PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

hi everybody, i'm new here and eager to start communicating with experienced outdoorsman. i have a problem i hope somebody here can help me with. my aunt has a farm here in pennsylvania and recently we have had lots of problems with coyotes and fox preying on our chickens and turkey. i'm not experienced in hunting yet and it's just me and my aunt here and few farm hands that can't help much with that. what is the best way to stop this? what are some good ways to trap or hunt them? i have to check with my county to see what is legal also before i do this of course. thanks for any replies. Chrissy

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

If your interested in some sets for fox and coyote this webpage might help you.
http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/hunting/guides/furbearer/TM-redfox.asp

As far as traps you'll want Victor #2 or so in size.

But you have to have a trapping lisence for your state and they must be in season and all other regulations must be followed.

Otherwise your options are to shoot or live trap them. I would just patrol around the property and shoot them as I see them. You can try staking out chicken coops or whatever they are hitting but I'm not sure if that would work too well.

I'll post more when I get off work.

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

i would hunt them with a highpowered rifle is legal and just sit by your house and wait to see if they come for the chickens and if they do then theirs your shot but just sit still and stay quiet and sit right up against the house and wear clothes that match the house or a farm building that you're sitting at and pop them when they get there

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

Hey Christina,

Here in PA in order to trap or kill a fox you need a hunting liscense with a furtakers permit (extra $20). You are only allowed to do this until Feb. 18th (last day for foxes), but up until then you can take as many as you want.

As far as coyotes, there is no closed season. You can kill them any time of the year, except for deer season.

I shot a red fox this year in archery season. In south-central PA (around Carlisle) there has been a population explosion of foxesover the last three years. Up at my grandparents farm (near Williamsport), we have seen a few more foxes and coyotes.

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

would she actually get in trouble if she were to shoot a fox that is entering or exiting her chicken coop? I was just wondering if there is something protecting landowner/farmers against destroying their livelyhood?

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

thanks for the replies everybody!!! i really appreciate it and will try and apply some of the advice. i'm not an experienced country girl and i havent been on the farm helping my aunt long, so this 'country girl at heart-city girl' will do her best. thanks a bunch!!! chrissy

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

"would she actually get in trouble if she were to shoot a fox that is entering or exiting her chicken coop? I was just wondering if there is something protecting landowner/farmers against destroying their livelyhood?"

--I would guess that you are correct, if they are attacking farm animals you probably wouldn't need to go though all the red tape to start waxing them. It might not hurt to contact the PA Game Commission though, just to make sure. There are six different regional offices, you can find the phone numbers on the website.

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=463&q=150174

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

The best thing to do to start out is to call the PA Fish and Game Commision and ask them: a) what you need to be legal and b) advice on how to eliminate the predators.

PM me if you need more specific tactics and I'll try to help.

Good luck.

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

If you got some cash to spare go to cabelas web page and buy a Feather Flex Rigor Rabbit Motion Decoy for 43 bucks. Then get you a Flextone Dying Rabbit Call for 12bucks and if you have a problem with coyotes your next problem will be buying ammo.

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

Buy a Great Pyrrenies(sp?). They are really big white dogs that will patrol your property and fight off the predators. They are very effective

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

My neighbor has one of those big white dogs (not even going to attempt to spell it).It is very effectivewith their farm preditor problems. It likes to sit by the road and wait for cars to come by too! Good luck Chrissy!

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

The dog you are referring to is also the Great Pyrenes(sp?) referenced in the last post. I have heard both good and bad things from owners of these dogs. It seems as though it all depends on the individual dogs.


Trapping is probably the most effective way to control the foxes, but the coyotes may be another story. The best way around here is to snare the coyotes in a fence crossing.

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

I would suggest you contact the Game and Fish Department with the problem. I don't know about any of the eastern states but in the west if you have predator problems there are state trappers that will come out and take care of the problem for nothing. There are also people that do this for a small fee and do it for a living. The G&F may also know some responsible trappers near you that could help out. Not being and outdoorswoman I wouldn't recommend you target coyotes and foxes right out of the box. They are extremely smart and hard to trap. They get educated very quickly and the last thing you want or need is a bunch of coyotes that nobody can catch.

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

22 mag or bigger with a spot light. if you can get close use a shot gun; 12; 20; 410 all will do the trick. good luck.

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

WOW! What's your address. If I lived closer I'd be happy to thin out the herd for you. If ya want to do away with the predators, all you have to do is call them in. A cheap decoy can be made from feathers and tied to a 3-ft. stick with monofiliment fishing line. Stake out your decoy and call into the wind using a game call. Make sure to wear camo, hide in shadow and have the sun at your back, if possible. Call early in the morning, at dusk or in the evening using a red lens over a light to scan for eyes. Check out my website for some tips. www.predatormagnetgamecalls.com If baiting with scent is legal in your state, try a sock full of old sardines. Smells like s%$# but will pull in the yotes and mask your scent. If ya need more help, e-mail me through my website. I'd bring my hunting dog too.

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

If there is a rural high school just go their and post a notice advitising free abundant coyote hunting. If you don't get a reply in two days, you're not far enough in the sticks.:D Most schools will one or two guys who will jump at the chance.

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

where are you from in pa i'm in pa and i love to predator hunt

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

....>

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

montgomery county, pa

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

I'm a long ways from you I'm in elk co. I'll send you a pm with a link to the pa game commission site i think you can shoot them without a license if they are destroying your property

RE: PROBLEM WITH FOXES AND COYOTES
 

I was wondering the same thing. Here in TX, I think we are allowed to shoot just about anything on our land if it is about to commit a depredation of livestock or crops. For some stuff we have to have a permit, but for fur-bearing critters we don't even have to have a license so long as we don't sell the hides.