Fox expert's wanted

[can't miss]

I am seeing more fox this year than in a long time, anyone else?????
Just looking for opinion's? Myself they seem more native to S Ont than coyotes? Live here in about 50 acre's of bush, very accustomed to yotes and fox. I don't fall into the camp of shoot them all, I'd be over run by mice, squirrel's, and weasels, ect. But I do keep a few critter's, turkeys, chicken's and a couple of yard owning goats.
I have often had to take care of the carnivore's out there, way it work's here, don't touch my critter's, I won't have to shoot you.
Have a pair of fox living semi close to barn right now, and a few missing chickens, my experience is once they know where the food is, you can't change their mind's.
I've also read allot on how coyotes hate fox, and the coyote population here is healthy to say the least, fox are smart, seem's like their living on the fringe of my dog's range, well avoiding the yote's?

 

[paddle maker]

I seen more this spring than usual, but I haven't seen any for a couple months, that being said. I haven't been looking as I was preoccupied with deer for a bit. I prefer to have foxes around over coyotes, but I too have lost my share of chickens ducks and turkeys over the years. I don't like having to kill them, but at least their pelt is worth more than a coyote.

 

[paddle maker]

If you need to remove them, the best way I have found is to bait traps with dead chickens, feathers and all. Processed meat seems to scare them off. You could try some deer liver I guess. If you use a live trap, you may as well shoot it in the cage, as itdoesnt matter how far away you take him he will come back. At least that is what the old timers tell me. Good luck.

 

[ch312]

he yotes will definitely kill the fox if they cross paths, but it appears they can definitely share the same territory. One bush I hunt has had a healthy population of both for at least 10 years with tons of deer and turkey too. Very few rabbit, grouse, squirrels or coons though.

They're killing your livestock and will continue to take the easy meals until the food is gone. You need to eliminate them ASAP or you'll likely loose for animals, especially with the cold weather driving them to eat more. Shooting them will be far quicker than trapping, unless you've already patterned them and know their habits then it's easy pickins.


I got this one tanned by a trapper. Since then I've bought the tanning solution and plan on trying a coyote or deer this season. If you're not going to utilize the hide, offer it to a trapper so it'll be put to good use.

 

[can't miss]

Yes, I've played the fox in the hen house game many times here, and then some yrs never any problem. Not going to try to trap them, don't plan to relocate, they had that chance with the warning shot?? Plus gives me a new game to play, fox hunter. This yrs deer bones and carcass are piled out back by my big stand, ( AKA, mansion in the sky), it's always worked before.
More often in the spring, have had bad problem's with weasel's and mink. They'll kill by the dozen, and hardly touch the dead poultry. They do seem to come back though, guessing to snack on what they left behind at the original kill. I do get them with trap's, by cleaning up all their dead trophy's, and leaving just one in the live catch, always works.
Couple yrs back, got a jet black mink, what a noise they make when you approach the trap. Local expert's say because of it's colour, it was a mink farm escapist, apparently happen's quite often. To late in the season, I was told, to save the hide, it wasn't prime anymore.
When I get these fox, I would like to get them tanned for man-cave wall, any idea of cost, and some-one who does them?

 

[paddle maker]

They are easy to do your self all you need is salt and alum. Pm me and I can either do it for you or tell you how. I just finished my deer an hour ago.

 

[can't miss]

Thank's, and if ok with you, I'll keep your offer in mind, but situation here changed? Went out to feed critter's, their in a really old dilapidated barn, there's no real way to secure it. Walked around back to check were I've seen the fox track's before, bent down to look through hole, and it almost ran over me. For a moment it was 100 lbs with 3" fang's????
Figured by the time I went and got gun it would be long gone, and it was, but with today's sloppy snow, it was easy tracking, and the wind was right, probably only a 1/4 km, and bingo, got it and my exercise too.
Very small, dull, with mange on the tail and hip's. Not the one I saw the other day.
I do have a huge blonde/Sheppard colored yote, great coat, coming to deer bone pile way out back almost nightly, 3am by game camera. As winter comes on, sure he'll be there daytime too, I'd be interested in having a wall mountable pelt of him? Shoot me a $ to tan, and show me how too. TKX

 

[paddle maker]

Let me know when you get you puppy I will keep solution in pail from my deer. Your welcome to it free. Just bring my pail back when your done. I will right out instructions and recipe for you then. If you don't want to do it. It's 100 if I have to skin it, and 50 if it's already skinned.

 

[fish_for_life]

salt and alum is not a tan its simply a pickle or a preservative! it will preserve the hide but is usually used prior to tanning. Borax will do the same thing but again is only a preservative.

 

[ch312]

Can't miss, the trapper who did the fox hide above charged me $40 to skin and tan the hide. I'll contact him to see if he is willing to do the same for you.

It's my understanding that salt and alum does work and has for years, but the hides tend to be very stiff and require a lot of work to soften them. Using an actual tanning solution is much easier and quicker costing $15 for a bottle that will do one deer hide.

 

[ch312]

By the way, congrats on taking out that fox! I'm sure that critter running out of the hole sure got the heart going!

It's too bad that it has mange though. But, that hide would be excellent for practicing the skinning and tanning process rather than possibly ruining a good hide.