How do you get rid of gray foxes?

Answer 1

Foxes are very smart animals, like all canines, and Gray Foxes are particularly shy and wary. I'm not sure why you would want to get rid of gray foxes as they are harmless, but assuming you have a good reason to get rid of them, I'll tell you how to do it. You can trap them or shoot them. I'm going to assume the shooting option isn't available to you, since if you were able to shoot them you probably wouldn't be asking this question on the internet, you'd be out shooting foxes instead. Foxes are nearly impossible to catch in cage-type traps. This method could be tried, but in all likelihood you will not succeed. If you do decide to try a cage trap, use a very large one and pile brush all around it so it looks like a natural enclosure. Foothold traps of a size appropriate to foxes may be used. Buy a book on general trapping, purchase a few humane foothold traps, prepare them properly, and catch the foxes. Most modern steel traps will not harm foxes caught in them. Be sure to buy traps with smooth, wide, rolled-edge jaws, or traps with rubber padding on the jaws, to avoid causing the animal any pain. Cheaply-made traps will have squared-edge, thin jaws. Avoid these. The rubber-jawed "Soft-Catch" traps are excellent and humane, but high-quality rolled-edge footholds like the Bridger line of traps are equally humane. Traps should be between size 1.5 and size 1.75. A #1 is too small, and a #2 is too large, for foxes. You should bait the foxes for awhile before setting traps, to get them accustomed to eating foreign types of food. Then, prepare a trap bed and conceal your trap perfectly, making sure the trap will function when light pressure is applied. For light-footed gray foxes, 1-2 pounds of pressure should fire the trap. Once caught, you can do whatever you like with the foxes. Be sure to consult your local hunting and trapping regulations as you might need to purchase a license or special permit to do this.