Foxes -2

[Rapier]

Just shot the second red fox in a month. We have wild quail and turkeys on the tree farm here, so ground nesting bird molesters (fox, yotes, bob cats, coons, skunks, etc) are eliminated on sight. I really do not like seeing foxes during the day walking across my back grass pretty as you please. #3 buck works on them real well, by the way.
We live on a dirt road to no where, that seems to attract animal dumpers, people that just stop and throw out dogs and cats. Too lazy to take them to the pound no doubt, leaving the land owners to clean up their mess.
Ed

[Rapier]

Since October I have shot 3 more foxes for a total of 5 with my 20ga 391 Beretta and its 24 inch short barrel, mounted with a mag light with a palm switch. The 3 inch #3 buck and a mod choke is a real killing wand on four legged critters. Obviously we have at least one family living nearby, could be more. A couple of neighbors have chickens and I have wild turkeys and wild quail, so da foxes have groceries and I have a pond, water and food. They will not stop killing birds until they are all eliminated, one or the other. I guess it is time for the live traps to come out of storage.

[Beck]

Fox have become a problem in central Illinois. I remember when I was a kid it was fun to see them because hardly ever did. Now they're all over urban areas and they kill pets. I know a few people who've lost cats and small dogs over the last few years. I just saw a red fox last night right in the middle of the road in front of my house as I came back from a late run to the grocery store. Couldn't do anything about it. The most we can do in town is live trap them and take them to a forest preserve. They are much bolder then in the past. The one last night stood in the road for a while like he wasn't worried.

[Rapier]

Like you, we used to never see a fox or yote, just a bobcat now and then. Then living on an island, I started seeing fox in our subdivision in the evening with pictures and reports of yotes. When we retired and moved to the farm everything was pretty calm with the exception of seeing Yotes while mowing near the edge of the trees and I would see a yote flash by now and again, always in 5th gear and going through the trees and brush. Then it stopped raining in May and our pond appears to be attracting any predictor that drinks water. We do not have pets so, no small animals for snacks. I still see house cats through the trees, throw aways, most probably. So the white meat, cats, attract eagles and 4 legged critters. I sure hate untreated canine critters wandering around the yard in daylight, especially.

I tried a .17 high velocity pellet gun in town, it would fully penetrate a 1/2 inch piece of plywood. It mode more noise than a 22 CB cap with a long barrel.

[Rapier]

Jeff,
The gun I am using on foxes is a 391 Beretta sporting gold, silver side, with a 24 inch barrel 20 ga 3 & 2/34. It has a white light mag light with a palm switch on the forend. It also has changeable extended chokes, most times I use an IC. The 3” mag in a 20ga has 24, 25 caliber pellets in a #3 buck shell, based on published data. The short barrel at 50 yards covers tip of tail to tip of nose on a red fox.I have a 30” Accuport ported barrel for it, that I shoot sporting clays, pigeons and doves with.

I have a screen porch on the back of the house, when I open the screen door, the shoot is on. So I need a fast handling gun for between trees, stumps and little dirt ridges. Sort of like a rabbit in clays that runs left , reverses and goes right on a dime.
Ed