Repelling Foxes

[Nigel]

Recently I found a young hedgehog in a crisp packet by side of the road ! We nurtured it until it grew twice its size and recently,we put it in garden with special house for hedgehogs bought @pets shop, gradually expanding an enclosure to eventually let it go wild !

We have also lost a tortoise in garden that we had for at least 12yrs. I bought it for my step son but he got bored with it ! Around this time we lost a daughter after miscarriage; 7 months and have nurtured the creature almost sometimes as a child, having it seeping many times on my chest and feeding her by hand !

The Hedgehog has recently been attacked and eaten by wild fox and we haven't been able to find the tortoise !

I was thinking of setting trap or attempting to shoot fox with air gun !
However I would like to find some sort of alternative & more humane option !
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ?

 

[High Voltage]

DO NOT SHOOT AT IT WITH AN AIR GUN!

All you'll end up doing is wounding the animal - you will NOT get a kill, clean or otherwise, with an air rifle, simple as

Unless you saw a fox eating the hedgehog, it's more likely that a Badger got it although foxes have been known to scavenge already dead hedgehogs (see Badger bit)

 

[bellaozzydog]

Having lost the hedgehog and a tortoise you no longer have any pets, I would suggest feeding the fox and watching it from your window.

 

[maomao]

DO NOT SHOOT AT IT WITH AN AIR GUN!

All you'll end up doing is wounding the animal - you will NOT get a kill, clean or otherwise, with an air rifle, simple as

Unless you saw a fox eating the hedgehog, it's more likely that a Badger got it although foxes have been known to scavenge already dead hedgehogs (see Badger bit)

Get a proper gun.

 

[Teaboy]

If you live in any sort of urban environment its probably wise to not start firing any gun, the security climate being what it is in this country at the moment,

 

[Guineveretoo]

I went to a talk at the British Wildlife Centre which told us that foxes don’t eat hedgehogs, but badgers do.

Does that help?

 

[Spymaster]

I'd go for a natural deterrent. Keep a tiger in the garden.

 

[Pickman's model]

I'd go for a natural deterrent. Keep a tiger in the garden.

Nigel keeps a tiger in his tank

 

[Pickman's model]

I went to a talk at the British Wildlife Centre which told us that foxes don’t eat hedgehogs, but badgers do.

Does that help?

Badgers?

 

[Pickman's model]

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ?

yes, learn to live with the foxes

 

[JimW]

Outside dog of the right sort would do it, otherwise it's big chickenwire cage with really deep sunk edging as they can't half dig.

 

[StoneRoad]

The culprit is most likely to be a badger. Foxes are far more scavenger than hunter and a rolled up hedgehog is a pretty difficult bundle to handle.

Set up some wildlife watching cameras.
or
Sonic deterrents work quite well.

 

[Teaboy]

Besides, foxes and hedgehogs get on famously...

 

[Athos]

When I've had problems with them I the past, I've pissed and scattered human hair around, which deters them.

Don't try to shoot a fox with a sub 12ftlb air rifle; even a FAC one would struggle. You need something more powerful for a humane dispatch, which is unlikely to be safe for a domestic garden (them if you had a license).

 

[BristolEcho]

Plus it seems a bit twattish to shoot a fox just because you couldn't keep the animals safe.

 

[Athos]

Plus it seems a bit twattish to shoot a fox just because you couldn't keep the animals safe.

I keep chickens, so I'd gladly kill any foxes prowling around, but only if I could do so humanely.

 

[Pickman's model]

When I've had problems with them I the past, I've pissed and scattered human hair around, which deters them.

Don't try to shoot a fox with a sub 12ftlb air rifle; even a FAC one would struggle. You need something more powerful for a humane dispatch, which is unlikely to be safe for a domestic garden (them if you had a license).

how would you rate a crossbow?

 

[Athos]

how would you rate a crossbow?

It's illegal to shoot an a animal with a crossbow in the UK, for good reason - it's difficult to ensure a clean kill in a safe way.

 

[Pickman's model]

It's illegal to shoot an a animal with a crossbow in the UK, for good reason - it's difficult to ensure a clean kill in a safe way.

ta

 

[Sprocket.]

It will as pointed out several times above be a badger responsible for the hedgehog’s death.
A guy from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust told us a lack of hedgehogs in your area is usually down to a sizeable badger population.

 

[Fez909]

The govt page says you can contact these for info on managing wildlife on your land:

England
Contact Wildlife Management and Licensing at Natural England for advice on dealing with birds and animals on your land.

Wildlife Management and Licensing wildlife@naturalengland.org.uk
0845 6014523
Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm

Assuming you're in England. If not, find your appropriate country here (there's different laws for each): Managing wildlife on your land

 

[andysays]

I went to a talk at the British Wildlife Centre which told us that foxes don’t eat hedgehogs, but badgers do.

Does that help?

Foxes don't kill hedgehogs, badgers do
Sound of the police, woo woo woo

 

[Spymaster]

I reckon it was more likely a badger than a fox.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Has any suggested it could have been a badger?

 

[Teaboy]

Opinion is divided.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

According to many country dwelling folk the best way to get rid of a fox is to gather up several dozen of your mates and a pack of hounds, put on some fancy clothes, get drunk and then chase it on horseback across the local fields.

Seems legit.

 

[bellaozzydog]

According to many country dwelling folk the best way to get rid of a fox is to gather up several dozen of your mates and a pack of hounds, put on some fancy clothes, get drunk and then chase it on horseback across the local fields.

Seems legit.

As is dressing like a crepuscular chicken and strutting around the garden with a net

 

[Baronage-Phase]

Lion poo should do the trick.

 

[Mumbles274]

I can't believe this thread has been up for so long and there is still no 'Rappelling foxes' parody thread

 

[Puddy_Tat]

and then chase it on horseback across the local fields.

i didn't know foxes could ride horses