As small omnivores, cunning predators and scavengers, foxes can sometimes be a serious nuisance, especially to farmers or others with small pets. Whether it's sneaking into your chicken coop or bothering your pet, knowing how to effectively catch a troublesome fox can be a very useful skill to have. Also, knowing how to handle the foxes you've captured will allow you to make decisions that can solve your problems with foxes while ensuring humane treatment of the animals.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Catching an Adult Fox
Step 1. Place the animal trap where you think the fox is
For most foxes, the standard "box-shaped" live object (animal) trap for a suitable size works quite well. This trap resembles a rectangular box with a trap door at one end (or the other). The fox, provoked by the bait, stepped on the pedal, which released the trap door and locked it.
Traps for living things can be purchased or rented at hunting goods stores and online from specialty sellers. For medium-sized and medium-large traps suitable for catching foxes with prices usually ranging from IDR 500,000, 00-IDR 1,000,000, 00 (for now)
Step 2. Bait the trap
Set your trap in the "open" position and be careful to place your bait in the space in the middle. You have a variety of options when choosing your bait for example, you might want to use pork, "wet" cat food, fish, chicken or some other meat. If you are a hunter, you may want to use meat from game (especially bobcats and beavers work well).
The importance of the scent of the bait you use. Foxes have sensitive noses that they use to sniff out food sources, so, if possible, try to use baits with strong, attractive odors. If you are using cat food, try to use one with a strong fishy smell as foxes love it
Step 3. Leave the trap overnight
While it is possible to see foxes at most times of the day, foxes are usually nocturnal predators. For this reason, once you set a trap, you need to be patient, waiting at least one night to get results. Check your traps in the morning to see if you've caught the fox that's bothering you. Don't be surprised if you find a raccoon, skunk, rat, cuscus or other small mammal in the trap as these animals can also be attracted to the same bait that foxes love.
Don't leave the trap outside for more than a day or two without checking it. This can cause the fox to become trapped so that it suffers from starvation or collapses
Step 4. Or, try digging a trap hole
If you don't have a trap box for living things (animals) and you don't want to go through the hassle of renting or buying one, this free option can also work well. To make a trap hole, dig a deep, steep hole near a tree, tree base, or other natural barrier so that the fox can only enter the hole from one side. Place the bait at the bottom of the hole and cover the top of the trap with branches and leaves to hide it. If the hole is steep enough, the fox will fall while looking for bait and won't be able to climb until you come back.
Many sources recommend placing a foot snare trap at the bottom of the hole to ensure that the fox is completely trapped after falling into the hole. If you are thinking about doing this, be sure to check your local laws first. Because foot net traps have the potential to injure or sever the animal's legs, they are not always legal (allowed). Additionally, you may want to consider whether the trap fits your ethics
Step 5. Try step-bait
Foxes are not stupid - these cunning creatures will sometimes be able to tell when a trap is a trap and will avoid it, even when there is bait in it. To work around this, try a step-bait strategy. The first night, place your bait outside the trap, but close to the trap. If you notice the next day that the bait is gone, the next night, put it in the trap, but not near the pedal that releases the trap door. If the bait is lost again, try placing the bait in the center of the trap on the third night. Often, this development will gradually trick the fox into thinking that the bait source is "safe" so that the fox is greedy enough to fall into the trap.
If you're still having trouble, the fox may smell you in the trap. Try carefully washing the trap in hot or boiling water to get rid of your odor. You may also want to try sprinkling fox urine (available at many hunting goods stores) around the trap - foxes can be very territorial, so the smell of other foxes can prompt the fox to investigate the trap up close
Step 6. Avoid inhumane traps
Even if your ultimate goal is to kill the animal, it's very important not to let the fox suffer during the process. Doing unnecessary suffering to animals is cruel, immoral and unfair. For this reason, you'll want to stay away from traps that hurt the animal in an attempt to trap it. For example, steel-toothed traps can break a fox's legs when they fall on it and wire meshes can cut off blood flow to the animal's limbs, causing the animal to die. In general, traps that work by suddenly grabbing or severing an animal's body part should not be used. In addition, because they are inhumane, these types of traps are also illegal and subject to fines each time they are used, depending on where you live.
Step 7. End the life of the injured fox
If, for whatever reason you have seriously injured the fox while trying to catch it, you may wish to end the animal's life (or call an expert/professional to do this for you). Releasing a crippled animal back into the wild can cause the animal to suffer for days before eventually starving, dying of disease, or being killed by its predator (an animal of prey). Ending the animal's life quickly to relieve pain is almost always a good alternative in this case.
Humane killing methods are generally those that cause immediate (or near-immediate) unconsciousness followed by rapid death without giving the animal a chance to panic or suffer. Different animal welfare groups will have different meanings of what a humane killing method is, but, in general, methods such as shooting an animal in the head, electrocuting it and then cutting its throat, and using pain-free gas are considered humane by most regulations/authorities. law
Part 2 of 2: Dispose of the Caught Fox
Step 1. Handle all foxes with extreme care
Once you've caught a fox, you'd better be more careful about how you handle it, even if it's confining it safely to trap them. Carry the trap away from your body, holding it only by a secure grip and out of reach of the fox. Do not stick your fingers in the cage, shake the cage, or intentionally disturb the animals. Foxes caught in live object (animal) traps tend to be frightened, which means that they have the potential to attack and bite or scratch you, even if they appear tame on the outside.
Keep in mind that foxes can carry a variety of diseases including rabies, a deadly viral disease for which there is no cure other than receiving a vaccination after being bitten. If you have been bitten or scratched by a fox, contact your doctor immediately. Although rabies is rare in foxes, it can cause a long-term, painful, and fatal disease, so it's better to be careful than sorry
Step 2. Release the fox into the wild
One option when you have caught a fox is to take it somewhere far away and release it. This method has the benefit of causing indirect harm to the fox. However, it is important to note that, because foxes are territorial creatures, they will sometimes return to their original location even if they have to travel long distances to get there. In addition, due to competition from other predators and different living conditions, there is always the possibility that a fox released into the wild far from home will eventually die as well.
If you decide to release a fox you've caught into the wild, be sure to do it with care. Position the trap away from you, then carefully open the trap door to release the fox. Don't chase the fox after it leaves the trap - it's likely that the fox will get agitated and consequently have a potentially hostile reaction (scratch/bite you)
Step 3. Call an animal control service
For many people, it's far better to hire an expert in dealing with caught foxes than to do it yourself. Almost any local animal control agency will be willing to take a wild fox off your hands, helping you out of the hassle of deciding what to do. If you don't know how to contact your local animal control service, in the United States, try contacting the ASPCA, or the Humane Society (whose contact info is available on the respective organization's website) for instructions.
Be aware that, unfortunately, many animal control services will humanely end a fox's life once you give it to them. This is because, as noted above, foxes are known carriers of rabies and other diseases
Step 4. If it's legal in your area, consider killing the fox humanely
If the fox you just caught has caused you serious trouble, you may want to kill it to make sure you get rid of the fox once and for all. In this case, be sure to consult local laws before killing the fox to make sure you're not doing anything illegal. In the vast majority of cases, killing a fox to protect your property or remove a nuisance is not illegal. However, some countries and jurisdictions may have rules that limit your ability to kill foxes, especially if you need to kill multiple foxes, want to kill them for trading purposes, or need to kill them during "seasonal" times.
- For example, in the state of North Carolina, the laws governing foxes vary widely from region to region. For example, in Gates Village, the fox trapping season lasts only for the month of January and you are limited to a maximum of "catch" only 30 foxes. On the other hand, in Forsyth Village, there is no season of trapping foxes or limits on catching
- If you choose to kill a captured fox, always use one of the humane killing methods described above.
Step 5. Know the warning signs of a bad fox
No matter what you plan to do with the fox you catch, it's important to know the signs of danger so you can respond quickly and decisively, when it occurs. Many of the signs that a fox is angry will give signs similar to those used by dogs. For example, if the hair on its back is standing up, its tail is straight, or the fox is growling, snarling, or baring its teeth, it means that the fox is angry and may react with hostility. In this case, always leave things to the experts.
It is also a very good idea to know the signs of a rabid fox. If the fox stumbles as if drunk, appears partially paralyzed, is hurting himself, or is acting very aggressively or acting unnaturally calm, the fox is probably crazy. In this case, you definitely need to contact an expert - rabies is a very serious disease and should not be taken lightly
Step 6. Consider picking up fox fur
Foxes are sometimes trapped or hunted for their naturally soft fur. Fox fur can potentially be very valuable - usually for real fox fur coats or boots selling for a few thousand dollars or more. If you're an experienced stripper, you may want to consider killing the animal humanely, then skinning and treating the skin so you can sell it to fur vendors. However, be aware that killing an animal for fur is usually more strictly regulated than killing a fox to rid yourself of pests, so, as always, consult your local laws before proceeding with the process.
Don't try to pick up fox fur if you don't know what you're doing. Knowing how to skin an animal skin is a difficult skill that takes a lot of practice to perfect. Trying to skin a dead fox when you've never done it before might damage the fur and make the fox's death pointless
Step 7. Clean yourself carefully after handling the fox
Even if you are not in direct contact with the fox you catch, you should be careful to wash your hands and arms (and, if necessary, body and clothing) thoroughly after handling the trap. Like many wild animals, foxes can be quite dirty even if they don't look like one. They may, for example, have bloodstains on their body/fur from a recent kill or there may be traces of dirt on their fur. In addition, they can carry parasites such as fleas (especially cat fleas). Since you have no way of knowing exactly where the fox has been all this time, it's usually best to just be safe.
You should also wash your traps to avoid possible future contamination. Scrub all surfaces with hot water and soap, then use a hose to rinse. Finally, dry with a towel or cloth to prepare for future use
Tips
If in doubt, contact an animal control specialist
Warning
- Don't try to nurse injured foxes or nurse them back to health. Instead, just contact the experts.
- Foxes are carriers of rabies, and any bite from a fox requires immediate medical care.
