A war of attrition

It started on Thursday of this week when I had a fox attack which took my chicken population from a healthy 16 to just 6 in just one fail swoop.
I had fallen asleep on the sofa and forgot to lock away the chickens. I awoke to a load of commotion and found 2x dead adults chicken and a missing broody that had a new batch of 10x under her care. I thought she may have survived as she had done before when had by a dog but sadly she was never seen again. However 1x of her chicks did manage to get away and even more surprisingly was adopted the next day by the surviving matriarch.
Come the next night I am waiting. The garden is baited with one of the dead chicken. From 12 til 4.30am I wait and nothing. The attack the previous night had been at 2.30-3.00. So I go to bed.
I awake the next morning and whilst making a coffee I look in the garden and no chicken. I inspect the site and the metal fishing rod holder i had staked the chicken to the ground with has been bent over, literally kinked in two. So not a crow or a cat. F***
The next night sees me waiting again. Although this time I am knackered and have to give up at 2.30. In the morning I wake again and inspecting the garden I find some feathers that were not there before. I check the chicken and find that the matriarch and the chick are missing. I guess they were so shaken up by the attack in the coup that they risked being outside. They have not been seen all day so I guess he found them.
So I find myself today, everything set up, alarm set for 2am, ready for the graveyard shift but more determined that given the opportunity he will die. I will not sleep until dawn, I hope the moon stays out, this will be my last opportunity for a while........

 

[stratts]

Good thread this, very entertaining for us even if it's not for you mate!!

It's got me thinking, just how curious and wiley a fox may be and whether it could be used to bring about its downfall. If a fox avoids a cage trap, could you sink a dog collar in the ground attached to a tube or bit of pipe somehow with food in the bottom. Just narrow enough so his head goes through, then when it tries to pull back out it gets stuck? This coupled with a PIR alarm would buy you more time than just relying on it licking some food as he could still scarper? It's only an idea I just thought of and may not even be legal, let alone viable,

Stratts

 

[teyhan1]

Sounds a bit like the squirrel thing they tried a few years ago to see how intelligent they were. I can hear the Mission Impossible theme right now.
Your bloody shot away and I'm sitting here laughing my head off.

 

[Adam f]

I feel your pain. A fox had my whole coop a few months back. The 2nd time in 5 years. Ba£tard.

ive really struggled to trap them and now pick them up on the farm next door from the garden with the NV and then lamp them with the 243.

im also based in Dorset. There's a trap here if you want to borrow it.

​Adam

 

[shaun22/250]

I had charlie visit a couple of weeks back trying to get my grand daughters pet rabbit. The wife woke me around 12.30 am she had been woken by the noise, by the time i'd got the rifle out he was off. The following night i was ready window open, rifle at the ready but only just got the bugger he went to the top of the garden and poised himself to jump the 6 foot fence. So as he crouched focused on the top of the fence he presented a perfect head shot.
View attachment 33854
Good luck and hope you get him soon

 

[The Singing Stalker]

Have thermal, can travel

 

[teyhan1]

I would like to thank all the members who are offering help of NV and thermal kit. I think I will take one of you up on the offer, I just need to mull it over for a day or two.
I'll post a picture tomorrow of my garden so as you can appreciate how difficult this is.
Cue mission impossible theme. DAT-DA/DAT-DA-DAT-DA/DAT-DAT-DA/DA_DA_DA/DA_DA_DA/DA_DA

 

[foxdropper]

or.........................................shut the chickens in before dark .simples

 

[Roobean]

or.........................................shut the chickens in before dark .simples

If he did that it would spoil my daily read and I'm so looking forward to the next installment

 

[teyhan1]

Well, it's Weds night and the moon has finally shown its face again. Sadly it's only 2/3 waining moon nowbut it maybe enough.
I caught him on trail cam last night at 4.30am and 4.50am coming in for a chicken I'd left. I didn't stake it down just put it in trail cam view.
Its very wary because my Teckel always seems to know when he's there, so tonight I am moving him to the back room to try and avoid any unwanted noise. I have for the fox some juicy pieces venison that were left over from the weekends stew, so I am going to scatter these at about 4.00am to try and avoid the neighbours cats.
For those of you that offered to come and help thank you again and below is what I have to deal with. Although at the end of a dead end lane, behind the trampoline is another house. The chickens live around the side of the house to the right, and the additional hut you can see on the right is where he took the broody and all her chicks from-directly infront of where the dog sleeps.To the left of the trampoline you can see the stake I have been using.
I have put out a trail cam on the trampoline tonight incase this is the night, to capture it for posterity.
I should also say that it is a bungalow and failing tonights attempt I will be trying a Gen3 add on Kindly offered by a member off this forum.

 

[Eric the Red]

Glyn, I really feel for you. Hopefully tonight will be the night. I assume sitting in the wendy/tree house is out of the question. Does your X-trail not have one of those panoramic sunrooves in? I find with the front seats pulled right forward, there is a very nice shooting platform stood in there (appreciating that an all nighter like that is NOT fun!).
Keep us informed!

 

[kieran222]

Look on the bright side, if he keeps eating all of the bait that you are leaving out he won't be able to move soon, so should be easy to hit as he will be slow and fat. Good luck, been there and ended up getting an electronic door for the hen house.

 

[teyhan1]

Well Thursday morning I awoke at 4.00am, set out the bait, made a coffee and sat and waited.
The moon was in full view and it was as still as it could be. In the distance I could hear the forage harvesters working away on the maize. If anything it was too quiet. Even a small creak from the chair I sat on sounded like the loudest haunted house door creak.
I sat and glassed the garden, keen not to miss anything. And then at 5.15am he showed. He breifly appeared from the hedge on the right of the photo, enough for me to postively ID him.
Now I have never really suffered from buck fever. I have witnessed it in its fullness, once watching a client physically shake for 15mins before he could even look at and then shoot a silver medal Roe buck. But this time however I immediately started to feel my heart thumping on my chest. B-Bang B-Bang B-Bang. I stood expectant of him appearing towards the rear of the garden near the bait. 'Calm down,' I told myself. 'You haven't waited all this time only to goof it up.'
Now I can hear you all bemoaning 'he's gonna miss.'
I didn't. But then I didn't get a shot either.
I saw him for a total of about 2 seconds and then like a ghost he disappeared. I don't know if he doesn't like venison. Maybe he's a bit chavvy and just likes a nice slab of chicken.
I stayed standing for 30mins knowing that on previous occasions he has come and gone for 20mins or so. But not on this occasion.
Once again the wife is away, so tonight I shall be rigging the security light and trying over the weekend.
This round we shall call a draw. Ding-Ding round 3.

 

[scooby565]

As a Dorset dweller myself and somewhat feeling your pain, I am willing to come and help by sitting up throughout an alternating night (although I suspect and understand that you may now want to deliver the good news to Charlie the Chav yourself.)
The offer is there though.
Paul

 

[Tom270]

Well while I sympathise, I hope Charlie has several mates to bring to the party. otherwise we are going to have nothing to read soon. I'd dig a pit and put sharpened stakes...............Great story, good luck

 

[foxdropper]

seem to be dragging this out a bit mate.A NIUSANCE FOX IS A DEAD UN ROUND HERE .Get it called in and shot

 

[Roobean]

How is round 3 fairing..... I need a muse for tomorrow nights read

 

[SussexFallow]

You need a foxpro fella
Atb steve

 

[teyhan1]

seem to be dragging this out a bit mate.A NIUSANCE FOX IS A DEAD UN ROUND HERE .Get it called in and shot

Well gonna have a try early morning.
For the naysayers-I have a job, my wife also has a job and has just come back (Friday night) from a week in Iraq, she is away again on Mon/Tues and then is away again from Friday for another week in Iraq for a week, I have 2x young sons that need looking after when she is away, a house to look after, lunches and dinners to make, a house to run. I could survive on the dole and bugger around all night playing with foxes but I don't. I've just been out with clients and had 2x does for 2x stalks, on top of my full time job. I don't want to get banned so I'll say it politely "Pi$$ off and annoy someone else"

 

[Bandit]

Well gonna have a try early morning.
For the naysayers-I have a job, my wife also has a job and has just come back (Friday night) from a week in Iraq, she is away again on Mon/Tues and then is away again from Friday for another week in Iraq for a week, I have 2x young sons that need looking after when she is away, a house to look after, lunches and dinners to make, a house to run. I could survive on the dole and bugger around all night playing with foxes but I don't. I've just been out with clients and had 2x does for 2x stalks, on top of my full time job. I don't want to get banned so I'll say it politely "Pi$$ off and annoy someone else"

+++1

 

[toad]

Well gonna have a try early morning.
For the naysayers-I have a job, my wife also has a job and has just come back (Friday night) from a week in Iraq, she is away again on Mon/Tues and then is away again from Friday for another week in Iraq for a week, I have 2x young sons that need looking after when she is away, a house to look after, lunches and dinners to make, a house to run. I could survive on the dole and bugger around all night playing with foxes but I don't. I've just been out with clients and had 2x does for 2x stalks, on top of my full time job. I don't want to get banned so I'll say it politely "Pi$$ off and annoy someone else"

​well said pal