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David · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Co. Clare

As someone who grew up in the city, I was always sympathetic to the "poor old fox"...now I've switched 180 degrees, and I'm about to turn Rambo...we're plagued with foxes! We lock up all birds at night, and never usually have a problem...but i suspect that at this time of year juvenile foxes have to find new territory, and they start taking risks. We have lost 5 ducks in the last 2 months, during daylight hours...last week was the final straw, I was working on the computer, looking out the window, and the ***** fox ran past with our lovely swedish blue drake. He's also had my lovely Hamburg cockerel...just before we started breeding from him.

We live near an oak plantation, which is perfect for foxy...I'm sure they lie up in there and wait for the stupid ducks to come to the ditch (they are basically a suicide squad). So now...I've no gun, and no real interest in shooting, but my neighbour is very good with a gun and has offered to plug him. The plan is to make a simple hide, and possibly tether a chicken (humanely, with some grain & water!) to attract him out. My neighbour is a great shot, he used to shoot clay pigeons for England...what do you think? Any ideas? Human hair/urine definitely won't deter this guy, he's serious, and so am I! We're taking out a contract on him...

David

Camile · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 9:33 am Post subject:

Oh crap ..

What you could do instead of the tethered chicken is to leave some food for the fox at the same spot for a couple of days .. and one day, wait for him and plug him !

Good luck !
Camile

greentree · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 9:36 am Post subject:

We have problems with foxes too. They took 3 hens over XMas and took one hen about 3 weeks ago. I too have a forest behind me and I think they have their cover in there.

So far it hasn't been too bad but I guess it will just get worse. The two events were in broad daylight too (but I wasn't there).

I'm hoping to start breeding some birds soon and thats when it really gets to you. Laying Hens are replaceable but your prize breeding stock is a different matter.

I'm not sure about shooting. Would this fox just not be replaced by another looking for a territory?

Mike

David · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Co. Clare

good idea...

but then again, it would probably draw a crowd of chickens! (with foxy licking his lips in the hedge...)

not too keen on the tethering idea myself, maybe I'll rough up a small chicken wire enclosure and stick her in that...

I suppose napalm is out of the question?

I wouldn't mind but we have 3 dogs who seem to lounge around in the sun all day...

Camile · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 9:43 am Post subject:

well you could prepare a hide .. keep you chicken penned up for the time being ..

and instead of feeding the fox a couple of times before shooting, just shoot at the first appearance .. but you might have to wait for hours and hours ..

feeding multiple times will ensure that the fox won't be too far as he will more or less know that there is food there for him ..

David · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Co. Clare

yeah, i don't suppose it's going to be easy...i'm looking out at 10 acres of woodland as i type...perfect cover for Mr Fox...but thanks for the advice.

Trouble is our birds are very free range, our neighbour lets them roam all over his land (well, we keep him well supplied with eggs) so penning them will be difficult...you know the story, there's loads to do at this time of year, planting, rotovating etc. Easy enough to pen the ducks, as they do loads of good in the veggie garden and they are easy to keep off the young seedlings...chickens are escape artists...

D

greentree · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 1:05 pm Post subject:

My hens associate me with food so spend their lives trying to get down to the house when they see me walking around - even though there is nearly always pellets in their trays.

I now have a 4 foot fence all around their free range area but some of them still manage to make it down!!

My OH thinks its hilarious that whenever I'm working in the field I'm surrounded by the hens!!

steve · Joined: 23 Feb 2007 Posts: 17 Location: leitrim

At this time of year the fox cubs are still dependent on the vixen for food, shoot her and the cubs will starve to death, not very humane, better to find someone with good terriers, they will locate the den then dig out and kill mother and cubs, if the mother is not with the cubs then wait by the den with rifle and lamp and you can shoot her then,
Steve

blowin · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:42 am Post subject:

David · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Co. Clare

Not so sure about the humane thing...getting shot/savaged by terriers versus starvation not much of a choice...both seem pretty unpleasant to me. Unfortunately it's academic anyway, as there is no one round here with terriers...and the woods are an impenetrable jungle of brambles. The local gun club periodically shoot foxes by scaring them out and shooting them, but they didn't do it this winter.

I'm sure another fox will replace this guy eventually, but the problem is always worse in years when the gun club do not cull. I've no problem with foxes hunting by night, but it's a real problem when they start daylight hunting, which I suspect is driven by population pressure...too many foxes.

D