Need some live trap pointers!

[Dsnow9]

Last week I let our chickens out to explore the yard around 615am and free range a bit when I left for work. Nothing new, I’ve done it every day for almost two years. At 9 am I notice I have two missed calls from my wife and she is calling again. I answer the phone from the top of the tree and she is bawling and I can hear both girls bawling in the background as well. She let me know a fox had killed six of our chickens. 3 were gone and 3 were headless still in the yard when she chased off the fox.

I set up a game camera to see if it came back. It has been back a couple times and had an opportunity this morning but didn’t take it. Had it dead to rights and could have taken the shot. I live in the city though and there is no good angle and if it made it out of the yard I could be in deep shit.


For refer nice this is my back yard…

So now I want to trap it so I can add that nice fox hide to my wall and prevent it from getting the rest. The coup is borderline Fort Knox but the free ranging time has been drastically reduced to mid day. Figured I would feed the fox meat back to the remaining chickens and complete the circle of life.



Ps the girls already got some replacements.

 

[Dsnow9]

 

[Murphyt]

My buddy caught his back yard chicken killer in a live trap. It was the biggest thing they sell through F &T trapping supply tho. It's a huge live trap! Took a week or so to catch him. We bedded the bottom pretty good with dirt and leaves so there was no wire mesh exposed. That's my only experience live trapping fox. So I know it's possible but not sure how common they will enter a cage.

 

[marksjeep]

Fox can be tough. Had one here doing the same and tried live trapping it. I seemed to trap mainly raccoons and skunks. They'd get into the trap first every time. I had better luck leaving the dog out in the pen to just scare it off. But we're also out of the city and the closest house is several hundred yards away, so the dog barking doesn't piss anyone else off.

CCI quiets though a rifle are pretty dang quiet and will kill any of those 3 at close range, but yea, be super careful if you go that route.

Noted above, the trap I was using is also really big. Be prepared to catch everything you didn't plan to catch. Neighbors cats, coons and skunks.

Could also try putting some hot wire around the coop at night. Dogs don't like electricity much at all.

Good luck.

 

[Sask hunter]

Get a couple foot holds

 

[Cogreeny]

Get a couple foot holds

Steel leghold aren’t legal in Colorado. Let alone setting them in town and catching the neighbors cat on accident. I’m sure the people that live around there would have 9news on his ass with any hint of that going on. My traps gather dust on the wall these days super sad.

 

[BoulderBulls]

I've only live caught rabbits that were sneaking through my fence. Solution was to completely rabbit proof every inch of fence except 1 little section. Live trap abutting that little gap and they started hopping right in.

 

[Nick87]

I can't believe leg holds aren't legal, Jesus. Before anybody geta upset I'm not saying use them in town I just can't believe you can't use them period. I thought it sucked not being able to snare here.

 

[Cogreeny]

Yep they put it on the ballot in the early 90’s showed animals on tv struggling in traps and mangy as hell like the trap caused the mange. Colorado voters doing Colorado shit. Just like that I was outta the steel leghold trapping……. On another note I build my own cage traps these days to suit my needs. If you want to borrow one OP you’re more than welcome to it rather than buying a small little one that’s available. Mine are large dog sized. Fox are hard to get in a cage but it can be done. If you don’t have a dead chicken left to put in the cage I highly recommend sardines in oil. Not water, oil. I’m going up to my cabin today let me know I’ll throw a trap in and bring it down.

 

[CUElk]

Any friends with a suppressed 17? Head shot, done

 

[timberman56]

get a couple of the toe hold coon traps. caught a big red in mine a couple months ago.

 

[millerkiller77]

 

[Bc1992]

Caught this chicken getter in the backyard back during duck season. I placed a duck carcass in the trap and threw feathers all around it. It worked pretty well and we haven’t lost any more chickens.

 

[Steiny77]

Canines are hard to catch in live traps.
If you can't use leg holds and can't shoot it, you better just keep the chickens penned up.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

I've caught 2 through the years while trying to catch coons. I didn't even know they were around. I probably baited with fish.

 

[Brad W]

What about a 220 box set? Cut it into the coop, bait the back with a chicken carcass and feathers. Make him think he has a way in. That thing definitely isn’t trap shy. You could set it in the evening and pull it in the morning so the kids don’t get into it.

 

[Nick87]

What about a 220 box set? Cut it into the coop, bait the back with a chicken carcass and feathers. Make him think he has a way in. That thing definitely isn’t trap shy. You could set it in the evening and pull it in the morning so the kids don’t get into it.

This was my initial thought

 

[Brad W]

If your neighbor’s cat gets in you can just tell your neighbor he probably got eaten by the fox that ate your chickens

 

[Dsnow9]

Thanks all!

My brain is spinning now! Brought it up to my wife this morning and she isn’t nearly as keen on the idea as I was thinking she would be. Now I just need to convince her that it’s the right thing to do.

 

[BoulderBulls]

What about a 220 box set? Cut it into the coop, bait the back with a chicken carcass and feathers. Make him think he has a way in. That thing definitely isn’t trap shy. You could set it in the evening and pull it in the morning so the kids don’t get into it.

Agreed This might be the move