Foxes In Melbourne

Hens and Hobbits · **Posted:** Wed Aug 29, 2012 8:37 am

Apparently there are more European foxes in Melbourne than in Country Victoria.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcD29yYHvJ8

WARNING!There are some very graphic images shown that may be upsetting.

Here is one on various fox calls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=en ... 6NuhlibHsM

Brownie · **Posted:** Wed Aug 29, 2012 2:21 pm

It's not surprising that they are there in numbers. They have a plentiful food supply with dog and cat food being left out regularly, and a growing number of backyard city chooks. It's unnerving watching a fox do its round each night following the same path, waiting for someone to make a mistake with a coop latch or leave a bird out of the pen.

I lost my chooks to foxes in country Victoria 25 years ago and haven't been game enough to get more till now. Fox-proofing the coop is essential whether in the city or country, and free ranging the chooks is just not an option for some of us. Mating season makes them even more active and I've seen a fox during the day here (Central Victoria) recently.

Hens and Hobbits · **Posted:** Wed Aug 29, 2012 2:35 pm

Brownie,

I am glad that you are keeping chooks again, losing them to a fox can be very traumatic.

Foxes have been very bold, mating season or not, they don't seem to be even afraid of humans and have been taking chooks morning, noon and afternoon here. We only let our chooks free range if someone is home to keep a close eye on them.

with your new flock, may they be safe from predators.

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Some of that footage was gruesome.

They have been so many foxes since the bush fires

the worst part is when you only find your poor chookie's head left behind. Why do foxes decapitate them? A fox did that to our neighbour's poor chookies, left their heads behind

and she had a "fox proof" coop and pen

wickedwings · **Posted:** Wed Aug 29, 2012 7:24 pm

Petite Poulet wrote:

the worst part is when you only find your poor chookie's head left behind. Why do foxes decapitate them?

Well there's not much edible there. Those beaks are pretty crunchy!

Petite Poulet wrote:

and she had a "fox proof" coop and pen

Apparently not!

Brownie · **Posted:** Thu Aug 30, 2012 1:25 pm

Hello Hens and Hobbits and thanks for the welcome and good wishes for the safety of my new little flock of four.

Yes, I noticed in the video you posted that the fox seemed quite unafraid around people. If the opportunity for food is better in the daytime, it's likely they've adapted from being nocturnal. Unfortunately our hands are tied in both the city and country townships for catching and dispatching them.

I've looked at cage fox traps to set up next to the chooks, but they aren't very good at catching them. Most foxes caught are apparently with the 'soft' snap traps, the legal version of the old banned metal jaws. I've asked the government fox bounty people ($10 a scalp in Victoria) how I should kill a fox caught in either of those and the only answer they had was to shoot it. Uh huh... With what?

The next idea was to take a caught fox in the cage to the vets and have it 'put down' using the bounty money to offset the cost. That seemed so desperately ridiculous that I gave up. Fox reduction methods need to be better thought through so that ordinary people are empowered to be part of the solution.

wickedwings · **Posted:** Thu Aug 30, 2012 4:00 pm

Smack it over the head with the back of an axe or something else heavy.

Brownie · **Posted:** Thu Aug 30, 2012 5:26 pm

Thanks for the helpful suggestion wickedwings. I shall file it away with the suggestion to put it in a thick sack tied to the exhaust of an old tractor. [smilie=a_goodjobson.gif]

wickedwings · **Posted:** Thu Aug 30, 2012 5:44 pm

No worries [smilie=a_goodjobson.gif]

, you can count on me! You might find that a sack will leak fumes too much and a plastic bag will get shredded while it tries to escape. Try drowning it in a large bin full of water. That should keep the scalp intact so you can claim your bounty. :-D

goodoo · **Posted:** Thu Aug 30, 2012 6:34 pm

Brownie wrote:

I've looked at cage fox traps to set up next to the chooks, but they aren't very good at catching them. Most foxes caught are apparently with the 'soft' snap traps, the legal version of the old banned metal jaws. I've asked the government fox bounty people ($10 a scalp in Victoria) how I should kill a fox caught in either of those and the only answer they had was to shoot it. Uh huh... With what?

If you or someone you know has a 22 you could use subsonic ammunition. These are so quiet nobody would hear you dispatch a fox even in the city. Other than that you could hit it on the head with a long handled shovel.

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