Foxes ...

[meles meles]

*picks up phone*

"Hello, Fox ? It is ? Good. Badger 'ere. Do you know anybody called Instinct? Best tip 'em off. They're on the hit list too..."

[Doz]

*picks up phone*

"Hello, Fox ? It is ? Good. Badger 'ere. Do you know anybody called Instinct? Best tip 'em off. They're on the hit list too..."

:lol: :lol:

[Dougan]

While there are a few documented cases of foxes killing pets, bearing in mind the UK fox population is nearly 500 000, it's not many...and a cat is far more likely to be attacked by another cat. Also people who are worried about their pets are prone to exagerate...

...and any adult human who says they felt theatened by a fox, is just paranoid (unless it has rabies of course).

We had a similar problem a few years back; where a fox in the garden wouldn't run away when you tried to shoo it away; it even looked like it wanted to approach closer....it was because some twonk had been feeding it! But with persistance they can be detered - you can get lightweight plasic practice ammo for catapalts, which is effective up to about 20 yards...

Foxes are NOT vermin; which is why the council does nothing about them. If a fox has bad mange, is ill, or injured, then it may become a problem, and maybe destroying them is the best option ( you should contact the RSPCA for this) - but there is very little reason to harm a perfectly healthy animal in an urban environment.

[meles meles]

Of course, some of us might just point out that it's the oomans who have strayed into our gardens...

[Christel]

Of course, some of us might just point out that it's the oomans who have strayed into our gardens...

So true!

Ovenpaa and I were driving home from Bedford today and we went along all the new roads they have been carving up the landscape for due to all the new housing estates that have been built. Just for fun...not.

We both agreed that our part of our village is the true village, quiet, nature outside our front door and no noisy cars or neighbours.
Shame what they are doing...

[Dougan]

Of course, some of us might just point out that it's the oomans who have strayed into our gardens...

There's a good article in this month's Bushcraft magazine about urban foxes (very balanced, in that it did mention some problems) - It explaines how their territories are made, and points out that there is no difference at all between a country fox and an urban fox...it's just that as their territory was taken by 'oomans'...instead of moving away they urbanized.

[Dougan]

Shame what they are doing...

There are hundreds of thousands of vacant properties in the UK, and so much 'brown field' area...yet we continue to chip away at the countryside with new housing...purely for economic gain.

[meles meles]

We're busy undermining oomanity...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/camb ... 389778.stm

[Scotsgun]

.410 with 18g of 6
12G with 28g of 6
12G with 35g of BB
16G with 26g of 6

I am tempted by the .410 given that it will be a quieter and fairly close - but will it be enough.

If you can get to within 10yds, practically anything will do. Personally i'd use the .410 but pop down to the dealers and get some carts with bigger shot.

If noise or neighbours are a problem then just trap it.

Those that say a fox won't attack a cat are talking nonesence. I've seen them do it twice - not forced to fight a cat, but actually stalk a cat and attack. I was once called over by an old dear who was a persian cat breeder and had lost some to a big dog fox.

Being in a sheep farming area, i easily kill in excess of 80-120 foxes each year. The worst are the mange ridden, starving ones which are deliberately dumped by the animal rescue vans!

[Dougan]

I'm not saying foxes don't attack cats - I'm saying it's not as often as people who don't like foxes think. I detered the fox I mentioned before because it was taking an interest in the cat - I didn't like doing it, as the animal was in a bad way, but it did go away (probably died) - At the moment however we have 2 very healthy foxes comming to the garden and the cat isn't bothered at all...so I don't feel it would be right to do anything to them 'just in case'.

There are various angles to this argument - Personally I don't agree with breeding cats either, when there are so many in shelters or offered free...was the 'old dear' more worried about the cats, or the lost profit?

But I do agree that it's wrong to dump ill and mange ridden foxes into the countryside.

We will have to agree to disagee on some of this - As Badger would say, this is an 'ooman' dominated world....so someone has to stick up for us small fury mammals....