Fox Hunting Caliber Question

So I have a fox that decided to sit in my neighbors field yesterday 5 feet from the property line, run off after I got out of the car, and then 10 minutes later came strolling out from behind my shed and into my backyard. I have a furbearer permit and 15 days left in the season for Queen Anne's county. I am thinking if it comes back into my backyard within the season and on any day other than Sunday that it won't be leaving again.

Will a 36gr copper plated hollow point be adequate? It's the only small caliber round I have that isn't likely to damage the fur up close. The fox was maybe 20 yards from the back door of my house in the second photo.

The only other rifle cartridges I have that meet furbearer hunting requirements are 22LR 40gr LRN, 38SPC 158gr LRN, 357Mag 158gr JHP, 6.5CM 95gr Hornady V-Max, and some untested 110gr controlled chaos for 300 blackout/HAMR. For pistols I have 9mm and 40S&W HSTs, but would prefer to save them for a 2 legged threat.

The 38/357 is a single shot rifle which makes a follow up shot slow, the 6.5CM has a 6-24x50 scope which makes up close shots difficult, and the 300's are untested handloads that I need to go test anyway. I'm not sure what the damage to the fur would be with all of those in the 20-30yd range, plus the creedmoor is a pain to find ammo for at the moment. I'm thinking the 22 is the quietest option and I have over 5000 of these hollow points sitting around.

I have used a 22LRHP Fox pelts are brining about 50 bucks per pelt.

Inside of 50 yards that 36 gr hp 22LR should be fine if shot placement is good. I would avoid the 110 gr 300 BLK. I shot a fox last year with a 110 Hornady SST with a 300 BLK. Hit it at the base of its neck at 60 yards and decapitated it. A real mess to say the least.

Is he threatening chickens, pets? If not let him do his thing, help keep the rodent, snake population down. If he’s after chickens, 22LR will work.

I have shot 2 with 22 Stingers and 2 with a 17 WSM. Both calibers did the job quickly but the 17 dropped both of them.

A .25 cal PCP air rifle will do it at 50 yards too but quietly.

SummitCnty said:

I have shot 2 with 22 Stingers and 2 with a 17 WSM. Both calibers did the job quickly but the 17 dropped both of them.

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I agree with you on a 22 or 17HMR. Anything larger will maybe take the whole head off and destroy the pelt. I see you used the 17WSM but still a 17 caliber and perfect.

Haven't seen a fox around here for 2 years,, they used to be everywhere. must be the coyotes. 22 lr at that range should work fine.

I hate to see beautiful animals like foxes get whacked. Why don't you just feed it and make it your "wild" pet that comes around once in a while?

You know you can be fox whisperer. This guy thing is that he promised to take care of raccoons after his wife died.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofp26_oc4CA

I use a 3006 most of the time when I go.
It’s fun to guess the range and make sight adjustments then try to hit them.
5-9 dollars is what the last ones brought that they trapped one or two weeks ago.
On one of those last rifle days a couple weeks ago, I watched one get into the middle of a big flock of hen turkeys and lay right down amongst them.

Any rimfire will do the job. Most centerfire cartridges will destroy the pelt, if you care about that type of thing.

One thing you didn’t mention was a shotgun. I’ve taken fox while calling at night with a 12 gauge shotgun. I’ve used 3 1/2”” steel BBB shot, and even #4 buckshot. Both don’t due a lot of damage to the pelt.

One thing is if you are seeing fox that often, that’s a great thing. It typically means if you are seeing fox, you don’t have a huge population of coyotes around.
The coyotes will either drive the foxes away, or kill them. They don’t want the competition for food.

I used to have foxes I would see regularly after dark around my house. I would take a walk and see several at least. Sometimes kits running around. Then one night two showed up and killed my pet ducks. I caught them in the act.

Most of the ones I shoot at I miss. I use a 1903 rifle with open sights when I hunt for them so I get to see the same ones often.
Theirs a ton of them around the chicken houses anyway.

At least a quarter of the people on my street have chickens and we are surrounded by farms and woods. Foxes are plentiful.

There's one right along the woods when I was out deer hunting and going on earlier this afternoon.
Its about 112 yds to that woods line. Came out from behind the corn pile just on the left and winded me sitting on the ground.

Thanks everyone, I was reading responses when they were coming in but wanted to wait and respond when I could actually get in front of the computer so I could quote things easily.

Harrys said:

I have used a 22LRHP Fox pelts are brining about 50 bucks per pelt.

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SummitCnty said:

I have shot 2 with 22 Stingers and 2 with a 17 WSM. Both calibers did the job quickly but the 17 dropped both of them.

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2701Jim said:

Inside of 50 yards that 36 gr hp 22LR should be fine if shot placement is good. I would avoid the 110 gr 300 BLK. I shot a fox last year with a 110 Hornady SST with a 300 BLK. Hit it at the base of its neck at 60 yards and decapitated it. A real mess to say the least.

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John from MD said:

A .25 cal PCP air rifle will do it at 50 yards too but quietly.

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mauser58 said:

I agree with you on a 22 or 17HMR. Anything larger will maybe take the whole head off and destroy the pelt. I see you used the 17WSM but still a 17 caliber and perfect.

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I was hoping the 22LR would work, I didn’t see the fox this afternoon when I got home, but I did load up the Model 60 with hollow points so I’m ready. I need to a get a 22MAG or a 17HMR in the future, just haven’t got around to it. I definitely don’t want to decapitate it and have to deal with that mess.

I considered an air rifle, but I don’t want to invest into something now if I have something that will work. Maybe I’ll pick one up before next season, but ideally I’ll be buying some land this year to hunt on so I’ll be able to take longer shots and use either my 6.5 Grendel or 223 for both fox and coyote.

Doco Overboard said:

I use a 3006 most of the time when I go.
It’s fun to guess the range and make sight adjustments then try to hit them.
5-9 dollars is what the last ones brought that they trapped one or two weeks ago.
On one of those last rifle days a couple weeks ago, I watched one get into the middle of a big flock of hen turkeys and lay right down amongst them.

Click to expand...

Brickman301 said:

Any rimfire will do the job. Most centerfire cartridges will destroy the pelt, if you care about that type of thing.

One thing you didn’t mention was a shotgun. I’ve taken fox while calling at night with a 12 gauge shotgun. I’ve used 3 1/2”” steel BBB shot, and even #4 buckshot. Both don’t due a lot of damage to the pelt.

One thing is if you are seeing fox that often, that’s a great thing. It typically means if you are seeing fox, you don’t have a huge population of coyotes around.
The coyotes will either drive the foxes away, or kill them. They don’t want the competition for food.

Click to expand...

I don’t have the range to open up with anything really now, so keeping the caliber small and only going for closer animals is better at the moment. I thought about the shotgun, but I only have slugs, 00 buckshot, and 7-1/2 target shot on hand. I also don’t want to be that guy using a 12 gauge at 6am when I find one while taking the dog out.

mauser58 said:

I used to have foxes I would see regularly after dark around my house. I would take a walk and see several at least. Sometimes kits running around. Then one night two showed up and killed my pet ducks. I caught them in the act.

Click to expand...

Doco Overboard said:

Most of the ones I shoot at I miss. I use a 1903 rifle with open sights when I hunt for them so I get to see the same ones often.
Theirs a ton of them around the chicken houses anyway.

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SummitCnty said:

At least a quarter of the people on my street have chickens and we are surrounded by farms and woods. Foxes are plentiful.

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There are a lot of people on my street with chickens and other poultry and like every neighborhood there are neighbors who insist on letting their cats outside. The outdoor cats I don’t care about, I don’t like to see cats end up dead, but I can’t be responsible for other people’s domestic pets. My cats will occasionally try to run out the front door but I’m pretty good about stopping them, on the rare occasion they do get out I get them back in even if it takes over an hour. If one of mine somehow got out and I missed it I’d like there to be one less predator hanging around the yard to be concerned about. I don’t know if a fox would run off immediately if the dog was outside (she’s 58lbs) and I’d also rather legally and humanely kill it, instead of having someone panicking and trying to kill it if it gets their cat or other pet.

Pale Ryder said:

Is he threatening chickens, pets? If not let him do his thing, help keep the rodent, snake population down. If he’s after chickens, 22LR will work.

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No direct threat to my animals currently, but my cats try and escape out the door and I’d rather not be trying to kill a fox with my cat hanging out of it’s mouth because I missed it get out past me.

Michigander08 said:

I hate to see beautiful animals like foxes get whacked. Why don't you just feed it and make it your "wild" pet that comes around once in a while?

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I don’t feed wild animals, I don’t want more foxes or other animals hanging out in my yard. I had a giant pet cat sitting near where the fox is in the first photo, but on my property the other night and I’ve had a slew of pet cats wandering my yard, they get chased away with some yelling.

Holy mega multi post answers Batman!


I killed two foxes one day with my bow. I don't recommend that however, broadheads are hell on pelts.

outrider58 said:

Holy mega multi post answers Batman!


I killed two foxes one day with my bow. I don't recommend that however, broadheads are hell on pelts.

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I just wanted to make sure multi quote worked.

Shoot them right in the ear if yu can with a 22. Right down low where the back part curves around.
They wont bother your cats anymore with a good hit.