# Nuisance Fox



## PurpleHeartJarhead

Need tips on trapping a fox. Never seen one by our property before and now that I am building a chicken coop and starting a chicken flock, I don't want to see any. But we just had one show up and park about 20 yards from our front door two days ago.


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## GaryS

A fox is smart and difficult to trap, and there is probably no reason to fear predation from them if your chicken coop and pen are built adequately. In all the years we raised chickens, we never lost one to a fox, despite them being plentiful. They mostly kept the rodents in check. 

Here in Texas, I had a gray fox that periodically visited my compost pile, even though it never contained meat. I suppose he liked fruit scraps...like my old Basset hound that picked low hanging fruit from my plum trees. 

Raccoons were my small flock's most common enemy. They are talented enough to open latches, or lift and pry automatic doors. The loss of a few chickens hurts, but is usually not financially devastating, and most predators only kill and eat what they need. However, members of the weasel family kill chickens for sport. Several times we lost a dozen or more chickens in a few minutes to mink and weasels who were able to dig into the large chicken coop despite it having a concrete foundation. In your part of the country, both are common and have little fear of humans.

The nasty little critters would rip the bird's neck open so they bled to death. We were told they feasted on blood and we never found evidence of the carcasses being consumed, so I guess the "blood thirsty" description fits.


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## Viking

GaryS said:


> A fox is smart and difficult to trap, and there is probably no reason to fear predation from them if your chicken coop and pen are built adequately. In all the years we raised chickens, we never lost one to a fox, despite them being plentiful. They mostly kept the rodents in check.
> 
> Here in Texas, I had a gray fox that periodically visited my compost pile, even though it never contained meat. I suppose he liked fruit scraps...like my old Basset hound that picked low hanging fruit from my plum trees.
> 
> Raccoons were my small flock's most common enemy. They are talented enough to open latches, or lift and pry automatic doors. The loss of a few chickens hurts, but is usually not financially devastating, and most predators only kill and eat what they need. However, members of the weasel family kill chickens for sport. Several times we lost a dozen or more chickens in a few minutes to mink and weasels who were able to dig into the large chicken coop despite it having a concrete foundation. In your part of the country, both are common and have little fear of humans.
> 
> The nasty little critters would rip the bird's neck open so they bled to death. We were told they feasted on blood and we never found evidence of the carcasses being consumed, so I guess the "blood thirsty" description fits.


This is what happened to the last three chicken we had, they tore the throats open and that's all.


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## camo2460

PHJH, get yourself a #2, double coil spring, trap. Go to the internet and search trapping supplies. You can easily build a "cubby set" by building a small box, about 8x8" will do. set it in a likely spot and let it weather while you wait for your trap. When your trap arrives, cover it with water and boil for about 15 minutes, this removes any oils on the trap and destroys human scent. Put on gloves and remove the trap from the water, and hang it in a tree to cool. In the mean time, go to your cubby, and about 6" in front of it dig a shallow hole, just big enough to fit the set trap. Cover the trap with a light covering of dried grass, stake the trap, and bait with some Chicken. Watch spreading your scent, be careful of children and pets.


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## HardCider

camo2460 said:


> PHJH, get yourself a #2, double coil spring, trap. Go to the internet and search trapping supplies. You can easily build a "cubby set" by building a small box, about 8x8" will do. set it in a likely spot and let it weather while you wait for your trap. When your trap arrives, cover it with water and boil for about 15 minutes, this removes any oils on the trap and destroys human scent. Put on gloves and remove the trap from the water, and hang it in a tree to cool. In the mean time, go to your cubby, and about 6" in front of it dig a shallow hole, just big enough to fit the set trap. Cover the trap with a light covering of dried grass, stake the trap, and bait with some Chicken. Watch spreading your scent, be careful of children and pets.


What camo2460 said or just wait till he parks out front again and pop him


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## hashbrown

camo2460 said:


> PHJH, get yourself a #2, double coil spring, trap. Go to the internet and search trapping supplies. You can easily build a "cubby set" by building a small box, about 8x8" will do. set it in a likely spot and let it weather while you wait for your trap. When your trap arrives, cover it with water and boil for about 15 minutes, this removes any oils on the trap and destroys human scent. Put on gloves and remove the trap from the water, and hang it in a tree to cool. In the mean time, go to your cubby, and about 6" in front of it dig a shallow hole, just big enough to fit the set trap. Cover the trap with a light covering of dried grass, stake the trap, and bait with some Chicken. Watch spreading your scent, be careful of children and pets.


When boiling traps I always put black walnut hulls and paraffin wax in the water. We trap differently, I never stake a trap I always use a drag. I dig my traps in and sift dirt to cover. I usually use fox urine and some sort of bait like sardines in a dirt hole set. Here is a set from my line last winter. Caught two grays off this hollow tree set.


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## jeff47041

What is the 8"x8" box for? Is that what you're saying to put the bait in? I missed something. I have seen that my neighbor that traps, boils them in water and wax like Hashbrown said. And he has buckets of dry dirt that hasn't been touched by human to scatter on his traps.

About 20 years ago, I had chickens. Something started killing them. I went down the road and told an old "egg lady" my woes. She handed me 6 traps and said "Just set these every 4' around your pen. You'll catch him" That night, I caught a **** and a possum. Returned her traps and never had trouble again. I didn't bury or bait the traps. Just lucky that night.


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## hashbrown

jeff47041 said:


> What is the 8"x8" box for? Is that what you're saying to put the bait in? I missed something. I have seen that my neighbor that traps, boils them in water and wax like Hashbrown said. And he has buckets of dry dirt that hasn't been touched by human to scatter on his traps.
> 
> About 20 years ago, I had chickens. Something started killing them. I went down the road and told an old "egg lady" my woes. She handed me 6 traps and said "Just set these every 4' around your pen. You'll catch him" That night, I caught a **** and a possum. Returned her traps and never had trouble again. I didn't bury or bait the traps. Just lucky that night.


I always have buckets of dry dirt or dig it out of the barn floor. Another reason for the dry dirt is to keep your traps from freezing in.


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## camo2460

hashbrown you are correct, Walnut hulls and paraffin, sifting dirt all right on. If I had been there to assist PHJH personally I would have done all of that. I was also taking into account that he is not a trapper, and was trying to make it as simple and painless for him as possible.

jeff, yes that's what the 8x8 box is for, It's an artificial cavity, or hole like the one in hashbrowns picture of the tree.


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## PurpleHeartJarhead

camo2460 said:


> I was also taking into account that he is not a trapper....


Exactly right...never used anything more than a few loop snares learned in survival school to try to catch a couple of squirrels once in Alaska. (I was successful and added some squirrel to my beef stew MRE.)

I've got a lovable but dumb-ass lab I'm a little concerned about. Is that trap a bone breaker?

Sent telepathically through my thumbs to my iPhone using Survival Forum


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## MCNSemperFi

PurpleHeartJarhead said:


> I've got a lovable but dumb-ass lab I'm a little concerned about. Is that trap a bone breaker?


If you have a dog, then you're going to either need to keep him away from them or figure out something else.

The other option is just building a coop that critters can't get into rather than setting traps. Around here, there would always be another critter to replace the one that got caught, so everyone just builds solid coops.


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## GaryS

Traps big enough to hold a fox are not selective, and roaming dogs will often get caught. That's one of the reasons I suggested there was no need to try to trap the fox, since he probably would not be a predator to worry about. A dog would be far more likely to kill chickens. That happened to mine twice. 

When my mother was young, she had a dog that caught one foreleg and one hind leg in a #2 trap. He chewed both legs off and managed to drag himself home. He lived several years, and could actually run with just two legs, but had difficulty getting up unless he could lean against something.


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## hashbrown

PurpleHeartJarhead said:


> Exactly right...never used anything more than a few loop snares learned in survival school to try to catch a couple of squirrels once in Alaska. (I was successful and added some squirrel to my beef stew MRE.)
> 
> I've got a lovable but dumb-ass lab I'm a little concerned about. Is that trap a bone breaker?
> 
> Sent telepathically through my thumbs to my iPhone using Survival Forum


My chuckle headed pit bull got out last year and went right down my trapline. He would just pull out of one and go to the next one and do it again. He got caught in 4 different traps before I caught up with him. He had no injuries what so ever.


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## LincTex

GaryS said:


> A fox is smart and difficult to trap, and there is probably no reason to fear predation from them if your chicken coop and pen are built adequately. ... They mostly kept the rodents in check.


Agreed. 
I can keep a fox out, but since they control rodents, I want to keep them around!



MCNSemperFi said:


> The other option is just building a coop that critters can't get into rather than setting traps. Around here, there would always be another critter to replace the one that got caught, so everyone just builds solid coops.


Make it STOUT!
***** are very crafty! 
And persistent. If your coop has a weakness, they will try their hardest to find it.


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## TheLazyL

Use 19 gauge 1/2" welded wire fabric on every opening AND fanned out 24" from around the bottom of the coop and run (prevents anything from digging under the walls.

Cover the top of the run with 1/2" welded wire fabric too or solid building materials.

Fox will never get to your chickens.

OR

Use chicken wire and didn't cover the top of the run. Let the chickens free range without supervision.

This method will guarantee a free food source (your chickens) for foxes, *****, possums, dogs, etc.


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## mosquitomountainman

Our dog keeps everything away except skunks and grizzly bears. She lets us know if they're around then it's my job to run them off.

She's run the trapline with me and is smart enough to leave the traps alone. I have caught dogs in snares but they stop pulling once it tightened up. They are used to collars and just sit and wait.

They make offset traps that have a gap built in the jaws. They are less likely to break bones. 

There are rubber padded jaw traps but they are not real reliable. Some states require them.


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## *Andi

A good solid hen house (and run) can go a long way with prevention. 

And you may (or not) want to check your local trapping laws.  In our area we have a season for trapping. 

Best of luck!


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## Wellrounded

Foxes are a big issue here. They kill new born lambs and will take chickens every chance they get.

If we hear them in the night we get out of bed and go for a look see, might pop one in very four times we go out. If we find evidence that they have been about, dead lambs or scat, we will spend a few hours whistling them up, usually get one or two that way.


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## camo2460

PurpleHeartJarhead said:


> Exactly right...never used anything more than a few loop snares learned in survival school to try to catch a couple of squirrels once in Alaska. (I was successful and added some squirrel to my beef stew MRE.)
> 
> I've got a lovable but dumb-ass lab I'm a little concerned about. Is that trap a bone breaker?
> 
> Sent telepathically through my thumbs to my iPhone using Survival Forum


PHJH, those #2 traps can break the leg of a smaller dog (Pit Bulls are built like brick sh*t houses LOL), and as posted by GaryS they are not selective, so scrap the trap idea. Also as has been noted another Fox may just take it's place. You have two options, you can purchase the appropriate sized "Have-a-heart" box trap, catch and kill, or re-locate said Fox, AND harden your coop.


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## camo2460

This is a great thread, in that it illustrates what I was talking about in another thread. Those little nuggets of knowledge, and wisdom pointing out that one solution may not be right for every circumstance, or every person.


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## hashbrown

If I wanted to be selective about ridding myself of a fox, I would go out on a good moonlit night, climb a tree and blow my Weems Wildcat predator call about 30 minutes and have a fox hide to sell the following morning. I can't imagine catching one of these foxes here in a have a hart. I have a lot of smart old reds dig up buried traps and flip them over.


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## PurpleHeartJarhead

camo2460 said:


> This is a great thread, in that it illustrates what I was talking about in another thread. Those little nuggets of knowledge, and wisdom pointing out that one solution may not be right for every circumstance, or every person.


Yes, this IS a great thread. Lots of good info and knowledge shared.

My coop is nearly finished and will be "hardened" as much as I can think to do. But my inexperience with chickens and fox or other predation in that realm is non-existent.

I like the idea of putting this one down. I'll take my chances with others and see where it goes.

Sent telepathically through my thumbs to my iPhone using Survival Forum


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## kyredneck

If the fox ain't bothering nothing, if it's a good neighbor, leave it alone. Same with coyotes. If you kill it there will be another to take their place and they may not be such good neighbors.


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