider poisioning. Too many poisons will linger in the food chain and you may find that as well as killing the fox you will also destroy any animal that eats the fox's carcass etc etc.

Good luck.

Anne - Here in the Texas Hill Country I have called fox at night with a rabbit squeeler and had success when nothing else will come to the call. I use the usual red lens spot-light in conjunction with the call. Contrary to popular belief, when a fox is hungry and called at night they are kinda dumb to the point that if missed when shot at, will frequently return if you keep calling.
If you choose to trap, it helps to pour boiling water over your traps prior to use to kill human sent. Try your best to not handle them with bare hands. A moderate drag trap set may be better than a static to keep the fox from pulling out of the jaws. I have even seen fox pull off a leg in a static trap set and get away same as a coyote.

Ann,

Any luck catching your fox yet?

I was talking to a friend the other night and he was saying the folks on the next farm lost 14 ducks in one night to a fox: none taken just slaughtered in their poultry run.......it was the one and only night in months the owners had not locked the poutry house up properly.

Charlie *will* patrol regularly and *will* at some point punish you if you get slack...

Do you use an electric fence? They are about the most effective detterent but they have to be maintained ie the grass around them kept in trim to stop shorting to earth.....here in the UK a two or three strand eletric fence is pretty standard around pheasant release pens on game shoots...

Although its hard, its best not take a pot shot at Charlie unless you're pretty sure you're going to get him otherwise you just endup with an extra smart and very shy fox. Better bide your time and do the job properly the first time

A few folks mention traps but I have no expirience of these are they are illegal in the UK..However snares are legal here..they can be very effective, relatively cheap and are easy to set.

Sitting over bait at night is another effective method especially if you can use a treestand, hay barn or bedroom window to get some elavation. For bait an old sheep carcass is hard to beat, but face the soft underside towards you as that is where they tend start eating first...also stake the carass down so they ( and yes you probably have more than one fox) can't pull it out of the "kill zone"...Another effective "bait" is a call duck in a small cage although that might be illegal in most areas...if your setting up outside, try to site your shooting position about 75 yards or so away from the bait. Think about sitting it so you have a covered/unseen approach and think about the prevailing wind. I sometimes will select two or even three shooting positions around a bait/carcass so I can always approach with the wind in my favour. I fishing line pre staked from the carcass to your shooting position will tell you when the fox is feeding...you will feel the "knock" on the line just like when your fishing! That thetime to turn the lamp on and take your shot! This saves having to periodically shine the lamp around which might put off a lamp shy fox. With this method a white light works ok most of the time although I prefer a yellow/amber filter; it offers similar advantages to the red filter but makes it eaiser to view the target. Do not shoot just at "eyes" in the lamp light! Its very easy to make mistakes that way....

If you want any further info on anything such as the eletric fence let me know...

Regards,

Pete

[ 07-21-2003, 16:54: Message edited by: Pete E ]