The Red Fox

[Rockporter]

Maybe it's looking for a drink?

[zeuspaul]

'round these parts cats are kept indoors. Those who let them out are considered irresponsible pet owners. Outdoor cats don't live very long. Rattlesnakes, coyotes, owls and ? Black cats live a little longer.

[Rockporter]

True, I'm from the East County area and it's the same regarding cats or even small dogs.

[Worth1]

I dont run around shooting every animal I see.
No I didn't tame a possum I just give it food every now and then, it is wild.
Kill the fox dont kill the fox I dont give a dam.
I am getting tired of this BS about Texans running around shooting stuff.
The fox the other night I shot at to run it off not kill it.
Texas has a coyote and deer problem here big time.
As for a rabbit I wont shoot one in the summer because if I did shoot one I would eat it.
Squirrels the same thing.
Deer same thing.
Salt has lost two more cats.
I have one cat Smokey and by dam I will protect her in any way I can because she is all I have left in my life.
The best way is she is now with me at all times and never out after dark.
Many of us cant afford a fence and if you saw my place it is almost impossible to put one up.
I have tried smelly clothes and deer and rabbit repellent to keep the critters away not a gun.
If anyone has a problem with what I do to protect my place or my suggestions for someone else they can kiss my butt.
Texans unregulated is BS.
I haven killed anything in a very long time years.
If I do pull the rigger I give it a hell of a lot of consideration before I do and afterwards I have remorse and respect for that animal even if it is for food.
I will NOT hunt with a bow because I think the animal suffers too much before it dies.
I will NOT use a pellet rifle for the same reason.
The rifles I use have so much hydrostatic shock the animal never knows what hit them they do not run off and they drop on the spot.
I was raised to hunt without the animal suffering and be a good shot.
I do none of this with some sort of blood lust I seem to be accused of.

As far as the Texans thing again.
Where I live it is getting hard to even find a Native Texan anymore.
I cannot express to you guys how many people have lost their critters to predators here.
I beg them to keep them in the house and not let them run around.
The area is infested with them.
Worth

[imp]

Originally Posted by Worth1

You also have a duty to protect your family and that includes your pets.
Your pets trust and depend on you to protect them.
As pretty as they are fox are killers.
You dont have to enjoy it I never have but it is a duty.
Not meaning to load you up with guilt but it is the truth.
You wont feel so friendly towards it went it snatches a cat up and runs off with it right in front of you.
Worth

I will say it is not what I would consider a duty to kill something that has not proven it's self to be a danger, but is mostly acting as it's nature demands it should. I don't usually shoot people, who are known to be a dangerous animal at times, even if they walk up to me.

That being said, I suspect this fox has been fed or otherwise become accustomed to people more than it should have been, and/or is a juvenile and curious.

Fox are attracted to food, so there may be mice around supplying a food source.

There was a wild fox who decided part of it's territory was a golf club. It would run out and steal the golf balls after the ball got near the green areas in particular. It seemed to find this a sport and caused consternation in the golfers. It would drop the balls in the wooded/brushy areas at times. It was often enough that it became a "rule" if the fox stole your ball, you got to shoot again.

The golfers wanted to shoot the fox instead, but it was in city limits or something like that, no fire arms.

Finally live trapped , baited with golf balls no less, and relocated.

I hope they left him a golf ball or two.

I can only speak for myself, and would be cautious in not encouraging this animal in any way, but enjoy seeing it for it's beauty in the wild. I would not harm it unless I had to do so.

[dustdevil]

Sorry Worth. I forgot to thank you for the fox jerky you sent me last Christmas Much better than the TX chicken stuff...

A farmer friend of mine had 32 chickens killed by foxes one night. They didn't eat hardly any of the chickens. They killed for the sake of killing...it's in their nature. You can't turn your back on a predator or you will learn the hard way.

Worth is entitled to his opinion and I don't like seeing Texans slammed.

[imp]

Odd, I am a Texan and did not feel "slammed". But it is hard to offend me unless I allow someone to offend me, it's my choice.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, no one more so than any other. *



*Except for my opinion which is Always right, LOL!!!! The devil made me say that.

[cloz]

A few years ago I was awakened in the middle of the night by the eeriest of howls. It was a red fox outside my bedroom window. My cat was outside. When I got out on the deck I saw them just about nose to nose. I started throwing rocks at it to scare it away. I was finally able to drive it off. Never let my cat stay out at night after that.
The fox hung around for a few days howling at night. A few days later I saw the fox walking down the middle of our road in the middle of the day like he was drunk. Never saw him again.
Had I had a firearm in my hand that night I would have eliminated the fox the spot.
Squirrels and chipmunks are another problem here. If I don't take some out every year I will not get anything in my garden. This year the chipmunks ate every cucumber seedling that came up. I planted 2 packages of seeds and have zero cucumber plants. The squirrels eat tomatoes. They also ate every single apple on my apple tree this year and it was loaded with apples. One year I eliminated 42 chipmunks and 20 squirrels. Don't bother telling me about haveaheart traps. Been there done that. My wife is even so mad at chipmunks that she just came in after setting a trap for them.
I use a PCP pellet gun. Always aware of my backstops. They are very accurate.
I have deer and rabbits in my yard every day. I don't bother them because they don't bother my vegetable garden. They do damage the flower garden but that's not my food.
A groundhog moved in under my deck and dug a hole way deep along my foundation. You can bet your bottom dollar he will be gone as soon as I can catch him in the open.
This house has been in my family for almost 50 years. We never had deer or rabbits here for the first 30 years. The hunting regulations make it almost impossible to hunt in this state and that has contributed to the animal explosion.

Cloz

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by imp

Odd, I am a Texan and did not feel "slammed". But it is hard to offend me unless I allow someone to offend me, it's my choice.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, no one more so than any other. *



*Except for my opinion which is Always right, LOL!!!! The devil made me say that.

I thought you were from California?

[imp]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I thought you were from California?

I was indeed born in California and so I am a native Californian, but have lived here over 30 years now. Are you saying I am not a Texan even if I was not born in Texas? <smile>

[imp]

Originally Posted by cloz

A few years ago I was awakened in the middle of the night by the eeriest of howls. It was a red fox outside my bedroom window. My cat was outside. When I got out on the deck I saw them just about nose to nose. I started throwing rocks at it to scare it away. I was finally able to drive it off. Never let my cat stay out at night after that.
The fox hung around for a few days howling at night. A few days later I saw the fox walking down the middle of our road in the middle of the day like he was drunk. Never saw him again.
Had I had a firearm in my hand that night I would have eliminated the fox the spot.
Squirrels and chipmunks are another problem here. If I don't take some out every year I will not get anything in my garden. This year the chipmunks ate every cucumber seedling that came up. I planted 2 packages of seeds and have zero cucumber plants. The squirrels eat tomatoes. They also ate every single apple on my apple tree this year and it was loaded with apples. One year I eliminated 42 chipmunks and 20 squirrels. Don't bother telling me about haveaheart traps. Been there done that. My wife is even so mad at chipmunks that she just came in after setting a trap for them.
I use a PCP pellet gun. Always aware of my backstops. They are very accurate.
I have deer and rabbits in my yard every day. I don't bother them because they don't bother my vegetable garden. They do damage the flower garden but that's not my food.
A groundhog moved in under my deck and dug a hole way deep along my foundation. You can bet your bottom dollar he will be gone as soon as I can catch him in the open.
This house has been in my family for almost 50 years. We never had deer or rabbits here for the first 30 years. The hunting regulations make it almost impossible to hunt in this state and that has contributed to the animal explosion.

Cloz

Off hand, I am unaware that fox can howl, they can scream and make other sounds, I thought only the "dog" family howled. That fox was also acting oddly and I would have been concerned about it being rabid.

Those are all animals causing trouble, yes? No problem eliminating them at all.

This fox hasn't caused any trouble unless it is by existing.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by imp

I was indeed born in California and so I am a native Californian, but have lived here over 30 years now. Are you saying I am not a Texan even if I was not born in Texas? <smile>

Just pulling your leg.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by imp

I was indeed born in California and so I am a native Californian, but have lived here over 30 years now. Are you saying I am not a Texan even if I was not born in Texas? <smile>

You're a Texan What's that old saying... Oh yeah. "I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as fast as I could."

~~~

There are so many Texas myths. The one that you can believe - Texas is BIG! 268,597 mi² - only smaller than Alaska 663,300 mi² of our 50 states.

I haven't seen the fox since Wednesday.

[Worth1]

I had a friend that had the arctic foxes coming up and eating out of his hand.
Against the rules but he did it.
I bet you could get this one to do the same.

[AlittleSalt]

I think that one - we probably could feed and water it. I think I have been feeding it inadvertently by tossing vegetable scraps out in the compost bin. That includes egg shells. That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw it and the young cats at the compost bin Wednesday.