Gray Fox

[dks7895]

I have a gray fox that's been hanging around the house.  He's not really bothering anything or anyone.  In fact, he's cool to watch and I'm sure he's taking care of the local mice, etc.  However, I have young children and a toy poodle...yeah, yeah...it's my wife's dog.  I am afraid the fox is getting a little comfortable and worry that if the dog meets it while she's outside...the dog will lose.  So, I'm thinking the fox needs to say hello to one of my many friends....thoughts?

[streak]

Do you live in a rural area? If you can shoot firearms around your place then a warning shot sometimes is all it takes to indicate that his welcome is over! Also can get one of the little wire cage traps and catch him and haul him to a distant location. Also might check local game laws on foxes should you decide to really show him the way to the door!!

[torpedoman]

Had a pair den up under a house once, I decided to just watch them and I learned a bunch about foxes. older siblings as well as the vixen and the fox brought food in for the young.I came home one day and the hill side was covered with foxes in a big circle around the house and there was at least 15 kits playing together in the back yard. the adults were forming a protective ring around the property to protect them. I did not know that they had such a social structure.

[dks7895]

streak - yes I live on 6 acres in the woods.  It's legal to discharge firearms and I hunt mine and neighboring properties all the time.  I have spoken with the local game warden, and Missouri has a nuisance wildlife clause.  If the fox is considered a nuisance, I can legally shoot the fox if I choose.  The fox has been sniffing around my children's playground as I'm sure he smells my dog.  This is a little too close for comfort for me.  I'm thinking a warning shot my be the best choice for now.

[streak]

dks,
Let me know how the warning shot works out!!

[billy_56081]

I highley doubt the fox will hurt your poodle or kids. Leave it be, grays are pretty neat to watch.

[Spanky]

I highley doubt the fox will hurt your poodle or kids. Leave it be, grays are pretty neat to watch.

Like Billy says... leave him be.



Spanky

[Justin10mm]

A fox had a litter of three under my cousins hay stack. When the kits were about the size of a half grown house cat they would start exploring around the barn. One day we were at the barn and saw one off them sitting at the hay stack about 20 yards away. My cousin starts to squeak like a mouse to see what he would do. As we were watching the first one, number two comes at a run straight from under the barn at 3 o'clock up to within 8 feet of my cousin. You would have thought he was trying to get away from a rabid dog. He jumps and starts kicking in the air wile trying to back up. After all this the little fox was probably more scared than he was and darted back under the barn. I just about rolled on the ground laughing.     

[chutesnreloads]

Agree with Bill too.He won't hurt your dog.If you saw him real close you realize he's only half as big as he looks.

 

[Nightsniper]

You should be very glad to have a Grey Fox around and watch.  Here in Central Indiana they are far and few between.  I personaly have not seen a live one in about 15 years.  People say its the Yotes and Housing Editions that have killed them off.

[bobg]

  I haven't seen a gray in years. Lots of reds though. When i lived in the sticks i pushed up a 15 foot high pile of dirt and stacked some old telephone poles in front of it so i would have a safe place to shoot. Two years in a row there was a litter of little reds there. The old fox whould lay on top of the poles and watch the little ones play. They never come near the house. They sure were fun to watch. They did upset my pack of beagles when they saw them out there. A friend of mine had a gray getting in his barn killing his chickens. He sat by the barn one evening. End of the chicken killer. To answer your question. I don't think it will bother the kids or the dog.

[streak]

bobg,
you must not have very many coyotes around as you mentioned that you have a lot of red foxes. In areas where shrubs or trees are available gray foxes can out manuver coyotes by climbing into trees and high shrubs, but reds are not as apt to climb and therefore either have to leave areas where coyotes move in or find themselves on the coyote menu!

[bobg]

   streak,
        When i first moved in there i heard coyotes every night. All of a sudden no coyotes any more. I saw some neat things when i lived there. One evening a red fox came out and played with a deer that was there. Sure surprized me. I had three acres in the back next to the woods i didn't mow. A doe come out of the woods and a fawn got up out of the high grass and went to the doe to nurse. The doe would not walk over to the fawn. Still haven't figured out how the fawn knew the doe was there.

[streak]

As baby fawns give off very little scent, the doe probably did not want to go to the fawn and leave a scent trail so instead probably just gave a low bleat to let the fawn know where she was and that it was all clear to come! The fawn probably stays in the same vincity in the grass while the doe goes to forage and water. Mother nature is quite interesting!

[Ron 1]

if its not hurtin nothin now i dought it will..it the yotes that wont your poodle...
fox are neat to watch
         rw

[dks7895]

Thank you all for the replies.  We all enjoy watching the wildlife on our property.  I'll leave him alone, and continue to keep an eye out.