# Gray Foxes in my neck of suburbia



## Steve40th (Aug 17, 2016)

Well, My wife caught two coming in our backyard in the middle of the day. Ran right up on our porch. My wife ran out to see if our cat was okay. One fox ran fast out of there. The other did the slow movement backwards, thinking my wife wouldnt see it. Then my wife started towards it, and it ran off.
But now, more and more people are reporting foxes on our community forum, on Facebook.
I cant shoot them unless they pose a threat, and dont really want to try a trap. 
Any suggestions? If my wife wasnt there, I would lay in the shed, with my 300BLK suppressed and wait.. Then bag them and get rid of them..
My cat is 14 years old, and wont come in house, but she is staying out of her shed.. So, I may bug bomb the shed, clean it, and just use a motion camera to see the real problem.
I will be home Sunday from Japan. 
Again, Suggestions to get rid of these varmints.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Foxes are good. They keep rodents down. Unless rabies leave them alone. Coyotes are worse + 10

Maybe you have some mice, under porch?

They don't bother cats unless cat is young, or not in good condition. My old cat went after a black bear....bear was WTF? Bear left....


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## Steve40th (Aug 17, 2016)

I am concerned for my cat. She has arthrits, but is a scrapper..


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Like Mad Trapper said, check for mice...and rabbits and get rid of them if you can. Also, the foxes may be coming in to get any wild berries that may be growing on your property or birds if you have some bird houses or feeders.


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## Steve40th (Aug 17, 2016)

I have no bird feeders or fruits/berries. I will check my neighbors. Well, I do have the grapes from South Carolina. Not really edible. 
But, I know we have had allot of housing developments about 10 miles away..
A few months ago, I saw a red fox walking down the street. Twice in a week. I heard thats rare. He was not intimidated at me when I took photos. at 5 am.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

I also live in a suburban area, and a few times my neighbors and myself have seen red foxes. In fact, I had to stop one night in front of our church to let three doe cross the street. There is a large insurance complex near my home that has a huge forested area. I think the wildlife cross the street to get to there.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Mad Trapper said:


> Foxes are good. They keep rodents down. Unless rabies leave them alone. Coyotes are worse + 10
> 
> Maybe you have some mice, under porch?
> 
> They don't bother cats unless cat is young, or not in good condition. My old cat went after a black bear....bear was WTF? Bear left....


I hear you about the coyotes. In a nearby school, they had to put a big fence up around the play yard. Parents were afraid a coyotes would come along and drag one of the children off.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Grey foxes are no threat to your cat.
Over the years we have had both grey and red foxes in the woods around our farm. They don't bother our chickens.
I practice live and let live - wild life that doesn't bother us, we leave alone.

NOW, what could be a problem is the very rare chance you encounter a rabid fox. Very rare, and certainly not worth killing all the foxes, but be alert.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

rice paddy daddy said:


> Grey foxes are no threat to your cat.
> Over the years we have had both grey and red foxes in the woods around our farm. They don't bother our chickens.
> I practice live and let live - wild life that doesn't bother us, we leave alone.
> 
> NOW, what could be a problem is the very rare chance you encounter a rabid fox. Very rare, and certainly not worth killing all the foxes, but be alert.


Well put RPD.

We had a couple of red foxes chase out a bobcat. I think the bobcat was too close to the foxes den. It was fun to watch, bobcat was a big male, twice the size of the foxes.

Concerning rabid, only one I encountered was a woodchuck. He was out in day and did not run, middle of a field. Checking field before mowing for obstructions. On way back I grabbed a ~4ft hardwood branch. Chuck was still there and went after me, WHOOMPH!!! I don't think crows get rabies?


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Who determines what or who a threat is?? Did the second fox not show some aggression by not running off. That's a text book bang flop in my world.


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

Kill them all and let God sort it out.

Kidding


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## Steve40th (Aug 17, 2016)

Chipper said:


> Who determines what or who a threat is?? Did the second fox not show some aggression by not running off. That's a text book bang flop in my world.


My wife said it was more like it was trying to move slow, as to make my wife think she couldn't see it. No teeth, nothing threatening. That was her take on it..


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

We have foxes in my neighborhood, they generally won't mess with cats because cats are a pretty good match for them in a fight. They help keep the rabbit and rodent population down, so I let them live in peace. Now opossums on the other hand, I despise, I don't care how beneficial people claim they are.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

I enjoy wildlife, no matter what species. When we first moved out to become "suburbia," we had doe crossing the street. Then it dwindled down to squirrels and rabbits after the area got over-populated. I've seen a red fox in my yard, but I believe he was just trying to cross the street to get into the tree-lined expanse belonging to a large insurance complex.

I wouldn't care if there were opossums and foxes still walking about. We have a dense, tree and green-space next to our property, and it would be a good place for wildlife to inhabit.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

The Tourist said:


> I enjoy wildlife, no matter what species.


 Me too with a little salt and pepper.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

hawgrider said:


> Me too with a little salt and pepper.


Ahhh, that's where I come out ahead. All of them animals is made of meat. I just eat fish.

I started eating fish more after my dad a friend from his job started bow-hunting fish. They affixed a big round hoop on their bows for water-resistant line and shot fish in a little river in the back country. I never knew anyone else--before or since--other than my dad and his friend who actually shot fish.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)




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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

The Tourist said:


> Ahhh, that's where I come out ahead. All of them animals is made of meat. I just eat fish.
> 
> I started eating fish more after my dad a friend from his job started bow-hunting fish. They affixed a big round hoop on their bows for water-resistant line and shot fish in a little river in the back country. I never knew anyone else--before or since--other than my dad and his friend who actually shot fish.


Yup we used to shoot carp with bow and arrows ... good fun and the carp made good garden fertilizer.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

The Tourist said:


> Ahhh, that's where I come out ahead. All of them animals is made of meat. I just eat fish.
> 
> I started eating fish more after my dad a friend from his job started bow-hunting fish. They affixed a big round hoop on their bows for water-resistant line and shot fish in a little river in the back country. I never knew anyone else--before or since--other than my dad and his friend who actually shot fish.


Most states only allow hunting "rough fish", carp and suckers, gar down south. The former are more edible in springtime.

It takes a while to get good at it due to the refractive index of water vs air. Aim low. They sell reels to mount on bows and barbed fish arrows.

Vermont also has a spring season on pike, when they come into shallows to spawn. Besides bows they also allow rifles. Shooting firearms into water has always been a no no for me. At shallow angles bullets can ricochet.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

jimb1972 said:


> We have foxes in my neighborhood, they generally won't mess with cats because cats are a pretty good match for them in a fight. They help keep the rabbit and rodent population down, so I let them live in peace. Now opossums on the other hand, I despise, I don't care how beneficial people claim they are.


Possums are hell if you keep chickens. Small ones eat the eggs, big ones kill the hens.
They also carry a disease that is fatal for horses, it's in their excrement and horses can ingest it while grazing.
Since we have chickens and horses, any possum on the property is eliminated.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

hawgrider said:


> Yup we used to shoot carp with bow and arrows.


Now that you mention it, most of the fish my dad and his friend shot were also carp.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

If you have burrowing varmint problems and you can't shoot or trap them, these "bombs " work great.

I have problems with woodchucks across the road, they use a culvert to cross the road and come visit my vegetable garden. The holes are in an overgrown area with so many holes looks like a Prairie dog community. Too close to the road and other houses to shoot them, but if they are on my property they do get shot.

Every couple of years I have to go across the street and thin them out. If the holes have multiple outlets, shovel up all but one, then toss a bomb down and close off that one.

They are also a good alternative to shooting/trapping skunks, the skunk is underground so no smell at all.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

rice paddy daddy said:


> Grey foxes are no threat to your cat.
> Over the years we have had both grey and red foxes in the woods around our farm. They don't bother our chickens.
> I practice live and let live - wild life that doesn't bother us, we leave alone.
> 
> NOW, what could be a problem is the very rare chance you encounter a rabid fox. Very rare, and certainly not worth killing all the foxes, but be alert.


Get rid of the foxes and you might have something worse fill the void.

I agree with RPD... leave them alone or build a better fence


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Yes, the foxes here patrol looking for small rodents and rabbits. I see fresh tracks almost daily in the tilled dirt of my garden.

Coyotes do the same but can get too aggressive if you have livestock, small pets ,or small children.

When I mow my fields there are a couple of coyotes that follow my tractor. When mice or rabbits get kicked up they devour them. There is a redtail hawk that does the same thing, perching in a treetop looking to snag a meal.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

rice paddy daddy said:


> Grey foxes are no threat to your cat.
> Over the years we have had both grey and red foxes in the woods around our farm. They don't bother our chickens.
> I practice live and let live - wild life that doesn't bother us, we leave alone.
> 
> NOW, what could be a problem is the very rare chance you encounter a rabid fox. Very rare, and certainly not worth killing all the foxes, but be alert.


Dittos on that. They live close to humans and normally everybody gets along well. Will tell of one ailment they can get is called cannine distempter. They get addle headed and brazen and blind...come eat cat food off the porch and such things. Affects..*****..foxes...coyotes and other critters. It dont make them aggresive but can be mistaken for blind as opposed to furious rabies. You can tell if you catch or kill one it will have its eyes glazed over. Foxes are normally very shy and nocturnal..but some can be friendly than others. I had one little cutester sitting on the side of the road about 3 AM and he wasnt a bit scrared of me. So I assumed he was somebodies pet. He would let me get nearly close enough to let me pet him and them retreat about 50 feet and sit down again. They happened several times and the next think I knew the critter had me a mile from my car...in the woods and it was pitch dark except for my flashlight I think it mighta been a trick. They can be sly supposedly


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I think Mother Nature regulates itself, when rabbits and the such are plentiful, predators have larger litters. When food supply dwindles litters are smaller, till the food supply catches up. The normal ebb and flow of things.


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