Red Foxes ??

[OzzyDave]

I see in the Montana FWP regulations, Red Foxes are a non game animal. Does anyone target these or are they an incidental?
I’ve become addicted to using predator call to fool these willy predators. They are a real menace to native birds and lizards in Oz. Last couple were at around 10yards coming into call. We’ve found days were certain calls work better than others.

 

[Hunting Wife]

They are typically more incidental, at least for me. We have so many coyotes that the fox population never gets very large. I only see a couple a year, usually in the summer.

I’ve never killed one, though I want to. A friend who traps just across in North Dakota catches a couple per year, and I see more over there than I do in Montana.

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

I have a family of them in the woods behind the house, but don't see very many around these days anywhere else. I haven't seen a Grey/Gray fox in the wild for 20+ years....

 

[Muskeez]

We used to hunt red fox a lot back in the early 90's in northern IA and in Eastern SD. We spotted them with optics as they slept outside their dens or on the back side of a snow drift basking in the sun. It was a lot of fun and was they only species we could hunt with a rifle around here. There were a lot of them back then and coyotes were actually the minority. Now that ratio has flipped and I see about 1 per year while out driving. Most are closer to residential areas where coyotes stay back a ways from.

 

[SFC B]

I saw 4 last year at elk camp. 3 of the little buggers wouldn't leave camp alone and 1 roaming a meadow right at shooting light one morning. I wouldn't mind a few pelts!!!

 

[Trial153]

I like running them with my hounds, generally we get a good race. Sadly coyotes have taken over and the population of reds isn’t nowhere what it used to be.

 

[OzzyDave]

We find similar here - areas habited by feral dogs or dingo dogs, have no foxes.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

They've got nothing on cats in terms of damage to native fauna in Australia.

I've been searching for somewhere to sell the pelts in Aus to get me out trapping again. We used to do it as kids and sell the skins but the local bloke doesn't take em anymore.

 

[406LIFE]

Mine have been incidental. Also, fwiw, I have seen a marked increase in their numbers around the state.

 

[OzzyDave]

They've got nothing on cats in terms of damage to native fauna in Australia.

I've been searching for somewhere to sell the pelts in Aus to get me out trapping again. We used to do it as kids and sell the skins but the local bloke doesn't take em anymore.

Yes definitely. LOVE killing feral cats. I will pass on a big hog to shoot a cat every day of the week. Done it before and will do it again. Have taken a few cats with the bow - also incidentals. Had one coming to a predator call a while back but wind swirled and it was off like it had been touched with a cattle jigger.

 

[Rancho Loco]

We have 3 dens within walking distance of our house. They're a fun critter to watch, I don't know if I could drop the hammer on one.

I don't have that problem with coyotes or feral cats.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

We have 3 dens within walking distance of our house. They're a fun critter to watch, I don't know if I could drop the hammer on one.

I don't have that problem with coyotes or feral cats.

They're feral here so there's a different perspective i guess.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Coyotes are good at thining the feral cats here that
are eatig the rabbits and Quail.We welcome them
as we live in town and no Deer or Javelina are at risk.
Out of town is a different story!

 

[devon deer]

We have lots of foxes in the UK, I used to shoot as many as I could, but these days I only shoot them if a farmer has a problem, like last year, he was losing a lamb a night, he had plenty of people out hunting it at night but to no avail, I tried a different tactic, I went out early afternoon and found the fox on a hill side watching the lambs, 225 yards and the .243 did the job, problem solved.
However, they do say, shoot a fox and three come to the funeral, and one stays behind!
I have a lot of respect for the fox, very clever, cunning and beautiful animal.
Cheers
Richard

 

[OzzyDave]

One of the bigger agricultural areas in Western Australia have fox drives and fox shooting competitions. Very competitive with some great prizes to be had. Most of the time the manage to eliminate 200-300 foxes.
Devon Deer - yep have shot them in lambing paddocks - a real menace.
Like I mentioned, very addictive using a predator call trying to fool them within bow range.

 

[SG25]

Getting them with a bow, now that’s impressive!

 

[devon deer]

Went out on Friday night with the thermal and night vision as I was looking for a fox, as I said before I rarely shoot one theses days, but in a few weeks time the farms will be lambing, and looking ahead to May/June the Roe Deer will be dropping their kids.
I had been seeing this vixen for weeks but let it walk, but Friday it's time was up, it winded me and took off, I made a little rabbit noise which stopped it, she dropped down for a quick pee and the job was done, and I had an over whelming sense of guilt, probably because I been seeing it around for so long, but still the farmer is happy, and that is the deal, I control the foxes where necessary, he lets me hunt the deer.
On another farm I have been taking @Big Ears with me, we are on a mission to get that one, it is a very crafty fox.
But they are beautiful animal.

 

[brockel]

They aren’t hardly worth anything so I pretty much leave them alone unless they start creeping in close to the chicken house. Which by the tracks in the snow last night I’ve got one getting pretty gutsy. Going to have to get the steel out

 

[Big Ears]

On another farm I have been taking @Big Ears with me, we are on a mission to get that one, it is a very crafty fox.

He may be crafty but tonight might just be our night

 

[OzzyDave]

He may be crafty but tonight might just be our night

AND - the result was ???

Looking forward to getting back to my hunting area. The borders have been re-opened to the area BUT coming into summer, not good for pelts. The big break the foxes have had from hunting pressure should make them real silly and come to the whistle like I’ve got them on a string.