Legality of shooting fox in yard

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  • Mr. Ed

    This IS my Happy Face
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2009
    7,899
    Edgewater
    I had a dream....

    Once upon a time,

    After a relatively destruction-free year, my friendly neighborhood mama fox had kits. Neighbor lady says she saw four of the little darlings (mama and three kits) in her yard, coming out from under an abandoned house.

    I left my house one day last week and saw that the area where my BGE supply comes out of the ground and into my house (which was covered by 5" of gravel, wasn't covered any more. Something had dug most of the gravel out. Didn't quite get to the wires, but if it had, the least of my concerns would have been the fried fox. I can't imagine how much replacing the underground cable from the closest pole to the point it enters my house would be. Or the fight with the insurance company over the cost of replacing my house that burned to the ground. It's not really likely, but still, it's a concern.

    So anyway, that night I had this dream that the good fairy of the woods set a live cage trap and caught one of the foxes, but sadly she caught a kit, and not the mama. In the dream the mama tore up the area around the trap trying to get her pride and joy out, but to no avail. That didn't stop her from tearing up the adjacent wood pile and scattering it over three (count them, three) of my neighbor's yards. It was quite a detailed dream. In it I also heard the mama barking (for lack of a better term) in frustration. And that's when I woke up.

    Well, when I woke up from the dream I checked in with a neighbor who happened to have hired a company to trap the destructive animals. I should mention that the foxes are no longer afraid (enough) of people, and are getting within 25 feet of my neighbors and me. Not sick, but not afraid. One (maybe more) of my tree hugging neighbors puts cat food out in tins for her domestic cat, but the foxes seem to really dig her brand and they carry the tins off into other folks' yards before noshing on their fancy feast. Fvcking tree huggers.

    Anyway, the Critter Control guy came out, explained what he would do for $729 (yep, that's the price), and he almost guaranteed me he'd get rid of the pests. Well, even though he hasn't trapped any foxes so far in four days (using a combination of live and kill traps) nothing. Nada. No foxes. One scrawny little stinky opossum, which he let go. He also contracted with another neighbor a few doors down where the foxes were also being destructive. Hasn't caught anything there, either.

    I'm thinking that the foxes got pissed off enough from previous experiences that they got outta Dodge. Probably had the same dream that I did. What a coincidence! Anyway, as long as the little darlings don't come back, or at least as long as they aren't destructive, I got my money's worth. And since the dream I haven't gotten a picture of them on my trail camera in the places where they used to frolic.

    Interesting point... the critter guy isn't allowed to relocate the foxes, but he has to 'put them down' before they leave any property where they are caught. He's got permits to trap, kill and otherwise annoy wildlife in ways I wish I could do myself. Anne Arundel County. Humbug.
     

    rseymorejr

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 28, 2011
    26,007
    Harford County
    Once upon a time,

    After a relatively destruction-free year, my friendly neighborhood mama fox had kits. Neighbor lady says she saw four of the little darlings (mama and three kits) in her yard, coming out from under an abandoned house.

    I left my house one day last week and saw that the area where my BGE supply comes out of the ground and into my house (which was covered by 5" of gravel, wasn't covered any more. Something had dug most of the gravel out. Didn't quite get to the wires, but if it had, the least of my concerns would have been the fried fox. I can't imagine how much replacing the underground cable from the closest pole to the point it enters my house would be. Or the fight with the insurance company over the cost of replacing my house that burned to the ground. It's not really likely, but still, it's a concern.

    So anyway, that night I had this dream that the good fairy of the woods set a live cage trap and caught one of the foxes, but sadly she caught a kit, and not the mama. In the dream the mama tore up the area around the trap trying to get her pride and joy out, but to no avail. That didn't stop her from tearing up the adjacent wood pile and scattering it over three (count them, three) of my neighbor's yards. It was quite a detailed dream. In it I also heard the mama barking (for lack of a better term) in frustration. And that's when I woke up.

    Well, when I woke up from the dream I checked in with a neighbor who happened to have hired a company to trap the destructive animals. I should mention that the foxes are no longer afraid (enough) of people, and are getting within 25 feet of my neighbors and me. Not sick, but not afraid. One (maybe more) of my tree hugging neighbors puts cat food out in tins for her domestic cat, but the foxes seem to really dig her brand and they carry the tins off into other folks' yards before noshing on their fancy feast. Fvcking tree huggers.

    Anyway, the Critter Control guy came out, explained what he would do for $729 (yep, that's the price), and he almost guaranteed me he'd get rid of the pests. Well, even though he hasn't trapped any foxes so far in four days (using a combination of live and kill traps) nothing. Nada. No foxes. One scrawny little stinky opossum, which he let go. He also contracted with another neighbor a few doors down where the foxes were also being destructive. Hasn't caught anything there, either.

    I'm thinking that the foxes got pissed off enough from previous experiences that they got outta Dodge. Probably had the same dream that I did. What a coincidence! Anyway, as long as the little darlings don't come back, or at least as long as they aren't destructive, I got my money's worth. And since the dream I haven't gotten a picture of them on my trail camera in the places where they used to frolic.

    Interesting point... the critter guy isn't allowed to relocate the foxes, but he has to 'put them down' before they leave any property where they are caught. He's got permits to trap, kill and otherwise annoy wildlife in ways I wish I could do myself. Anne Arundel County. Humbug.

    $729 to trap/ kill 4 foxes??? I think I'm starting a new business Monday morning. Combination Critter Catcher and Fox Breeding facility!
     

    Mr. Ed

    This IS my Happy Face
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2009
    7,899
    Edgewater
    $729 to trap/ kill 4 foxes??? I think I'm starting a new business Monday morning. Combination Critter Catcher and Fox Breeding facility!
    Yep, it's outrageous. It would be much simpler and cheaper just to take care of these critters myself. Unfortunately, that's not a legal option and I have enough tree huggers close by who would throw me under the bus if they even thought that they saw something.

    A couple shots from a paintball gun will probably keep it away
    Biggest problem is seeing them after dark. They usually aren't visible during the daylight, except in very rare instances. Having a suitable implement at hand all the time just isn't practical, and I don't have the funds for a thermal optic. Sure wish I could afford to put one on a suppressed .22 bolt gun, but I can't shoot a firearm where I live as it's too close to other houses.

    Like many things in life, this situation requires patience and compromise. If the professionals aren't successful, I guess I can always dream some more ..... :innocent0
     

    303_enfield

    Ultimate Member
    May 30, 2007
    4,649
    DelMarVa
    DNR will issue a free permit to trap/shoot/kill nuisance animals. Doesn't matter what time of year it is. So it is the legal option.

    TSC has all types of box traps. Leg hold traps are the devil. They don't care what they catch. But soup can traps are a coons worst enemy around my chicken house.

    Yep, it's outrageous. It would be much simpler and cheaper just to take care of these critters myself. Unfortunately, that's not a legal option and I have enough tree huggers close by who would throw me under the bus if they even thought that they saw something.


    Biggest problem is seeing them after dark. They usually aren't visible during the daylight, except in very rare instances. Having a suitable implement at hand all the time just isn't practical, and I don't have the funds for a thermal optic. Sure wish I could afford to put one on a suppressed .22 bolt gun, but I can't shoot a firearm where I live as it's too close to other houses.

    Like many things in life, this situation requires patience and compromise. If the professionals aren't successful, I guess I can always dream some more ..... :innocent0
     

    newmuzzleloader

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 14, 2009
    4,765
    joppa
    I've never been able to catch a Fox in a 'havahart' trap. They are just too big for the lg size trap that TSC sells in their combo deal. I think the spring that closes the trap is not strong enough to shove their tail end in and close the door.
    The most reliable deterrent I've found when they're taking my chickens is a .223 62 gr. sp.
     

    Mr. Ed

    This IS my Happy Face
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2009
    7,899
    Edgewater
    I've never been able to catch a Fox in a 'havahart' trap. They are just too big for the lg size trap that TSC sells in their combo deal. I think the spring that closes the trap is not strong enough to shove their tail end in and close the door.
    The most reliable deterrent I've found when they're taking my chickens is a .223 62 gr. sp.

    Havahart (or maybe another brand) does make one that's plenty big for large foxes and other critters. Not usually available in stores (which usually stock the S, M, and L sizes), but they are available online. I can't find the link right now, but a little google searching should turn one up.
     

    CZ TAIJI

    Member
    Sep 10, 2014
    69
    brooklyn, md.
    live trap

    So my wife and I have 2 outdoor cats that have been getting cornered and harassed nightly by a red fox. We are awoken around 1-3 am with that unique fox "scream" and upon opening the front door I find my wifes 2 cats backed up to the door with the fox about 5-10 yards off the porch just standing there hollering at them.

    My question is this. What is the legality of some upstanding citizen popping that fox with a .177 varmint round from a break barrel pellet rifle?

    Or do I have to just call animal control and wait for them to do nothing.
    I feel like its only a matter of time before the fox becomes more aggressive and possibly harms one of the cats.


    Thanks:party29:

    Edit:
    For clarification,
    We are deep in the heart of moco in a subdivision.

    call animal control but in the mean time live trap the fox so it can be relocated. live and let live instead of listening to assholes whose solution is always to kill.
     

    newmuzzleloader

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 14, 2009
    4,765
    joppa
    call animal control but in the mean time live trap the fox so it can be relocated. live and let live instead of listening to assholes whose solution is always to kill.

    If you would have read through the whole thread you would have seen the OP took care of the situation 6 weeks ago and you would have had no need to call members "assholes" on a forum you don't seem to frequent much.
    I don't usually reply to tripe like this but you should read all the posts before casting aspersions on peoples answers. I didn't advocate it here but I'm one that says foxes should be shot on sight when the situation warrants it.
     

    rob

    DINO Extraordinaire
    Oct 11, 2010
    3,099
    Augusta, GA
    Ya know, if you were trying to cook some chicken outside by passing a high voltage power source through it and the fox just happened to try to steal your food, it would be a real shame if the fox accidently got electrocuted.

    Rob

    Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk
     

    Blacksmith101

    Grumpy Old Man
    Jun 22, 2012
    22,154
    call animal control but in the mean time live trap the fox so it can be relocated. live and let live instead of listening to assholes whose solution is always to kill.

    If you read the entire thread you also would know it is not legal in Maryland to relocate trapped animals. You can look it up in the DNR regulations. The Forum rules state you should not recommend breaking the law.
     

    cww

    Active Member
    Jan 28, 2010
    539
    700 is a deal compared to the 1500 a company wanted for removing a family of skunks. Uhhhh no.
     

    Mr. Ed

    This IS my Happy Face
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2009
    7,899
    Edgewater
    Musings without the benefit of coffee...

    Sometimes we are forced to chose between the lesser of evils, and each of us has our own standards by which we measure that.

    Compare the fox problem to our upcoming gubernatorial election, and all of a sudden that conflict should become clear. There isn't a good choice for governor (who has a snowball's chance of winning), but rather a choice of the lesser of evils. It won't be pretty or pleasant, but it's a choice we each will have to make, including staying home.

    Maybe the fox problem pales in comparison to the gravity of the other. At least we have options for reducing or eliminating the damage done by the fox. That won't be the case with the next governor and the general assembly. I don't think my trapper has a permit for the fur of legislators. :rolleyes:
     

    Alea Jacta Est

    Extinguished member
    MDS Supporter
    Musings without the benefit of coffee...

    Sometimes we are forced to chose between the lesser of evils, and each of us has our own standards by which we measure that.

    Compare the fox problem to our upcoming gubernatorial election, and all of a sudden that conflict should become clear. There isn't a good choice for governor (who has a snowball's chance of winning), but rather a choice of the lesser of evils. It won't be pretty or pleasant, but it's a choice we each will have to make, including staying home.

    Maybe the fox problem pales in comparison to the gravity of the other. At least we have options for reducing or eliminating the damage done by the fox. That won't be the case with the next governor and the general assembly. I don't think my trapper has a permit for the fur of legislators. :rolleyes:
    I’d like to see some of those hides nailed to a wall...
     

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