Author Topic: Where are all these Foxes coming from?? (Read 8270 times)

FiB · « **Reply #15 on:** February 22, 2012, 08:39:03 am »

Well the fat urban foxes have worked off their city bellies - 4 chickens gone last night. Swiped in that twighlight 15 mins between me luring them into their coop with corn and shutting them into the hen house. Well only 3 gone in that 15 mins, but Cockrel went to roost in a tree and wouldnt come down for anything and no cock a doodle doing this morning. What a week.

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #16 on:** February 22, 2012, 12:11:22 pm »

Sorry to read this FiB, what a sickener. strange it bothered going after the cockerel though, if it already had 3 hens.
I suppose dog foxes may be hunting food for the vixens? or is it too early yet.
I'm getting lax at being with my lot at dusk, must take heed of these warnings.

feldar · « **Reply #17 on:** February 22, 2012, 01:14:27 pm »

I'm not too up on foxes, but the last two nights there has been such a racket going on in the back field. Squealing and shrieking, sounds just like a vixen mating but don't they do this before Christmas so the cubs are born around now?

bigchicken · « **Reply #18 on:** February 22, 2012, 06:06:06 pm »

Yes there will be be cubs at this time of year and the vixen will be with them, The dog fox will be feeding her killing anything he can get hole of and cashing any extra kills. Foxes have their territories and the dog fox will defend his territory even more so when he has cubs, so having lots of dog foxes in the one place is not usual unless its in an urban area where the normal rules go out the window due to the huge amount of food available.

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #19 on:** February 22, 2012, 07:02:29 pm »

We used to hear them call (mating calls) in January, maybe we are later in the north and up in the pennines, but I havn't heard much in the last couple of years (don't want to either

)

chrismahon · « **Reply #20 on:** February 22, 2012, 07:50:57 pm »

I thought releasing foxes into another territory was illegal ?

Bought some bantam pullets from a farmer in Cheshire. He told us the week before his neighbour told him a white van had just parked up the road and had since gone, but that he thought he saw a cage in the back. Farmer went into his yard and standing in the middle surveying his chickens were two foxes, bold as brass in broad daylight. Went straight into the house, grabbed his shotgun and killed them both.

Don't the releasing people realise that they are going to be shot anyway ? So why not do it themselves ?

jonkil · « **Reply #21 on:** February 22, 2012, 10:22:52 pm »

Hell of a lot of foxes here too.
We managed just over 100 this year but killed over 200 in 2009.
Real menace, they seem to gather in certain areas, while there is few in a certain place, travel 20 mile and there is hundreds. Have been called to cull a big population up in the north of the county, a few nights should make a large hole in the population. We get them with a good light and a high power rifle with tight packed bullets.

feldar · « **Reply #22 on:** February 23, 2012, 10:25:28 am »

Watched Winterwhatch last night on telly and they said the vixens would be mating around now. So i will get hubby to see if he can shoot her before she has her cubs.

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #23 on:** February 23, 2012, 10:32:10 pm »

Quote from: feldar on February 23, 2012, 10:25:28 am

So i will get hubby to see if he can shoot her before she has her cubs.

sad, but they can't be allowed to keep increasing

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #24 on:** February 23, 2012, 11:10:18 pm »

Pity these do gooders don't see what happens to the foxes they 'rescue' or see the carnage the ones who don't get shot can cause.

feldar · « **Reply #25 on:** February 24, 2012, 08:36:39 am »

Quote from: penninehillbilly on February 23, 2012, 10:32:10 pm

Quote from: feldar on February 23, 2012, 10:25:28 am
So i will get hubby to see if he can shoot her before she has her cubs.
sad, but they can't be allowed to keep increasing
[/quote
Iknow but i can't stand the thought of killing mum if she has cubs in the den and they have to starve to death. i know i'm being sentimental but i am soft when it comes to things like that! even though i have no problem with them being shot or hunted at any other time!]

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #26 on:** February 24, 2012, 11:34:27 am »

Quote from: feldar on February 24, 2012, 08:36:39 am

Quote from: penninehillbilly on February 23, 2012, 10:32:10 pm
Quote from: feldar on February 23, 2012, 10:25:28 am
So i will get hubby to see if he can shoot her before she has her cubs.
sad, but they can't be allowed to keep increasing
[/quote
Iknow but i can't stand the thought of killing mum if she has cubs in the den and they have to starve to death. i know i'm being sentimental but i am soft when it comes to things like that! even though i have no problem with them being shot or hunted at any other time!]
I agree entirely