Foxes, my secret ally?

[Qwertyzmate]

One of the areas of ground I cover is orchard.

If there is any chance of whatever is in my sights damaging the trees/vines, land owners want it gone.

Got me to thinking...

What's the reality with foxes actually catching a significant number of rabbit and squirrel?

Are the foxes my secret ally against the rabbit and squirrel population or is that wishful thinking?

Just for the keepers out there, no shoot for miles so no risk to pheasants

 

[Miki]

I was out one night shooting rabbits, they all sat up and looked to the left.
Pop ... 1 ex-rabbit.
The rest ran away, a few seconds later Mr Fox walked into the Pards sights, picked up the rabbit and ran off.

 

[Qwertyzmate]

I was out one night shooting rabbits, they all sat up and looked to the left.
Pop ... 1 ex-rabbit.
The rest ran away, a few seconds later Mr Fox walked into the Pards sights, picked up the rabbit and ran off.

Had plenty of the same TBH, accounted for a few foxes that way...

Picking up a warm carcass is easy pickings, I'm wondering how many actually get taken down by foxes whilst they are still breathing

 

[User00040]

One of the areas of ground I cover is orchard.

If there is any chance of whatever is in my sights damaging the trees/vines, land owners want it gone.

Got me to thinking...

What's the reality with foxes actually catching a significant number of rabbit and squirrel?

Are the foxes my secret ally against the rabbit and squirrel population or is that wishful thinking?

Just for the keepers out there, no shoot for miles so no risk to pheasants

Owl boxes will help too... voles are a big pest and breed well in milder climates.

 

[EssexBigMac]

It’s very few matey, maybe the odd wounded or juvenile one. Foxes never stop so hit at every chance. I know lots of deer managers don’t touch them to eat/clear the gralloch but you can never eliminate them all, you just delay a day or two till the neighbour fox comes over for lunch. ( if you didn’t guess it, I have chickens).

 

[Liveonce]

I am certain one place I shoot the rabbits a certain fox generally makes an appearance and looks to follows me around and I enjoy it’s company

 

[Miki]

Owl boxes will help too... voles are a big pest and breed well in milder climates.

Hoots mon. I think it's been a bit cold up North of late, frosty and the like.
@Slash tends to slow down a bit when that happens, gets confused. It's nothing to worry about, (although he's been a bit off since his cat ran away) he gets more alert in the spring.

 

[Qwertyzmate]

It’s very few matey, maybe the odd wounded or juvenile one. Foxes never stop so hit at every chance. I know lots of deer managers don’t touch them to eat/clear the gralloch but you can never eliminate them all, you just delay a day or two till the neighbour fox comes over for lunch. ( if you didn’t guess it, I have chickens).

That's what I expected TBH.

There are no real ground nesting birds on this land, that coupled with the fact they eat my grallochs and the odd messily dispatched rabbit, might be worth letting them carry on their business.... Unless the take one of the landowners ducks... Then it will be curtains for them all under the bosses orders

 

[Qwertyzmate]

I am certain one place I shoot the rabbits a certain fox generally makes an appearance and looks to follows me around and I enjoy it’s company

It does play on my mind a bit that I don't begrudge them a cheeky rabbit/squirrel I've knocked over. Happy to see them occasionally and have no real need to get them off this particular ground, yet some permissions I have are purley "all foxes must go"

I just don't get pleasure from shooting things 'because they are there'.

 

[EssexBigMac]

Spend 2 years raising chickens to wake up to everyone half dead and the fox casually strolling down the field with one in his mouth. My fault for not enough barbed wire, electric fencing and fox proofing the coop. They are cunning, I’ll give them that.

 

[Liveonce]

Spend 2 years raising chickens to wake up to everyone half dead and the fox casually strolling down the field with one in his mouth. My fault for not enough barbed wire, electric fencing and fox proofing the coop. They are cunning, I’ll give them that.

Kept chickens for several years, appreciate exactly what you are saying, nothing gained in shooting them as another replaces the shot one. Rather it becomes a game of man over beast, the only dumb thing they do is kill them all and take only one or at best two. When we lost the last lot we called it a day.

 

[Cyres]

Not sure if my sheep and poultry farmers would agree with that. Some years ago was asked to sort a dog fox taking biggish lambs. Shot 2 vixens first night 2 dogs the second. I shoot in excess of 50 a year off the farm actually may be closer to 100. Culled 4 two nights ago saw 7.
Small rare breed poultry keeper thought she had one. Shot 20 in 15 weeks! That was sitting out one evening a week. That's been on going for the last 5+ years. She clocks them on her security cameras. In both cases perms are close to urban built up areas.
D

 

[Jon P]

One of the areas of ground I cover is orchard.

If there is any chance of whatever is in my sights damaging the trees/vines, land owners want it gone.

Got me to thinking...

What's the reality with foxes actually catching a significant number of rabbit and squirrel?

Are the foxes my secret ally against the rabbit and squirrel population or is that wishful thinking?

Just for the keepers out there, no shoot for miles so no risk to pheasants

I leave the foxes on a vineyard I shoot on. Was out waiting for boar there last winter, it was interesting to see how they react when not being shot at. No particular fear of people and when one catches a rabbit this lot run all run to that area, but sure if they share it or not , but they are not scrapping over the kill - nothing to see around 7 foxes on approx 60 acres of land, rabbits are in low number. Foxes appear to be leaving the lambs alone- only once I have had to shoot a lamb killer and that was over 5 yrs ago. Squirrel numbers are still quite high though .

 

[mudman]

Plenty of gamekeepers are happy enough to have a fox or three on the place once shootings gets underway, to clean up any birds not picked. Likewise plenty of gamekeepers are paranoid/ obsessive about foxes and want every one killed.

 

[jall55]

Plenty of gamekeepers are happy enough to have a fox or three on the place once shootings gets underway, to clean up any birds not picked. Likewise plenty of gamekeepers are paranoid/ obsessive about foxes and want every one killed.

The gamekeepers that are happy to have a few about respectfully dont have much of an idea
The damage a fox can do to ground nesting birds and indeed to a drive is incredible

 

[jall55]

That's what I expected TBH.

There are no real ground nesting birds on this land, that coupled with the fact they eat my grallochs and the odd messily dispatched rabbit, might be worth letting them carry on their business.... Unless the take one of the landowners ducks... Then it will be curtains for them all under the bosses orders

Its a chicken and egg scenario
There wont be many ground nesting birds if the foxes are not controlled