Our fox population is growing, and we are seeing them more and more during the day. They have a den right across the road, in the corn field, and one up in our woods. It makes me nervous that they are so comfortable in our yard now that we have the rabbits, especially with the fact that they can still access the barn if they wanted to until we get concrete in to fill the gaps between the ground, and the doors. What's the best way to deal with them before it really gets out of hand?
Fox
- Thread starter fuzzy9
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Put in a call to fish and game and see what they recommend. I don't know what you could do without actually shooting them. I don't know your state laws, but here you can only kill fox and wolves *after* they have killed your livestock. You might not be about to do anything legally other than secure your rabbits a little better. Does anyone know if the general public can get rubber bullets they use to shoot animals to discourage them from coming back? That might be an option if it's accessable.
Exclusion is always your best policy. Can you put some rocks or concrete blocks to fill the holes until you get the concrete? I'd prioritize the concrete if at all possible. Once any predator has got into your barn once, he'll be inclined to keep trying. If he has tried unsuccessfully for nights in a row, he crosses your barn off his list of possible restaurants.
SatinsRule
Well-known member
A scoped rifle works well.
Frosted Rabbits
Well-known member
exclusion-- and a nice big, barking dog outside the barn---
do not feed any pets outdoors-- the smell of their food makes your place even more enticing.
do not feed any pets outdoors-- the smell of their food makes your place even more enticing.
OneAcreFarm
Well-known member
How about an Airsoft gun that shoots the little plastic pellets?
Trust me, we have a rifle ready for times like these. You wouldn't believe what comes up on the patio sometimes! But these little fox are smart, the adult that ran through the back yard, ran pretty quick, there was no time to get up, open the door, and shoot. She knows to move quickly. When we saw the young ones, they were in our yard as we were just coming home from town, so shooting wasn't an option again. It was frustrating, because they were just standing there when we pulled in, and certainly not just passing through. I think I'm going to call the DNR, and find out what can be done. I'll start there.
Funny story........well, now it's a funny story anyway. I'm a night owl, I'm sometimes up until 1:00 a.m., and I always have the back patio light on. We can see the deer when they come up to drink from our water fountain that way. Living right in front of a woods, we get critters that venture onto the patio to eat the bird seed too, and that night, for the first time I'd ever seen one, a skunk was on the patio. I woke up Dave, and told him there was a skunk out there. For reasons I just cannot understand, he decided it might be a good idea to shoot the skunk! I didn't think it was very smart on his part, but he said it wouldn't spray. One shot with the rifle, and yup, you guessed it! INSTANT SPRAY!!!!!!!!!! :doh: OMG!!!!! THE worst smell ever! He closed the patio door, and said because it was so windy, the wind would take the smell the other direction. Well, within 5 minutes, the whole living room smelled like skunk!!! You just cannot imagine! I was thinking to myself how mad I was, I had told him not to shoot it, and he didn't listen, but not only that, this was sunday; monday morning he was leaving to go out of town for the week for work! Monday, I had a customer coming over to view photo proofs from her family photo session! SO embarrassing!
After hiding out in my office, about an hour later when I finally went to bed, I opened the bedroom door, and the smell just hit me! Whoa! It was like pea soup in there! He hadn't turned on the ceiling fan, so it lingered in the air. Once I turned on the fan, it was at least a bit better, and I could sleep anyway. The next morning he told me he laid there, tossing and turning, trying to sleep, but couldn't because of the smell. He said when I came to bed, and turned on the fan, he had a "moment of duh"......"why didn't I think of that?!"
I had to laugh, because it was my one moment of payback!
To this day, if the wind is just right, you can STILL smell skunk back there! We haven't yet put our patio screen door on in fear it will just smell like skunk with an open door, and air coming in!
So, lesson for the day, NEVER wake up your husband, and tell him there's a skunk on the patio!
Funny story........well, now it's a funny story anyway. I'm a night owl, I'm sometimes up until 1:00 a.m., and I always have the back patio light on. We can see the deer when they come up to drink from our water fountain that way. Living right in front of a woods, we get critters that venture onto the patio to eat the bird seed too, and that night, for the first time I'd ever seen one, a skunk was on the patio. I woke up Dave, and told him there was a skunk out there. For reasons I just cannot understand, he decided it might be a good idea to shoot the skunk! I didn't think it was very smart on his part, but he said it wouldn't spray. One shot with the rifle, and yup, you guessed it! INSTANT SPRAY!!!!!!!!!! :doh: OMG!!!!! THE worst smell ever! He closed the patio door, and said because it was so windy, the wind would take the smell the other direction. Well, within 5 minutes, the whole living room smelled like skunk!!! You just cannot imagine! I was thinking to myself how mad I was, I had told him not to shoot it, and he didn't listen, but not only that, this was sunday; monday morning he was leaving to go out of town for the week for work! Monday, I had a customer coming over to view photo proofs from her family photo session! SO embarrassing!
After hiding out in my office, about an hour later when I finally went to bed, I opened the bedroom door, and the smell just hit me! Whoa! It was like pea soup in there! He hadn't turned on the ceiling fan, so it lingered in the air. Once I turned on the fan, it was at least a bit better, and I could sleep anyway. The next morning he told me he laid there, tossing and turning, trying to sleep, but couldn't because of the smell. He said when I came to bed, and turned on the fan, he had a "moment of duh"......"why didn't I think of that?!"
To this day, if the wind is just right, you can STILL smell skunk back there! We haven't yet put our patio screen door on in fear it will just smell like skunk with an open door, and air coming in!
So, lesson for the day, NEVER wake up your husband, and tell him there's a skunk on the patio!
Frosted Rabbits
Well-known member
fuzzy9":3kzq7u4v said:
Try the hydrogen peroxide, dawn dish detergent combo all over the area-- or even a heavy concentration of white vinegar in water( add some dish soap to that to help the mix soak into the wood)
Well, after speaking with the DNR, they said if we are protecting our meat rabbits, we have the right as land owners to shoot the fox if they get out of hand. They are part of the "dirty dozen" nuisance wildlife. :lol: We were going to let them be, because they were actually doing a good job of cutting down our mole problem in the lawn. But they've taken to coming right up by the barn when I'm out there, so momma did not teach them well. They also started to hunt right by the patio at night when we are up and about, moving around in the house. So, hubby had the opportunity, and took it, to shoot the two pups. They were just to bold. Momma has been spotted a time or two yet, but she's staying back at the weeds edge, so we'll let her be. If she comes close, we'll consider removing her also.
There's a fall trapping season, so we are going to allow someone to come in, and trap whatever population remains.
There's a fall trapping season, so we are going to allow someone to come in, and trap whatever population remains.
Well, they will keep the rat and mouse population down...I think closing up your barn would be the best plan, and then you get to just enjoy the wildlife without having to shoot them. My folks have foxes. They are cute, and they never bother anything, but they love hunting mice around the barn. My folks love them, but they, like me, have a tendency to build everything like it was Fort Knox....:roll:
DevonW
Well-known member
The Fox moved back into the woods recently and started marking around our yard (not the most pleasant smell) and I've found remnants of moles, birds, and wild rabbits scattered throughout the back of the yard. They don't come closer then the big tree because we have 4 dogs that patrol the area between the house and the tree (Fox hunting dogs too).
I don't mind the Fox at all they're not being a nuisance and ever since they came back there has been a distinctly noticeable phenomenon...Cats do not come into our yard anymore! No more cats trying to eat my rabbits when I'm holding them. No more cats pooping in my garden. No more cats mating outside my window at late hours of the night.
I don't mind the Fox at all they're not being a nuisance and ever since they came back there has been a distinctly noticeable phenomenon...Cats do not come into our yard anymore! No more cats trying to eat my rabbits when I'm holding them. No more cats pooping in my garden. No more cats mating outside my window at late hours of the night.
Marian
Well-known member
We take our dog around the the coop and fencing frequently and let her pee all over the place, and the foxes around here have never been a problem. But I do make it the coop and the pasture as preditor-proof as I can. I also have a little guinea hen who makes a racket like you wouldn't believe if there is a problem and I think that also helps quite a bit. I like foxes, really, especially when I see them crossing the yard with a rat in their mouth 
