d80hunter

I'm not sure where to post this because this is not a typical hunting situation. It has come to my attention that a Fox is living on my property. I live on 5 acres with a small pond that is across the creek opposite of my house.

A den is located somewhere next to the pond. On the far side of the pond is a 20 foot steep incline basically cut out of the earth. With the exposed bed rock there is some natural small caves on this steep incline. I know that this pond is man-made, not sure when it was made, and many animals have temporally made homes over my 10 years living here. So far skunks have been the animals I have taken care off.

From some quick online research foxes make dens in March-April and leave after the Kitts grow up. I am not the type to shoot every animal in my yard so I am planning on letting this go until they leave. UNLESS someone who has had big problems or knows someone who has had big problems with foxes.

I would rather observe their behavior, I am sure I will pick up on some things that will add to my predator hunting experience.

Oldtimr

I recommend you watch the area around the den, you will find bones, fur and feathers etc and be able to tell what the adult fox is killing and bringing back to the den to feed the young once they are weaned and to feed the Vixen when she is nursing because she needs a lot of food to produce enough milk for the pups, it can be pretty interesting. It is also fun to watch the pups when they start to venture out of the den. Unless you have free range chickens or ducks, I wouldn't worry much about having a den on your property

Topgun 3006

It definitely is very interesting to watch a fox and her pups as they grow and start venturing out from the den. A couple years ago one had 3 pups under a small barn over at the Allegan County Fairgrounds a mile from my house where I ran my pointer every day. It was fun watching them grow and venture out further from the den every week until all of a sudden they were gone from the area.

Sheridan

I think almost every environment is enhanced by having a small fox population !

d80hunter

Thanks for the information! This encounter has made spring that much better. I went with my gut to welcome this, regardless of many people who would be afraid or wanting to start shooting for fun. A community like this is nice to find like minded hunters since I don't want to tell anyone near me about this.

I seen the fox early this morning hiding along the creek. The nearby LED lighting gave him away. It looks like he was after birds that where doing their morning thing in the cut grass next to the creek.

I've observed coyotes hunting turkeys in this manner, hiding in the woodline next to a field waiting to ambush turkeys near the woodline. They can get several feet to their prey this way and is similar to how cats hunt. The low terrain of the creek also provides a way to move unseen towards prey or away from unwanted situations. When thinking of canines most look at dogs who just try to run everything down. Foxes and coyotes are truly sly animals.

Topgun 3006

Have fun and enjoy the experience!

MudderChuck

Red Fox will usually have multiple dens. When one gets flea infested they move on to another, often nearby, fifty yards or so away. They use Dens over and over again for generations. Every generation of Fox improves the den some and they can get really big (underground).

I always worry about parasites and Rabies. You can get an oral Rabies inoculation, throw the baits near the Den. The oral inoculations may be free, they are here. Parasites is the big one, Fox carry some really nasty ones. One in particular is incurable if you get it.

Fox will really clean the Ducks, Pheasant and other ground nesting birds out. They deplete the Rabbit population in a hurry.

Like any predator the aim is to not let them overwhelm the local eco system. Fox are good at that, they reproduce until most all of the small game around is gone. Then you'll see starving and sickly Fox getting desperate. A really sad situation.

I typically take twenty a year off my lease and still have no shortage of Fox.

I think of them as large predator Rats, not in a bad way. They are survivors.

Oldtimr

They are also very good at getting rid of field mice and voles. Since the white footed field mouse is the biggest vector of deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease in the US, it is beneficial to have foxes on your property and they eat a lot more mice and voles than rabbits and pheasants and they are pretty good at catching groundhogs which are the bane of farmers in my state. So far as rabies goes, yes foxes can get rabies, however raccoons and skunks and feral cats are bigger rabies vectors.

d80hunter

Interesting, I have heard of coyotes having an incurable parasite from, correct me if Im wrong, eating fieldmice.

d80hunter

Part of my yard is infested with moles. I am hoping they disappear. I haven't seen any raccoons or rabbits this year which is working out pretty good.