Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Has anyone seen him? (maybe there are more than one?) My son has a small chicken flock there and this fox has gotten more & more bold in skulking around the chickens. My son has tried to trap him to no avail and even tried tracking him to (gulp) shoot him, all without result. Wondering if anyone who might be more familiar with this problem would have any suggestions....don't want my grandchickens to be a foxes supper!!!
Has anyone seen him? (maybe there are more than one?) My son has a small chicken flock there and this fox has gotten more & more bold in skulking around the chickens. My son has tried to trap him to no avail and even tried tracking him to (gulp) shoot him, all without result. Wondering if anyone who might be more familiar with this problem would have any suggestions....don't want my grandchickens to be a foxes supper!!!
There has to be a more humane way of taking care of the fox situation....other than shooting it!! I am sure there are wildlife sanctuaries that would take him
I think NC has some peculiar laws re: shooting foxes. You need to check your county regs, wh/ I so far have not located, to see if and when you can shoot a grey fox.
Here is info from NC state re: such things as trapping and frightening foxes on your property.
Apparently, my son has the ok from the local wildlife people to shoot it as where he lives is more residential than rural and any fox that is so bold as to come into a yard with a human in it may be more of a threat to the humans. The foxes are too smart for traps, he has been trying to trap it for months. They are considered a nuisance in that area. However, if anyone wants to come & get him & take him to a zoo or something, I know that my son would not care, in fact, he would be thrilled. He really does not want to kill it, but, at this point, it is either get rid of the fox or replace his flock.
Hoagie58, the grandchickens are semi-free ranging, they are in a cordoned-off part of the back yard. They were moved there after a bobcat and racoon already ate the rooster and 4 other chickens. The backyard has a wooden fence around it, and a flimsy chicken wire fence keeps them out of the rest of the yard except when they are supervised. you can see the blog at www.chickcamera.com they are all named and all have distinct personalities. This is a new venture for my son; we are city people at heart, don't know anything about farm animals, so, this is a huge learning curve for him/us.
CHi-Cubs!!! I love the blog! That is so neat . . . I am impressed. My g/ma always had chickens and I have a fondness for them . . . except mean roosters. Now there is a story. . .
Shoot the darn fox. They are pests to farmers and they are plentiful. Believe me, they can carry disease and an aggressive one is quite troublesome. When it comes down to your grandchickens or the fox - choose the fox, LOL.
This is part of the reality of raising any kind of stock - there are predators. You can't be intimidated by protecting your stock. That is the way of the world. Don't feel bad about it. The fox is supposed to be out there hunting wild animals. Instead, he has found easy pickin's and is going for the chicks. Gotta protect the chicks!!!!!
Thanks, Ani, I am not a fan of shooting anything, but, this guy seems to be asking for it... Since he apparently knows what a gun is and that is the only thing that scares him, I have suggested poisioning him with a supermarket chicken laced with rat poision. The only downside to that is it has the potential to kill other animals that might want to feast on this treat. Keep watch on the blog to see what he does next...
Thanks, Ani, I am not a fan of shooting anything, but, this guy seems to be asking for it... Since he apparently knows what a gun is and that is the only thing that scares him, I have suggested poisioning him with a supermarket chicken laced with rat poision. The only downside to that is it has the potential to kill other animals that might want to feast on this treat. Keep watch on the blog to see what he does next...
I will keep checking! I hope the fox finds some other place to locate . . . but if he doesn't . . . don't let anyone feel guilty about it . . . I grew up around farmers . .. sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do!!! GOOD LUCK!!!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.