Fox problem

Draupnir

Hi guys,

Bit of a fox problem in a local Pitch and Putt course I'm involved with, bugger is coming in at night and digging up the greens in search of food and pooing around the place.

Looking for advice on how best to get rid of him, not sure if shooting him would be altogether legal as the course is in a very built up area of houses.

All and any advice welcome,
Thanks

jap gt

if you dont want to shoot him maybe a local gun club would give you a loan of a fox trap or maybe set a few snares where he is coming in, shooting him would be the easiest option though

dwighet

Fox trap would be the go...Snares might catch somebodies dog If its in an urban area....

meathstevie

If the potential backstops are good enough I can't see much of a problem.

greenpeter

Draupnir wrote: »

Hi guys,

Bit of a fox problem in a local Pitch and Putt course I'm involved with, bugger is coming in at night and digging up the greens in search of food and pooing around the place.

Looking for advice on how best to get rid of him, not sure if shooting him would be altogether legal as the course is in a very built up area of houses.

All and any advice welcome,
Thanks

Did you see the fox? (no doubting you buy the way)
Work in golf course and often had problems with badgers digging the greens, they destroy the place.

Draupnir

Yep, someone has seen the fox alright, there are a lot of houses very close to the course, I'm not sure firing a gun would be legal or safe in the area.

I'll look into the trapping option. Thanks guys.

meathstevie

To keep you right on the legal side of things I suppose you should look into the concept of "reckless discharge". That's why for example pestcontrol companies can shoot birds in supermarkets with airrifles on the condition that it's not a public place at the time, i.e. customers aren't allowed in. As for your golfcourse I see you'd prefer trapping but you shouldn't discard shooting completely as an option if trapping doesn't work. You're probably thinking about Dundrum in Dublin where the neighbours were up in arms about "their" lovely fox being shot. They were wailing on Liveline and the lot about it. Was anyone prosecuted or did the Gardai even get involved ? Don't think so.

smokin ace

i know this might not be the right answer but instead of shooting snaring or trapping get someone with a good fox dog to do the job in the middle of the night

terminator2

check this out http://www.collarum.com/ it looks good and it wont kill the neighbours dog

vermin hunter

were in dublin are u i might be able to help you out pm me if you want

poulo6.5

Draupnir wrote: »

Hi guys,

Bit of a fox problem in a local Pitch and Putt course I'm involved with, bugger is coming in at night and digging up the greens in search of food and pooing around the place.

Looking for advice on how best to get rid of him, not sure if shooting him would be altogether legal as the course is in a very built up area of houses.

All and any advice welcome,
Thanks

i'm not being blood thirsty or anything but i think shooting is the best way to go, that way you dont have any poison or in-discriminant traps lying around.

i will do it for you if you want, i'd use a .22 lr with a silencer. no one would hear a thing.

i have bigger caliber rifles but i think the .22 lr would be ideal for your situation.

terminator2

what are you going to say to the guards ,you were playing a bit of night time pitch and putt dont be stupid

jap gt

i dont see how he is being stupid, once he has the owners permission and there is a good backstop i dont see the problem

terminator2

he said it was in a built up area what are you going to use as a backstop someones house ,or maybe the clubhouse ,a live catch trap is the way to go baited with a fresh cod and chips

It wasn't me!

terminator2 wrote: »

he said it was in a built up area what are you going to use as a backstop someones house ,or maybe the clubhouse ,a live catch trap is the way to go baited with a fresh cod and chips

On a golf course there should be plenty of useful backstops. It's a question of doing it quietly and efficiently so as to attract little or preferably no attention, while making sure it's safe and legal.

jap gt

i agree that the trap is the best option, but still dont think poulo had a stupid suggestion, no one can comment on using a gun and safety unless the course was seen

terminator2

It wasn't me! wrote: »

On a golf course there should be plenty of useful backstops. It's a question of doing it quietly and efficiently so as to attract little or preferably no attention, while making sure it's safe and legal.

The chap said it was a pitch and putt course ,not a golf course ,he also said that it was in a built up area ,i could go down with the.223 and do the job ,but i wouldnt, for safety reasonsbut you intend to go down with a.22 lr and thats okay

poulo6.5

jap gt wrote: »

i agree that the trap is the best option, but still dont think poulo had a stupid suggestion, no one can comment on using a gun and safety unless the course was seen

thanks J G. for watching my back while i was away from my laptop, out shooting as it happens with my 6.5x55. i got my self a nice sika with a neck shot she didn't feel a thing. but i wouldn't use that on a fox in a built up area.

nor would i use my .223, that would be inappropriate for the task in hand.

now i assume its a proper pitch and put course like many i'v seen with banked up areas and sand traps and such,
and i also assume it would be on a couple of acres and not someone's back yard,
and i might be pushing it a little but i also assume that it would be landscaped using lovely soft soil covered in grass not that bullet proof stuff that bullets just bounce off ,:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

call me CRAZY for assuming all this , but never call me stupid :mad:

terminator2

you probably are very intelligent ..........just not too bright:D

poulo6.5

terminator2 wrote: »

you probably are very intelligent ..........just not too bright:D

OK, terminator :rolleyes:. you have me there. i know when i'm beaten.

anyway no point in us two arguing about who is smarter like two school girls, by the way i bet i look better in a mini skirt and pigtails than you do :P:P

the question is still out there. who can help the op.

dont forget to ask "the terminator" if its ok first cos as you can see he just does not let up.

ivanthehunter

Snares are justified here!! but make sure that no one sees you setting them because the greens would have you up in court for a perfectly legal activity!!
4 to 6 snares should be plenty- keep two for a food pit

Food pit is small hole in which you place morsels of food at the base and a snare around the top. some small twigs are used around the edges to hold the snare flush with typical ground level and to act as a mounting device by which the snare is set to the neck!!

Be advised! The fox will still be alive when you come round to inspect these snares at dawn! You will still need to put it down!! so i suppose a rifle at close quarters is acceptable when you consider the angle you'll be holding on him!! Other than that its a big stick which might be illegal but its sure safer in a built up area.

There sure is a need for a type of hunting thats less dangerous than firearm discharge that would be suitable in semi built up areas;):D

regards ivanthebowhunter

taytothief

Maybe I'm being naive but I'd suggest a fence before shooting things.

It wasn't me!

taytothief wrote: »

Maybe I'm being naive but I'd suggest a fence before shooting things.

Almost impossible with foxes. If they can't climb it they'll dig under it, and they're serious diggers. You'd be talking well over a foot deep and anchored to even have a slight deterrent effect. The expense to do that for the entire circumference of a pitch and putt course, as well as providing some suitable setup at all conventional points of entry as well makes it ridiculously impractical. Provided you can get about fifty or sixty yards from the nearest house or road and use a sand-trap or something similar for a backstop, shooting is perfect. Discretion is, however, key.

taytothief

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Almost impossible with foxes. If they can't climb it they'll dig under it, and they're serious diggers. You'd be talking well over a foot deep and anchored to even have a slight deterrent effect. The expense to do that for the entire circumference of a pitch and putt course, as well as providing some suitable setup at all conventional points of entry as well makes it ridiculously impractical. Provided you can get about fifty or sixty yards from the nearest house or road and use a sand-trap or something similar for a backstop, shooting is perfect. Discretion is, however, key.

Fair enough

terminator2

poulo6.5 wrote: »

thanks J G. for watching my back while i was away from my laptop, out shooting as it happens with my 6.5x55. i got my self a nice sika with a neck shot she didn't feel a thing. but i wouldn't use that on a fox in a built up area.

nor would i use my .223, that would be inappropriate for the task in hand.

now i assume its a proper pitch and put course like many i'v seen with banked up areas and sand traps and such,
and i also assume it would be on a couple of acres and not someone's back yard,
and i might be pushing it a little but i also assume that it would be landscaped using lovely soft soil covered in grass not that bullet proof stuff that bullets just bounce off ,:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

call me CRAZY for assuming all this , but never call me stupid :mad:

OK you are crazy and remember assumption is the mother of all f**c ups

Dvs

terminator2 wrote: »

OK you are crazy and remember assumption is the mother of all f**c ups

Hello Terminator2,
given that you subscribe to the view that assumptions are a bad idea,
you seem to be making an awful lot of them, regarding the lay of the land where the OP stated that there was a problem with a fox doing damage to the pitch and putt greens.

Unless you are privy to the layout and location of the pitch and putt course, potential danger areas, potential hazards, security means or lack thereof to contain the location to exclude members of the public while vermin control is taking place, locations of safe backstops, structures on the premises that would offer a safe shooting platform for a downward shot with safe backstop, if you are not privy to this information then you are arguing a position based on your own assumptions.

I however would not make such an assumption.

So do you have this information or not?

Dvs.

terminator2

okay lads you win call in the AC130 or maybe a predator missile the fox wont know what him :D

EPointer=Birdss

terminator2 wrote: »

okay lads you win call in the AC130 or maybe a predator missile the fox wont know what him :D

ah a COD MW2 man i see...:cool:
Addictive!

ferrete

why dont you just get a man with a good lurcher. you catch the fox without noise maybe just a cheer when the dog gets it lol but no guns etc are involved

dicky82

iv said it before ill say it again, its always the fox related threads (imo) that seem to spark the most conflicting opinions on here. :rolleyes: i wonder how the fox problem has been resolved in the end?

ivanthehunter

ferrete wrote: »

why don't you just get a man with a good lurcher. you catch the fox without noise maybe just a cheer when the dog gets it lol but no guns etc are involved

That might be O.K. in the countryside but we are talking about a built up area full of Walt Disney animal lover types!!

I can see the write up in the papers now!

Defenseless Fox is deliberately mauled by dog attack....Afterward and during the attack the dog handlers could be heard cheering and laughing at the animals demise, the whole incident was witnessed by a group of young children who were staying the night in a local house adjacent to the golf course. Local Green TD Mr Bosco said that unless FF voted this so called sport out of existence they would be required to break the government!!

tbh alive catch trap would be the most PC route that the owners could follow here! After the animal is detained it can either be released or destroyed off site..

These are dangerous time now that the greens are in so called power!!
The hunting and shooting community must be on its best behavior.
Alternatively we could go on the offensive and demand that our sport be reconsider as as sport and not a criminal activity allowed under licence.

terminator2

i did suggest that already Ivan........but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears:rolleyes::rolleyes: