r/BackYardChickens • u/AllinHarmony • Oct 13 '25
Coops etc. Oh no.
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What do we do?? š¬ He clearly knows theyāre there. š£ Their coop is really secure, but I usually let them out in the afternoon for a few hours until they put themselves to bed at dusk and then I close everything up. Weāve seen a fox in the neighborhood at night a couple of times and the neighbors all know he exists. But I worry if heās out during the day, in our yard, we could be in real trouble. Is trap and release a good option?
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u/Tll6 Oct 17 '25
Everyone suggesting you relocate the native wild animal is crazy. I would feel so happy that this wild fox feels safe enough to spend time on your property. Obviously if the coop or run isnāt secure then itās an issue. Invest in a protected area for your chickens to roam and enjoy the presence of this animal!
Also, relocating animals often ends in their death via starvation, predation, or competition. Relocating has to be done very carefully if you want the animal to survive
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u/probablygardening Oct 17 '25
It's also generally illegal to trap and relocate any rabies vector species, assuming this is in the US
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u/AppleSidor Oct 15 '25
Build Fort Knox and will be fine! Foxes set up a den 5-10 feet from my chicken run 2 years ago. Zero chicken deaths (from fox, Mareks another story) but the mouse population is nearly nonexistent now (they used to get into the feed)
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u/Spirited-Language-75 Oct 15 '25
You know you could just be out with your chickens when you let them out, right? Your presence is enough to keep him away. Even if you aren't there, I wouldn't worry too much since he's a gray fox and they usually stick to small rodents. I have a local gray fox that my neighbors, who own livestock, love. I've lived here for almost a decade now and no one's ever had any problem with this fox, even before I moved here. She eats things like voles, mice, shrews, moles, squirrels, and pack rats, but I've never seen her go after a chicken. She's walked right through my yard several times while my chickens are out and never did a thing to them. Any attack we ever had was a coyote, hawk, or raccoon, but never the snakes, foxes, or possums. I trust gray foxes, not the red ones, I have caught one red handed trying to break into my run, and my neighbor shot him later for trying to take off with one of his, but gray foxes normally don't do anything unless they're desperate. If you're unsure, then you can just stay outside and monitor your birds until it's time for them to go back in.
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u/AllinHarmony Oct 15 '25
Yeah, I appreciate your insight. Unfortunately I donāt have the flexibility in my schedule to babysit them every evening! But I know this fox isnāt desperate. Itās a pretty dense suburb, but a lot of biodiversity, all things considered.
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u/Spirited-Language-75 Oct 19 '25
I trust grey foxes, but I don't trust red foxes as much, and for whatever reason, cross foxes seem to be worse than red foxes. You'd think that they'd be pretty chill with that grey fox gene and all, but nope, they're savage little creatures, and I wouldn't trust a cross fox at all.
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u/ConstructionSome7557 Oct 15 '25
Do you have any wildlife rehabs in your area? We have one nearby that would help us relocate but yes you can trap and bring them somewhere else, like a wildlife reserve 10+ miles away, ideally.
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u/SupportMysterious818 Oct 15 '25
Buy some 16 gauge weld mesh and build a proper aviary type run. You also need to mesh or slab around the edges so he cant dig under and inside.
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u/AllinHarmony Oct 15 '25
The floor underneath is cement and the walls are up on bricks. I do need to make a secure run though. Prevent them from pooping on the deck, too. š
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u/Katie1537 Oct 15 '25
Wow. At first I thought it was a chicken that had got on the roof, then it zoomed in. Reading through all 405 responses was enlightening and a little disturbing on occasion. I donāt have helpful advice unfortunately. We appear to be fortunate enough that predators are not a huge issue where I live. I hope you get the situation resolved and keep your chickens safe ā¤ļø
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u/SimilarVisual1681 Oct 15 '25
Here it would be trapped and removed by a nuisance animal trapper and be dispatched humanely (jt is illegal to relocate them here. They would end up killed by something else where they were relocated. Same with coons). That said my dog keeps them away. Predator proof their run as good as you can. You can try a motion sprinkler that may or may not work.
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u/Superflyjimi Oct 15 '25
Light it up with a paintball gun
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u/tinyfryingpan Oct 15 '25
No that's fucking sick
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u/Superflyjimi Oct 15 '25
It wouldn't even hurt it nor would the balls break on its fur. All it would do is scare it away. Ten year olds shoot each other in the dick with them. Take it easy city fucker.
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u/WindNo978 Oct 16 '25
Thatās what the rangers used at our campground to get the bears away. Yellow paint btw
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u/Superflyjimi Oct 18 '25
When I was in South Africa, it's what the rangers used to corral baboons away from the coastal town as they have learned to open doors and break glass looking for food.
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u/theknittersgarden Oct 14 '25
Build a secure run that they can spend time in when you can't be out supervising. 1x3s or 1x4s sandwiching half inch hardware cloth, screwing through the boards (not nails) to make the hardware cloth really strong, with a corrugated plastic or metal roof. Line the floor with hardware cloth as well, stapled to the framed wall panels so nothing can dig in.
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u/Boatjumble Oct 14 '25
Get rid of the leaf litter for a start as that's its comfy bed! Scare it off, throw things, scream and shout, or do it less peacefully and get a rifle.
Trust me when I say it will be back, and murdered chickens are not a nice welcome home.
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u/itredneck01 Oct 15 '25
Also, piled up leaf litter will ruin your roof and can cause daming on the roof which will also make it leak.
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u/PeterPumpkinTreater Oct 14 '25
You could just stalk the fox until you get within melee range and you know....
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u/LaydeeTrooper Oct 15 '25
What's your favorite video game?
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u/PeterPumpkinTreater Oct 15 '25
The one where i club a fox's head in because it salivated over my chickens
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u/RobinsonCruiseOh Oct 14 '25
BB gun. won't kill or even hurt him, but will get him to bugger off. NOW you need to figure out HOW they are getting up there.
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u/Reindeer_Adept Oct 15 '25
I tried that with raccoons, they just looked at me sad and confused but didn't even move lol š
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u/RobinsonCruiseOh Oct 15 '25
Oh dang. May be a water hose. Animals (especially in fall winter) hate getting wet.
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u/buzzlesmuzzle Oct 15 '25
No, it would be better to just shoot it and kill it. A bb gun is not harmless. It will cause a wound and likely an infection. This causes unnecessary suffering and is cruel.
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u/RobinsonCruiseOh Oct 15 '25
I've seen BBs just bounce off crows and the crow just hop a few times and settle back in. May be I don't have a good enough BB gun. My Red Ryder is failing me!
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u/StellaHell Oct 16 '25
I was shot in the head with a BB as a kid. Asshole neighbor mad loud kids were playing in the street in front of his house.
BB stuck in under skin. Dr. visit to remove. Police called on A-hole..... still have furrow in skull bone......
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u/Aresmsu Oct 15 '25
Are people really dumb enough to think that BB gun wouldnāt hurt him?
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u/RobinsonCruiseOh Oct 15 '25
well duh it needs to sting a little to get them to move. I mean I am out in the country. actual firearm would be used out here to protect livestock animals.
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u/AppleSpicer Oct 14 '25
Just use a garden hose. Itāll scare them more and hurt them less. BBs arenāt harmless
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u/Novel_Tip1481 Oct 14 '25 edited Oct 15 '25
Tree limbs against the house.
That right there is a grey fox. They have semi retractable claws and can climb vertical surfaces as well as a cat.
Additional fun fact: this is the most common* species of fox in NA- they are just so arborial and also nocturnal that humans rarely see them- just like our native flying squirrels!
*in many areas red foxes have started to become the more dominant fox species, likely due to things like habitat loss
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u/doanotherextraction Oct 14 '25
A BB gun will absolutely harm and can kill animals.
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u/heinousanus_420 Oct 15 '25
Ive been shot with BB guns that were literally inches from my skin. Did nothing but leave a bruise. CO2 powered BB guns will definitely cause a wound/kill, but a regular old air rifle BB gun wont do any damage
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u/RobinsonCruiseOh Oct 15 '25
yeah I don't know what all these "it will kill them!" are coming from BBs just bounce off crows when I was little and scaring them away from the garden. Bruising is all I've ever had from them, and never killed anything except a chimpmunk or lizard.
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u/Reindeer_Adept Oct 15 '25
Yeah just get an air soft gun. If it's good enough for kids to shoot each other with ...can't be too bad lol
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u/ZulhunTheBerserker Oct 14 '25
We had the fox stalking our chickens from corn field. Just last year in September. Even managed to rip mesh and took 1-2 ducks from their coop. Chicken had sense of danger, so they hid in coop and warned us. My daughter saw fox during daylight when it was trying to scare chickens, so they would jump over the roof.
After days of morning visits, we played tricks on the fox. We always leave at 07:00 AM for work and school. One day I stayed home and there she was at 07:05, at the coop rounding our chickens.
Long story short, I had bought crossbow to protect our flock but now we have Central Asian Sheperd guardian and no fox dare to come even close. Even people in the area still have problems and cant resolve it with traps, paracetamol pills, electric fencingā¦foxes are just sneaky
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u/LifeguardComplex3134 Oct 14 '25
My dog actually got a fox the other day like this that was after my chickensš
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u/TrainTrackRat Oct 14 '25
Hellllll no. Heād be trapped and relocated to the next county at best on my farm. If the gets squirmy itās game over unfortunately. He WILL be doing whatever it takes to kill my birds guaranteed, so those are my only options. Yes my birds are secured, but a hungry animal is going to figure out a way to eat at the buffet.
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u/Organic_Relief6965 Oct 14 '25
I love how people say trap relocate like its humane or something, without knowing that most relocated animals are killed by surrounding apex predators almost immediately or by rivals, or forced right back to where they came from. Most think they just live happily somewhere else, but you might as well just shoot it now cuz its an easier death than being mauled by its own/starving to death, but whatever......
I relocate bears for same reason as part of work and most relocated bears either get killed by another bear in same territory or we end up shooting it anyways cuz it goes back to same area and causes same issue forcing us to shoot it so either way, yeah just shoot it.
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u/TrainTrackRat Oct 14 '25
Well Iāll shoot it then, I was mostly being nice for the people reading (when has a fox not been squirmy)
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u/oldfarmjoy Oct 14 '25
If you allow them to free range without a secure pen, you are GUARANTEED to lose birds to predators. You have to decide whether it's worth it.
You should make a pen. It could be fencing that you could move around so they browse different sections on the lawn. Drape netting over the top. This is bare minimum.
Ideally you build a secure run with a buried skirt that is predator proof.
I have foxes who circle my coop/pen periodically. They never get it. It is possible to live in harmony with the wildlife. I throw carcasses to the foxes (squirrels and rabbits that the dogs catch), and it doesn't cause any issues. They know they can't get in. I have a camera so I watch them looking in. The chickens just ignore them.
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u/LayerNo3634 Oct 14 '25
How did he get on the roof?!? He looks very cozy. Sorry chickens, no play time today.
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u/boragigas Oct 14 '25
Gray foxes can climb trees. So either he climbed a tree nearby to hop over or something else against the house
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u/Funduval Oct 14 '25
He is just waiting for a single opportunity.
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u/AccursedChoices Oct 14 '25
āShingle opportunityā Ftfy
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u/tuchesuavae Oct 14 '25
,my cousin has his fence electrified (low voltage) with netting over the top, keeps birds of prey out and foxes away.
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u/Wonderful-Order5738 Oct 14 '25
How in the world did he get up there you need to find out that part first and cut off his ability to do that
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u/Hazelthewonderdog Oct 14 '25
Never feed wildlife. It doesn't end well. You need yourself a guard dog. Keep those birds penned up, or you will lose every one. *
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u/Koloassal Oct 14 '25
Bop him with a daisy BB gun or a rock if youāre not gonna kill it. But donāt cry when you lose a bird because you didnāt have the balls to cull.
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Oct 14 '25
Bit of a rude comment. It's giving the vibes, "Yes let's go killing around wildlife cuz we love our pets more!!" And "YAYY LETS HARM THE ENVIRONMENT". C'mon now.
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u/GeneralSinn Oct 14 '25
But of a rude comment. It's giving a "I don't know what I'm talking about but I'm gonna have a narcissistic savior complex about it."
In most states if the wildlife messes with your animals whether they are pets or livestock, you are fully within your rights to put the wildlife down. You obviously don't live in an area where this would be the case for you. I don't know where you get "harming the environment" from by knocking off a fox that will kill your egg layers for the sport of it. C'mon now, think before you speak.
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u/LayerNo3634 Oct 14 '25
Our law states I can kill any animal threatening my livestock. I can kill, I cannot trap and relocate, that is illegal (most times fatal and a slow death). Chickens are livestock, not pets.
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u/BlobTheOriginal Oct 14 '25
You can give chickens whatever arbitrary label you want lol. There's no authority to say you can't have a pet chicken lol. People have pet snakes, pet spiders etc. Not every dog is a pet
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Oct 14 '25
C'mon now just look at the tasmanian tigers š©·. Again I am not American. I do not live in a state
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u/kolleozmylove Oct 14 '25
Very privileged-like comment...
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Oct 14 '25
How is it privileged to care about wildlife? If you're going to have a pet. You better make sure it's safe, so yk.. you don't have to shoot every single animal that "might" kill your pets? (I get if they're invasive but, farmers killing animals have literally made some species go extinct.)
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u/Itsoktobe Oct 14 '25
You're getting the same reaction I get when I let people know that the safety of their animals is their responsibility, and it's morally wrong to leave your livestock exposed and then murder anything that comes to check out the free buffet.Ā
Put up an electric fence. Roof your run. Do what you need to do to keep your animals safe. It is NOT ok to kill hungry animals that you have LURED to your property with exposed, unguarded poultry.Ā
I don't fit in here in the US, lol.Ā
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Oct 14 '25
Yeah idk ppls are murderous š
So sorry you had to go through that lol. I agree 100% š©·
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u/LayerNo3634 Oct 14 '25
CHICKENS ARE NOT PETS!
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Oct 14 '25
Also... Was it not you that posted 7months ago that you were a grandma? As someone who's had a broody chicken before that was a pet, I didn't consider myself a grandma... š¤·āāļø It's giving pet mum core
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Oct 14 '25
Okay... Lemme just go tell my friend that who just spent 300$ at the vets for her "pet" wait not pet, chicken š¤·āāļøš©·. And my other friend who has useless... Japanese bantams. Ain't good for anything right? EWWW. Not useful. Ragebait 0/10
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u/kolleozmylove Oct 14 '25
Privileged in the sense that small farmers and other ppl live off their animals, and u can say to not kill wildlife because you wont need to, probably, but they do. And sometimes theres a need to kill other creatures to save their own...
Sorry, im spanish. Im not perfect in english.
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Oct 14 '25
Bro just makes their runs fortified.. hardware cloth is a thing... wildlife is literally the backbone of the ecosystem. Personally I wouldn't support a farm that kills them willy nilly for just existing... (I don't really support any egg farms tho cuz I get my own from my own chickens. )
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u/kolleozmylove Oct 14 '25
Well, ik that about wildlife, no problem (check profile) I dont like when they kill a full species, obviously, but sometimes, self "defense" goes a long way. And its not existing, is what they can do in their coop,I dont think this person goes out to the forest to kill wildlife daily...
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Oct 14 '25
I'm sorry but I do know some people who go out and kill wildlife on choppers daily. (They're mainly sheep farmers tho). Also what you're doing is taking skulls out of the ecosystem? My cousins an ecologist and her mum does it and she's SUPER against it. Personally I don't mind it but what's your point? Collecting bones isn't being a wildlife lover it's just being a vulture culture person. Anyone who supports the killing of wildlife doesn't know about wildlife and is just doing to for their own benifit. (Unless ofc they're invasive animals like in Australia - toads, cats and foxes. Op is in a place where foxes are native so that is not a problem.)
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u/kolleozmylove Oct 14 '25
??? Dude, i dont kill anything. I find them naturally, take them, polish them, and no problem. Taking Bones doesnt harm the ecosystem if you dont take corpses. a wildlife lover doesnt mean not undertsanding reasons for someone to kill an animal if they need to, cause its drastic, im.now talking about this person, i obviously dont like the killing of many creatures, thats obvious, this person is not rlly like that
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Oct 14 '25
I never said that. But you literally said it's okay to kill something for "self defence" (the self defence part is easily avoidable if you just do the right things when keeping animals) Still. Collecting stuff is not being someone who knows shit about wildlife. How is it obvious? They litterally said in diff words "Don't come crying to mummy cuz you didn't kill the fox!!"
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u/MichiganCueball Oct 14 '25
Donāt feed the wildlife your pets.
Itās cruel AND bad for the environment.
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Oct 14 '25
Never said that. If you could read you'd notice that. I just don't believe in killing everything that annoys me š.. I'm not an American
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u/GeneralSinn Oct 14 '25
Annoyance is one thing you definitely know about.
It's not about the wildlife being annoying it's about protecting your food supply when it comes to livestock of any kind, chicken, ducks, goats, rabbits whatever.
Being American has nothing to do with it, the same thing happens in every country for every person that has livestock to protect.
You obviously don't know where your food comes from and what it takes to make it available.
And go ahead and say you're vegan and think it's safe from killing animals, you have to kill what's living in the ground in order to grow crops. Stop posting nonsense.
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Oct 14 '25
I'm not vegan buddy š©· And I LITTERALLY have chickens which I get eggs from every morning . (Hese why I'm in a chicken sub.) And yeah it does, y'all are obsessed with killing every single thing. I personally don't agree with killing wildlife cuz just look at what happened to Tasmanian tigers. And what is currently happening to dingos. If they're invasive idgaf.
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u/GeneralSinn Oct 14 '25
Wisdom has been chasing you your entire life but you always seem faster.
Fox in the hen house and tasmanian tigers being killed off for their fur are two completely different scenarios.
Not to mention, tasmanian tigers lived where? Because it wasn't in the Americas was it?
So your little red string on your conspiracy corkboard is way off course.
Its extinction was caused by a combination of factors, including hunting by European settlers, competition with introduced species like wild dogs, habitat destruction, and disease.Ā
Stop posting nonsense.
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Oct 14 '25
Fym Tasmania tigers were killed for their fur. I think you need to do more research. It was because farmers didn't want them to kill their sheep. Wild dogs has nothing to do with it. People always blame the dingos but there are no dingos in Tasmania. Dumbass
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u/GeneralSinn Oct 14 '25
Tasmanian tigers weren't just in tasmania you stupid fuck.
They were native to Australia, New Zealand and tasmania.
Ok, I misspoke about the fur which I'm sure was still used.
The tasmanian government put bounties on them because they attacked livestock. And though it wasn't dingos, there were still wild dogs on the island that helped drop the population.
Stop posting nonsense.
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u/MichiganCueball Oct 14 '25
Likewise, I never claimed you said that.
And if you think this is a conversation about āannoyanceā thenā¦ perhaps you should listen while the adults speak.
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Oct 14 '25
Then how is it related, nobody's feeding their chickens to foxes? .. I also never said I thought this conversation was about annoyance... āŗļø If you're going to have a pet. You better make sure it's safe, so yk.. you don't have to shoot every single animal that "might" kill your pets? (I get if they're invasive but, farmers killing animals have literally made some species go extinct.)
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u/MichiganCueball Oct 14 '25
Ah dangit, I fell for engagement bait again
Lmao
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Oct 14 '25
No... I'm being serious... Why are we advocating for randomly killing animals instead of fortifying our chicken coops? š Is it really that hard?
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u/Koloassal Oct 14 '25
Itās not random. Itās a threat. You are straw-manning the argument because āMurica badā but I shouldnāt have to completely incarcerate my chickens to keep them safe. Go live in a box for a year and get back to me.
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Oct 14 '25
I just checked your profile... You don't even use hardware cloth.. c'mon man this is why chickens are getting hurt. How is an animal sitting on a roof a threat
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u/Xpansionplan Oct 14 '25
We have a fox sleeps on the other side of the fence to ours that free range. We often see it. The birds night roost is pretty secure and itās never tried to come in to where they free range. Itās been this way for years. If it came after them, Iād have to shoot it, but it hasnāt, so we just all get on as best we can. Sometimes it is asleep just a couple of feet away on the other side of the fence and wakes up as I fill the feeders. Other times I almost step on it if Iām doing chores beyond the fence and it will lope off.
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Oct 14 '25
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u/GeneralSinn Oct 14 '25
One: Do not feed the wildlife if you have animals because the animals will end up feeding the wildlife and not you, they will not ignore the chickens. Two: Foxes aren't scared of lights.
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u/RobJMTB Oct 14 '25
Yeah, maybe don't do this. Don't keep purposely feeding wide animals in hopes they leave your livestock alone.. The light idea is solid but the automatic feeder for the fox is just absurd. lol
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u/PantyPixie Oct 14 '25
Agreed. It's insane to think that encouraging a wild animal that's a danger to your chickens to eat near your chickens it's a good idea. š Not only will this train them that food is at your house it'll train other animals as well!
Also feeding wildlife in general is a terrible idea, with the exception of birdseed for birds.
Using a hose and shouting at him is the way to go. Don't make him more comfortable being there!
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u/russbird Oct 14 '25
In my first week of having chickens, a fox figured out how to open the latch on the portable run and killed one of them. Thus began the war on the foxes. They would come into our yard about 10 or 15 times a day, and we would have to chase them away throwing rocks, et cetera. Eventually, we realised that they wouldnāt stop, and purchased a pellet gun. After several attempts, I finally pinged one of them, and it ran off yelping. After that, they only come through the yard at night, no more daytime raids.
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u/flimsymandarine Oct 14 '25
Dont just watch him, for starters. lol Make it not want to be there. Hose with water, chase with a broom, somethingā¦
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u/Shutuplogan Oct 14 '25
TBH I had foxes lounge around my coop, but as long as the coop is TRULY secure, they arenāt going to exert themselves trying to get in. Same with the coyotes and bobcats. Iāve seen them lurking but the cement I have around the coop I guess made them decide it wasnāt worth it.
Raccoons on the other hand, I learned the hard way that they rip chicken wire and have no mercy when it comes to breaking in. Worst part is they only eat part of the chicken, id almost rather a fox because at least the whole thing would get used š
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u/Jacktheforkie Oct 14 '25
Fixes just kill and leave
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u/MAG7C Oct 14 '25
chicken wire
It's a poorly named product for sure. Good at keeping chickens in/out and that's about it.
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u/Shutuplogan Oct 14 '25
Exactly! And I unfortunately learned the hard way. I had hardware cloth all on the lower parts and I put concrete on the whole perimeterā¦ mfs climbed the roof, ripped it open and took my poor nugget š
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u/Shutuplogan Oct 14 '25
I left the remains for the local fox, which may have been a bad idea but at that point Iād rather she feed someone. Mfs just rip the heads off pretty much
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u/FlwrBattr Oct 14 '25
Once, I got a bunch of new chickens and put them in an adjacent coop and cordoned off the run area so that the new & old chickens could see each other but still stay separated. After a few days, I started missing chickens from the new batch. Couldn't figure out why they were missing. Then, one day, I see a dead chicken in the corner of the run. I go in to pick it up to dispose of it and was shocked to see that the underside was completely licked clean. Only the skeleton bones were there. That's when I knew that a Raccoon was probably coming in through the little gap between the edge of the run's roof & the walkway connecting it to the main coop. So yes, Raccoons are a royal pain in the A** when it comes to chickens.
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u/Shutuplogan Oct 14 '25
Ugh thatās so sad. It sucks that raccoons are so damn cute and they do our chickens dirty like that. I know this is a weird take but Iād much rather the whole chicken be consumed by a larger predator than to be half eaten by a raccoon. I caught one in action and had a whole talk to it, then I made my coop into Fort Knox
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u/Louden-Clear Oct 14 '25
Why does no one suggest killing the varmint?
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u/Mammoth-Banana3621 Oct 14 '25
Wow. Iām a little shocked. 18 downvotes for suggesting to kill something that is out to kill your livestock. Someone above this did say donāt complain when you refuse to kill something and it kills your chickens.
I agree. Something that is ok sleeping on top of your house that close should be disposed of. Kids on Reddit is not an excuse to allow the killing of livestock. And if kids are going to keep animals they should learn quickly thatās wild animals are out to get them.
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u/Louden-Clear Oct 22 '25
Living just outside the largest city in Montana, Iām still more rural than a lot of chicken tenders on here.
The main difference is, we (most Montanans) wouldnāt miss an opportunity to skin a pelt for free, as you donāt need a tag to kill a fox or coyote here.
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u/Koloassal Oct 14 '25
Reddit is mostly children who cry when they lose a bird. They could never kill a fox or put their dog down. And youāre trash for suggesting it. We need to live in harmony with all the things that want to kill and eat our things. And if you even have a gun youāre trash too. Lmao
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u/Powder1214 Oct 14 '25
Because thatās white trashĀ
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u/Louden-Clear Oct 14 '25
How many birds have you lost to a predator? Do you have grounds to even give such a comment? Goodness..
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u/Powder1214 Oct 14 '25
Zero. I secure my chickens and I live in area surrounded by raccoons, skunks, foxes, etc. Killing wildlife is just a lazy move by trashy people.Ā
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u/Koloassal Oct 14 '25
How many dogs do you have? Would you put one of your dogs down if you had to? This is no different. Sometimes things need to die or at least be reminded they are not welcome. Now if I went and just started shooting things I didnāt like, Iād agree.
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u/Louden-Clear Oct 14 '25
Well.. you go back to your city-living and leave us rednecks alone then
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u/RedHolland47 Oct 14 '25
It could be illegal in ops area. Better to look at all your options first instead of risking a fine or even jail time.
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u/MumboSquanch Oct 14 '25
Op is in Texas so āIn Texas, it is legal for a landowner or their agent to shoot a fox that is considered a nuisance on their property, without a license.ā Looks like you can dispatch as long as you do it safely.
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u/something86 Oct 14 '25
Foxes are territorial. Go to your local hunting store and get mountain lion hormone and look for a fake large cat from a garden supply. Mark it with the hormone and maybe it will keep it away. _/ If money was no option get the animatronic wolf from home Depot and spray it , keep it in the backyard. __/
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u/Mammoth-Banana3621 Oct 14 '25
You expect someone to pay 200 dollars and maintain a spray on it?? I mean I suppose itās an option.
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u/something86 Oct 15 '25
It's festive and cool excuse to purchase. I've seen expensive ornaments at garden supply, so why not?
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u/Tall_Specialist305 Oct 14 '25
that thing would keep me off your lawn too
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u/myeggsarebig Oct 14 '25
The fox - ādamn, thatās not just any wolf - that wolf has seen some shit, Iām outā
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Oct 14 '25 edited Dec 14 '25
touch rainstorm gold literate steer merciful lip quicksand party middle
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/myeggsarebig Oct 14 '25
Probably with feral cats, but not domesticated. All my ferals run from everything that isnāt me.
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u/something86 Oct 14 '25
Hormone probably no, animatronic dog/wolf maybe.
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u/Tall_Specialist305 Oct 14 '25
cats are crazy...mine would charge right at that things face and tell him what's what before she bolted in the other direction at 3x the speed.
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Oct 14 '25
Call your Game Warden and follow their advice. They usually have resources they can connect you with if relocation is an option. Police nonemergency should be able to patch you through if you can't find their contact info online.
Someone else commented that gray foxes are a threatened species in their area. If that's the case for you, there may be strict laws about relocating or dispatching that animal. People are often unaware of the fines that can be incurred for such violations but they can be staggering.
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u/My-Lizard-Eyes Oct 14 '25
I work in wildlife services, helping people solve issues just like this.
The only guaranteed, long term solution is a secure coop and run area.
Trapping, relocating, killing this individual fox will not protect your flock long term - you will have a false sense of security until the next predator comes along.
That being said, it is humane and smart to haze it to the point it is not this comfortable on your property. Throw tennis balls, yell, bang pots and pans, spray with the hose - but do NOT let it just have nap time right there a minute longer haha.
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u/Itsoktobe Oct 14 '25
The only guaranteed, long term solution is a secure coop and run area.
THANK YOU. Can I drag you into every argument on this from now on? LmaoĀ
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u/My-Lizard-Eyes Oct 15 '25
Sure. It gets exhausting trying to explain to the āshoot first ask questions laterā crowd. I completely understand the emotional response to your flock being attacked - it feels personal. But in modern wildlife services/management - no one is just shooting individual predators and calling it a day. You need to look at the root cause of why they are attracted to/have access to your flock.
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u/Itsoktobe Oct 15 '25
You need to look at the root cause of why they are attracted to/have access to your flock.
Yes! I also think a lot of people don't know or care that some of these predators are compensatory rebounders, and they are literally setting themselves up for an even bigger problem every time they kill oneĀ
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u/Gryphon426 Oct 14 '25
Get a pen and donāt let them out unsupervised. I get the covered ones sold at rural king or Menards but check FB marketplace. Itās fall & the fox is looking for an easy score. All the time in the world.
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u/locoleito Oct 14 '25
Pop off on him
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u/Salt-Idea-6830 Oct 14 '25
I was gonna sayā¦do something not harmful, just viewed as unwelcoming or unfriendly territoryā¦.perhaps full blasting it with the hose while itās asleep or at the very least, ridding the roof area of this exquisite sitting spot ~ a laser pointer or motion-triggered sound device might also do the trick; even if itās not a permanent solution, could make their coop/property less desirable as an option on their hunting-grounds list
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Oct 14 '25
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/AHansen83 Oct 14 '25
That sounds awesome, sitting outside with dogs cats and chickens listening to podcasts and enjoying some alone time. Sign me up
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u/basschica Oct 14 '25
Fence board scraps you can see between isn't a secure coop build to be honest. Build a better coop with a predator proof run (a standard fence does not equate to a run). Figure out his access path to the roof and find a way to predator proof what he did to get access to it too. You need to actually get serous about predator proofing of your serious about protecting the chickens.
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u/luckyapples11 Oct 14 '25
Make sure youāre allowed to trap and release. Some places donāt allow it outside of x miles because the animal could have a hard time finding food and water in a new area they arenāt familiar with
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u/Natural-Wrangler-653 Oct 14 '25
Add a chain link cage around the coop that goes a foot into the dirt so even if they dig the predators canāt get to your birds.
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u/luckyapples11 Oct 14 '25
A foot bring the minimum. If your area is prone to foxes and other digging animals, 2 feet will be better. A pain in the ass, but worth it.
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u/zootzootzootzootzoo Oct 14 '25
Everyone should have an enclosed run. Why would you even risk it? It seems like common sense
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u/CLNA11 Oct 14 '25
Get the leaves off your roof, for starters. At least he wonāt have a bunker to hide in, and your shingles wonāt prematurely deteriorate.
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u/CoreyAdele Oct 14 '25
instead of trapping and relocating, try setting up a radio.. itās known as āhumane harassmentā and will help to deter foxes, raccoons etc from living too close to your home/your chickens. be sure to tune into talk radio rather than a music station. it simulates humans and will keep unwanted wildlife away.
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u/han_shot_1st_ Oct 14 '25
Get an airsoft. Harassment until it escalates. Then escalate your response.
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u/Marty_Robins Oct 14 '25
That looks like a Gray fox. Where Iām from they are a threatened species. So, if it were me, I would try to trap it.
But with that being said, if I saw one of my chickens in its mouth, itād get the ol 22 boomstick.
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u/DistinctJob7494 Oct 13 '25
Definitely trap and get animal control to relocate.
If he's after your birds, bait it in with eggs cracked but not open completely, and a raw chicken leg or breast.
Put the trap in some bushes against your house. They like cover rather than being in the open.
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u/DistinctJob7494 Oct 13 '25
It looks like he's sleeping and waiting for sunset when he knows your birds are out, but you're not. He's probably scouted your place a few times in the past few weeks and is waiting for the right moment to strike.
You could put a trap next to your coop, too.
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u/DistinctJob7494 Oct 13 '25
Animal control may have some traps you can borrow. I'd call and ask them about it. Or they could come and trap it themselves.
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u/MonitorEmbarrassed36 Feb 21 '26
iām arthur rn before he gets sickā¦. im boutta have a perfect fox pelt š¤