We’ve got a fox that’s been going after our chickens and ducks. I have an idea where it might be denning, but I’ve never hunted predators. I’ve got a .22, a .30-06, and a 12 ga. Any suggestions on the quickest, most efficient way to get rid of this guy?
Thanks.
Trap it where it is getting thru your fence.
I’ve got a .22, a .30-06, and a 12 ga.
Is the 22 a 22LR or a short rimfire caliber?
A 22LR would take down a fox with a well placed shot. A 22 rimfire, not so much. The 30-06 is kinda over kill but would work. The 12 gauge I assume does not have a scope so the accuracy might not be the greatest.
Maybe someone who regularly hunts coyotes and fox will chime with some advice.
Standard setup for us back in the day hunting fox and coyotes was one guy with a 12 gauge with #4 buckshot and another with a .223. The 12 gauge works great from 45 yards in.
12 ga with a turkey load would be a very* humane death and easier than a rifle imo. Not salvaging fur though.
Shotgun, #4 buck, BB, or turkey load will all work excellent. We had a family of foxes at my last house that became a little unafraid of us or our dog. Also after a short time, one of them got the mange and that was the final straw. As my neighbor had a dog also, I went to talk to him about it and we decided the foxes had to go. Took a couple days but problem solved, shotgun, perfect solution.
Wow, you guys are great. Thanks for all the quick suggestions. I’d been kind of thinking of Brad Dimond’s suggestion of two guys with a rifle and a shotgun. I’ve got turkey loads and a turkey choke, so maybe that’s the way to go there.
I don’t mind spending a whole glorious day in the woods hunting turkey or deer. This is just something I want to get done as quickly as possible.
A live trap where he’s entering the pen/coup is usually way more time efficient. If he’s killed any already their parts make good bait for a live trap. Guy can waste a lotta time waiting for something vs soaking a live trap for a week.
I’ll take the cheeks.
Bring in a mountain lion.
A few wolves would take care of the fox problem.
I’ll take the tail for the truck antenna.
I have a fox thats getting a few of my chickens as well. My problem is i live in town so a shotgun is kind of off the table. Cant ever seem to get him in the crosshairs of my air rifle. He isnt afraid which worries me with the kids outside. He took a chicken last fall with me and the neighbor literally trying to chase him away.
I have a fox thats getting a few of my chickens as well. My problem is i live in town so a shotgun is kind of off the table. Cant ever seem to get him in the crosshairs of my air rifle. He isnt afraid which worries me with the kids outside. He took a chicken last fall with me and the neighbor literally trying to chase him away.
You arent going to kill it with an air rifle, but may scare it away for a while. A live trap is probably your best bet. Once trapped cover it with a tarp, hook a hose up to an exhaust pipe and run it under the tarp with a vehicle/ATV running. My dad has done this many times with skunks.
He isnt afraid which worries me with the kids outside.
I don’t think a fox is going to go after a child.
Trap your foxes and bring them to my neighborhood. We see quite a few, but there are more than enough bunnies to support the population!
I don’t think a fox is going to go after a child.
I think the main worry would be if it had rabies or Lord knows some other disease.
Coyotes run foxes off. Wolves and foxes get along. So I’ve been told.
Lead poisoning is a sure cure though. 
Buy some 22LR low power or Quite rounds they will kill a fox, bait them! DK.
Trapping hands down , its working 24/7 .
You arent going to kill it with an air rifle, but may scare it away for a while. A live trap is probably your best bet. Once trapped cover it with a tarp, hook a hose up to an exhaust pipe and run it under the tarp with a vehicle/ATV running. My dad has done this many times with skunks.
Some of todays air rifle would have no problem Killing a Fox. Some of todays air rifles push pellets at speeds close to those of a 22. They actually hunt deer in several states with air rifles.
Some of todays air rifle would have no problem Killing a Fox. Some of todays air rifles push pellets at speeds close to those of a 22. They actually hunt deer in several states with air rifles.
Yeah, that is true I should have clarified what I meant. I guess even my air rifle has a second barrel for a 22 caliber pellet. Most traditional air rifles wont kill a fox humanely but you are right, there are some out there that would. I actually watched a show where the guy was hunting feral hogs with one.
Most traditional air rifles wont kill a fox humanely but you are right, there are some out there that would.
Traditional? in what sense? Air guns for hunting and military have a longer tradition and history than what I expect you are referring to as “traditional”.
Im pretty sure i could kill that fox with my air rifle if i could get a good shot at it. Not worried about it taking the kids im more worried if they cornered it somehow or it was under the deck or something and they got bit.
Im pretty sure i could kill that fox with my air rifle if i could get a good shot at it. Not worried about it taking the kids im more worried if they cornered it somehow or it was under the deck or something and they got bit.
pretty much any single pump pellet gun can kill a fox inside 20 yards. I’ve shot a few with my crossman. Most fox are the same size as big farm cats.
Best suggestion – trap it.
Second best suggestion – shoot it with whatever you have at hand.
I’ve shot well over 100 fox with a ruger 10/22. I’ve shot em with a .300 win mag, and everything in between including 4 gauges of shotgun bores.
Traditional? in what sense? Air guns for hunting and military have a longer tradition and history than what I expect you are referring to as “traditional”.
Im talking about a single cock 17 caliber pellet. I shot a feral cat with mine and it was not what I would consider a humane kill by any stretch and that was at a few feet with it in a cage. Sure there are much higher powered ones out there, but there is no way I would consider the air rifle I have an adequate weapon to take down a fox.
Seriously? What are fox cheeks good for?
Fox cheek Sandwiches of course!
There’s no threat to humans from a 10lb fox. Period. If it’s rabid you’d know right away. It would not appear normal or healthy if that was the case.
Foxes are fragile animals, thin skinned and very easy to kill. They’re essentially a barn cat with longer legs. Their fur makes them appear larger than they are.
Trapping would be by far the most effective way to remove it.
If you choose to try to shoot it, I’d go with the 12 gauge shotgun. Pellet size won’t matter much inside 30 yards. Anything lead will be more than enough at that distance.
I shot a feral cat with mine and it was not what I would consider a humane kill by any stretch and that was at a few feet with it in a cage.
Cats have 9 lives.
Good luck, foxes are notoriously hard to catch and always seem one step ahead.
Best way I’ve found is to get a puppy, and introduce the puppy to the fox at a young age. Over time, they will develop a strong friendship, even though you’ll still be a bit annoyed by the fox hanging around with your ducks/chickens nearby.
As the years go by, your puppy will grow into a strong, loyal, hunting dog.
Eventually, your dog will face an existential crisis, and you just need to hope that their loyalty to your as their owner will outweigh their feelings of friendship to the fox, at which point they will turn on the fox and lead it right into a trap.
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