You’ve had fox eat your chickens? And currently, researching how to catch a fox that is eating my chickens? Catching a fox eating your chickens can be tricky. Shouting and banging does not scare this clever animal away – you need to know a few more tricks. There are some things you should consider before attempting to catch the fox eating your chickens.
What You Need To Catch a Fox That Is Eating Your Chickens
Set a trap
The first step to catching the fox that is eating your chickens is setting up traps in your chicken coop. You will have a better chance of catching the fox that is eating your chickens if you set up a trap in the chicken coop. All you need to do is set up a few live traps in an area where there are foxes. You will want to make sure that you put one at each corner of the chicken coop and one in the middle as well.
This way, no matter which way the fox goes, it will trip over a trap and it will not be able to get away. Set up the trap in a place where you know there is fox activity, such as near your trash cans. Check the trap every day until you capture your fox, then take it to an animal shelter or release it far away from where it was caught.
There are several types of traps that you can use to catch a fox:
A live trap is a boxy device with doors on either side. When an animal enters the box, a trigger releases the door, trapping it inside. Live traps are effective because they’re easy to use and don’t require bait.
To Capture a fox quickly, you can use a Live Box trap following the tips below:
1. Set the trap in a location where you might expect to find a fox—along the edge of a field, near brushy undergrowth, or near areas where there have been recent sightings.
1. Take care not to set the trap in an area that could harm or kill other animals or people. Also, it’s important to secure the trap so that it’s unlikely to be moved accidentally.
2. When setting the trap, make sure it’s angled toward the opening and positioned so that any captured animal is likely to enter from behind. Foxes are smart, and they will circle around and try to avoid being caught if they can help it.
3. Watch your trap closely when you set it and check it regularly throughout the day. You may have better luck at night, when most foxes are more active anyway.
A foothold trap: is another option for catching foxes. It consists of two metal plates that clamp shut when triggered, trapping the animal’s foot or leg in between them. The most common type has two spring-loaded jaws, but there are also single-spring models with one jaw that closes vertically instead of horizontally.
Using a Spring Trap
A fox is a very crafty animal that has escaped many traps set by trappers.
The reason for this is their superior sense of smell, which allows them to know if the trap has been disturbed or tampered with. One way to catch a fox quickly is with a spring trap. A spring trap, also known as a Conibear trap, is best because it does not contain any chemicals or poisons.
It is simply a wire cage with heavy springs that close when the animal steps on a trigger plate in the front of the cage. A fox will step on the plate thinking he has found some food. When he steps off again, the springs close around his neck and kill him instantly.
With no chance to escape or tamper with the trap, it is an efficient method to catch a fox quickly
Note: If you want to hunt with this method, make sure that it is legal in your area.
How To Catch a Fox That Is Eating My Chickens: Using a snare trap.
Trap Setting Tips:
- Be sure to set the trap when there are plenty of fresh “fox signs” (droppings, tracks, diggings, and so on).
- Set the trap in a place where you have seen the fox (or near where you have seen the signs).
- Face the trap toward where the fox has been travelling.
- Bait the trap with something smelly, such as an old fish head or rotten eggs.
- Tie a rag or a piece of cloth over the cage opening to help camouflage it.
- Make sure that no other animals can get into the cage. If necessary, partially block off an entrance to make it smaller.
- Set the cage on top of a stake, if possible, so that it will be more stable.
Also, if you don’t have a stake and your ground is soft, drive a nail into each corner of the bottom so that it doesn’t sink into the dirt while you are chasing the fox.
Make use of some bait
Another thing you can do to catch the fox that is eating your chickens is to put some bait on top of them. Make sure you place this bait on top so that when it gets close enough it will fall into one of those traps.
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Hire an actual trapper, if you can’t catch it yourself
Hiring a professional trapper is the best way to remove foxes from your yard if you don’t know how to go about it yourself. Before you try, though, check with your state’s wildlife agency to see if it’s legal; many states prohibit trapping foxes except with a permit.
Before you hire a trapper, be sure to check for any local regulations or ordinances for trapping and relocating animals. In some areas, it is illegal to relocate wild animals. It is also a good idea to check with your homeowners’ association if you live in a planned community.
Wildlife removal services will usually offer one of two solutions for foxes: trapping and relocation or lethal traps. Lethal traps are not recommended because they’re unlikely to solve your problem (you can easily end up with a dead fox in your yard without addressing the underlying issue) and there’s a good chance you’ll accidentally kill pets or neighborhood wildlife instead of the fox you’re targeting.
Build a fence
The last thing you can do to catch a fox that is eating your chickens is building a fence around your chicken coop. While this may seem like an easy way for the fox to just run around the fence, if you build it correctly it will actually help keep the fox trapped inside.
Using a Firearm
When using a gun, you can either shoot the fox directly or use a specific type of ammunition called “fox shot.” This ammunition was designed specifically for hunting small game and is usually made up of small pellets that scatter if shot from a distance. When using this method, make sure that it is legal in your area.
Can I Shoot a Fox That is Killing My Chickens?
Archery
You can also hunt foxes with archers, which I find much more fun than using firearms. You just need to set up your target so that it looks like a fox and waits for the animal to come into range. Make sure that it is legal in your area before going ahead with this method of hunting.
How to catch a fox in a humane and non-lethal, legal way
To catch foxes in a humane way, you need to set up motion-activated lights, cameras and alarms around the coop. This will stop them from attacking your chickens at night since they can’t see in the dark.
In addition to motion-activated lights, you can also try sprinkling mothballs around the perimeter of your property and getting a dog to deter the fox. If these methods don’t work, contact a professional wildlife removal service to trap and remove the fox for you.
Place the coop on high ground such as a hill or a shed. Foxes are much less likely to attack a chicken if it is hard for them to reach it, especially if there is something else eating it instead.
Make sure that no feathers or dead animals can be found near the coop, as they will attract predators like foxes, coyotes and raccoons.
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Hang CDs on strings around your property; they will reflect light during the day and help scare off any wildlife that is roaming around your property at night. Buy or make a fence out of chicken wire or wood planks to protect your garden.
Catching and Safely Handling a Fox:
After you’ve caught a fox in your trap, move upwind from him. Don’t let it know that you are there until the very last second. If it sees you too soon, it’ll panic and try to run away (even though it’s already caught) and more than likely will hurt itself in the process of doing so.
When you’re ready to approach it, make sure to walk as quietly as possible. Don’t stomp your feet or throw twigs. All noise is magnified in its sensitive ears and will scare it. Once you are close enough, place a large cloth or towel over the trap. This will help keep the fox calm until you can get it out of the snare trap and into a cage or kennel.
Don’t approach it from the front because it can see you coming. Quietly move behind it and grab its back legs near the ankles. Hold its legs together firmly with one hand; then gently place the other hand under its belly to support it as you lift its back end off of the ground. When handling the fox, make sure that your dominant hand is across its back, with your fingers on its stomach, and your non-dominant hand under its torso for support. This way you can keep it firmly in place and still have complete control over the situation. This will prevent it from scrambling around while you are holding it. Once it is off of the ground, it is much easier to hold it safely while walking over to your carrier.
If he bites, it will likely be around the neck area. Foxes have very powerful jaws so wear protective clothing that covers all areas of skin from the waist up, especially around your neck and face. A hockey helmet is good, but foxes are fast enough to attack above it!
Before you catch and handle your fox, it is important to remember that foxes can be dangerous to handle, especially if they are sick or injured. It is recommended that you wear gloves when handling foxes and that you do not attempt to pick up a fox using a snare pole or any other tool. Foxes are very agile and fast, and can easily injure you by biting or scratching. You should also keep in mind that in some states it is illegal to catch a wild fox without proper licensing, so always check your local regulations first.
Hopefully, this answers your how to catch a fox that is eating my chicken question.
