Foxes

[A.J. Holst]

Not planning on hunting or trapping, but I've got a family (spotted 2 adults and a pup) this morning in my backyard. 

With the erosion on my property line, I am pretty sure when their den is.

No pics yet, when I opened the door, they scurried off.

Pretty cool 

[Ronald_55]

I had a (adult?) red fox show up in my back yard and hang around for a few hours a while back. I got worried at first since it was broad daylight and did not seem scared, but it never came close to the house. It lounged and played around like it was chasing some of the gophers in my yard. At that point I would have built it a house if it chose to stay and kill those dang things.

I think they are beautiful and it had been years since I saw one. 

Some evidence suggests that the fox was kept as a pet companion by early people. even before the dog. I can see why when I watch them. 

 

[KahrMan]

Set up some game cameras if you have them.  You should be able to get some good pics that way.

[hipower]

We had a mother and her 2 kits hanging around here for about a week. It was much fun watching the kits play. Then our Aussie/Border Collie started playing with one of the kits. They'd chase each other around the trees and act like 2 little puppies having fun. Molly never once was aggressive with them, and all seemed to have a good time.

Sadly, I found one of the kits dead one afternoon. All I could see was a hole the size of a half dollar in it's side. Don't know if someone shot it or what.

I'm a softy, I hated that happening. Buried the little fellow on the hill on our property. Seemed right.

The other 2 we haven't seen again.

[Ronald_55]

3 minutes ago, hipower said:

We had a mother and her 2 kits hanging around here for about a week. It was much fun watching the kits play. Then our Aussie/Border Collie started playing with one of the kits. They'd chase each other around the trees and act like 2 little puppies having fun. Molly never once was aggressive with them, and all seemed to have a good time.

Sadly, I found one of the kits dead one afternoon. All I could see was a hole the size of a half dollar in it's side. Don't know if someone shot it or what.

I'm a softy, I hated that happening. Buried the little fellow on the hill on our property. Seemed right.

The other 2 we haven't seen again.

That is bad. Hopefully if someone shot it the others got away. Few people understand how some of these animals can be helpful to have around let alone fun to watch. I have seem people shoot things just because they were eating the cat food that was left out on the porch. If I could get a few foxes and larger snakes to hang around, my gopher and mole issue would be history. So far though no luck. All the snakes I see are garter snakes and they are way too small to help out.

[peejman]

20 minutes ago, Ronald_55 said:

. If I could get a few foxes and larger snakes to hang around, my gopher and mole issue would be history. So far though no luck. All the snakes I see are garter snakes and they are way too small to help out.

Exactly. People think critters like foxes, snakes, hawks, owls, are a problem because they've never been overrun with rodents.  A single pair of rats can become more than 1000 rats in a year. 

[Ronald_55]

 

25 minutes ago, peejman said:

Exactly. People think critters like foxes, snakes, hawks, owls, are a problem because they've never been overrun with rodents.  A single pair of rats can become more than 1000 rats in a year. 

Yep. Both my grandfathers had sheds where they kept feed. As long as the snakes and such left the hens alone, they said the more the merrier. Otherwise the mice carried the feed off quicker than you could buy it.

Take a look at Australia where the transplanted rodents had no natural predetors. They over ran the place.

It is like bats too. People are all scared of them, but they do a decent job at keeping the mosquitoes tolerable at my house. Since my neighbor let her pool become a scum pond I need the help.

[peejman]

2 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

 

Yep. Both my grandfathers had sheds where they kept feed. As long as the snakes and such left the hens alone, they said the more the merrier. Otherwise the mice carried the feed off quicker than you could buy it.

Take a look at Australia where the transplanted rodents had no natural predetors. They over ran the place.

It is like bats too. People are all scared of them, but they do a decent job at keeping the mosquitoes tolerable at my house. Since my neighbor let her pool become a scum pond I need the help.

Pitch a mosquito dunk over the fence into the pool. They work. 

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Summit-12-in-Mosquito-Dunks-6-Pack-110-12/100334779

[Ronald_55]

15 minutes ago, peejman said:

Pitch a mosquito dunk over the fence into the pool. They work. 

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Summit-12-in-Mosquito-Dunks-6-Pack-110-12/100334779

That reminds me. I have some of those somewhere. I bought it for the actual pond/spring that is on her property a few years ago before it filled the rest of the way in.

Thanks

I would love to have one of the propane powered traps. I here they are great.

[A.J. Holst]

According to the internet, the red fox is not dangerous to humans unless they have rabies, which is supposedly rare.

Corner them, get near the den, get bitten.

Even house pets are safe except for miniature dogs and house cats smaller than 10 pounds. Even those situations are rare since when the dog starts barking or the claws come out on the cat, the fox typically moves on.

Unfortunately no game cameras to observe these shy critters.

In the words of the Festrunk Brothers, "the foxes are now!"

Edited May 16, 2017 by Gotthegoods

[peejman]

2 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

That reminds me. I have some of those somewhere. I bought it for the actual pond/spring that is on her property a few years ago before it filled the rest of the way in.

Thanks

I would love to have one of the propane powered traps. I here they are great.

I've heard those work too. Given the option, I'd prefer they died prior to being able to bite me (says the walking mosquito magnet). 

[Ronald_55]

1 minute ago, peejman said:

I've heard those work too. Given the option, I'd prefer they died prior to being able to bite me (says the walking mosquito magnet). 

Yeah I was trying to finish mowing last night at dusk. I felt like a pin cushion.

[R1100R]

My wife and I saw one the other day. Sitting on a big rock in the field. Stayed there forever. Red face, gray body and a black tail. It was the biggest one I have ever seen. Beautiful animal.

[Ugly]

I was getting about five different red tails on my game cam for about a year and a half. Two of them were missing a leg, that's why I won't trap.

The coyote population got pretty heavy and haven't seen them since. I hope they moved on instead of being dinner. 

Beautiful animals!

[peejman]

12 hours ago, Ugly said:

I was getting about five different red tails on my game cam for about a year and a half. Two of them were missing a leg, that's why I won't trap.

The coyote population got pretty heavy and haven't seen them since. I hope they moved on instead of being dinner. 

Beautiful animals!

Yes, coyotes are pushing foxes out as they compete for the same habitat and food sources.  While coyotes are voracious rodent eaters, I'd much prefer foxes as they rarely attack pets or livestock and don't howl at night. 

[Ronald_55]

The real problem with coyote is that they are highly adaptable. So as we consumed native habitat, they adapted to the landscape. Hunting turned from native rodents and birds to the much easier porch food bowl, trash can, housecat, or lapdog. In fact life got a lot easier for the opportunistic scavenger. That is why their numbers are growing.

[Ugly]

They have come in to my area with a large force just in the last 2 years. 

I wonder if is merely because of expansion or if there used to be one of those non existent large cats living in my area and it moved on. One was spotted (by a person and not TWRA so it didn't happen) recently about 1.5 miles away. 

Some of the yotes are damn big too, size of a German Shepard. Some are small and roam in numbers. 

it will take an extraordinary effort to curb their population here. Of course it would be a heck of a lot easier if we could hunt them after dark. WHEN THEY ARE ACTIVE!

[A.J. Holst]

Being a non hunting member of PETA, a person who eats tasty animals, I have zero desire to kill any critters.

I have zero reservation killing coyotes.

Damn the HOA and full speed ahead

Edited May 17, 2017 by Gotthegoods

[Ronald_55]

7 hours ago, Ugly said:

They have come in to my area with a large force just in the last 2 years. 

I wonder if is merely because of expansion or if there used to be one of those non existent large cats living in my area and it moved on. One was spotted (by a person and not TWRA so it didn't happen) recently about 1.5 miles away. 

Some of the yotes are damn big too, size of a German Shepard. Some are small and roam in numbers. 

it will take an extraordinary effort to curb their population here. Of course it would be a heck of a lot easier if we could hunt them after dark. WHEN THEY ARE ACTIVE!

I read that the wolf/coyote hybrid is making its way closer to us. They are supposed to be bigger and hunt more like wolf packs.

I have no problem hunting or trapping them, but I would just prefer that it not be wasted. Fur bearing animals have a lot to offer if you do not mangle the hide up. Of course, I also wish I saw more deer hunters tan the hides or at least pass them to someone to tan. Seems like a waste to see it all get tossed in a dumpster.

[A.J. Holst]

Spotted who I think was the adult male scurrying down my cul de sac, He disappeared in seconds.

Was also visited by a small portion of the herd of deer (3 of 8 - 10 ish) who inhabit the woodlands behind my subdivision.

[cmsmith712001]

Last week two of our rabbits were killed by a fox.  I caught the fox in the act.  I've seen an adult and two pups running around the neighborhood.  No hard feelings towards the fox though, it's simply doing what foxes do.

[bersaguy]

I have not seen any Red foxes here where I live but for past several years i have seen a small gray fox which I think is rare for this area but not sure. I have seen it several times while sitting out side in the evenings while watching the Hummingbirds fight over the feeders. I love whtching those little critters fight and fuss over 1 feeder when i have 8 feeders hanging up around the place.  I think I have about 10 or 12 birds so far this year but expecting more as it gets hotter. I have had to fill the feeders twice since beginning of May. The gray fox was kind of skidish when it first showed up so I put a bowl of canned dog food at the corner of my yard next to a fence row and about sunset it will come out and eat some of the food. It's kinda of strange that my wild rabbit population has not seemed to get smaller as I have actually seen them out in the neighbors yard eating clover and the fox makes no attempt to chase them. I find it unique to have so many wild critters while living in town. I do have a very thick fence row of Honey Suckles and Briar bushes and in summer time cannot see neighbors house that is about 100 yards behind mine. The fence row runs about 15 blocks from Gallatin road to the first cross street down the road passed my house.

[A.J. Holst]

Mrs. GtG loves hummingbirds.

If you Google their migration patterns, it is simply amazing.

[bersaguy]

5 hours ago, Gotthegoods said:

Mrs. GtG loves hummingbirds.

If you Google their migration patterns, it is simply amazing.

Oh yea, I have done all kinds of research on Hummingbirds and their migration patterns. When I first moved here just for giggles I saw Hummingbird feeders on sale at TSC store here so I bought one and then researched when I should fill it and hang it. Within about a week I had about 4 birds fighting over it so I went and bought another one and it another week I had to go buy another and the first summer I was here I had 6 feeders up and about 40 to 50 birds. I would set in my carport and watch them and there was times I thought I was going to get speared by one chasing another through the carport and I could feel the wind from their wings on my ears. I still enjoy sitting out side watching them but the last couple years I have not had the numbers of birds I did have back 6 or 8 years ago. I am beginning to wonder if the climate changing is having an effect on their migrations? I think the last bumpus year I had of birds was the year before that drought hit the southwest real hard and made it hard on them to find food during their migration. I hope to have more birds this year.................