Fox

[Seshat]

No, not the news channel.


We have a pair of rabbits - siblings. They live happily enough in our front yard.

We now have a fox who knows they're there.

So far, keeping the gate closed at night has kept them safe. Our fence is 2m high - a little over 2 yards. The front is metal, the side fences are wood. Tall gates separate the front and back yards.


However, I would appreciate advice. We may end up finding a way to bring them inside for night.

[LillFilly]

How about a cut-out or figure of an even bigger animal; a deer or a coyote or one of those fake owls - something a fox wouldn't mess with. Or sprinkle a bottle of predator scent around the yard, but then that might scare the rabbits.

You could give them something that they can hide in that would be too small for the fox to get into; like a pipe into a tupperware storage container 'house'

Good luck, we've had a Hoot Owl and Cooper's Hawk eying our rabbits for months; and a few neighborhood cats, but at least our rabbits are bigger than the cats.

Do you live in an area farmed for zoning? Get a goose, they're good protectors.

Problem is that foxes are so clever. Good luck outsmarting him/her!

[protege]

Problem is that foxes are so clever. Good luck outsmarting him/her!

Whatever you do, don't try to corner them. Foxes can be *quite* nasty critters!

[Greenday]

My house is right next to a small woodsy area. There's a fox that's been living there and I'd love to get rid of it by any means. It sounds like a damn banshee. Not only that, but it won't stop it's screeching for a long time at night. It drives my dogs nuts, them being natural fox hunting dogs. I'd send my beagles after them, but the one is too old and I don't want my dogs to get hurt.

[LillFilly]

My house is right next to a small woodsy area. There's a fox that's been living there and I'd love to get rid of it by any means. It sounds like a damn banshee.

Kinda like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk1mAd77Hr4

That is just such a crazy sound, not beautiful or regal at all; and that FACE! He's like "Yo! You! My Forest!"

[Lyse]

My uncle used to have a largish hutch that had a second hutch inside to prevent the foxes from being able to reach in and grab And then pull pieces out - guess it worked, he swore by it for keeping rabbits and chickens safe.

[crazylegs]

Shotgun?

Crazylegs

[wolfie]

Do you live in an area farmed for zoning? Get a goose, they're good protectors.

Shouldn't that be "zoned for farming"?

[Greenday]

Kinda like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk1mAd77Hr4

That is just such a crazy sound, not beautiful or regal at all; and that FACE! He's like "Yo! You! My Forest!"

Exactly. I've seen it a bunch of times. There's just nothing I can legally do about it. NJ is kinda anti-gun and shooting in a heavy residential area would probably be looked down upon.

And now I'm thinking about loading that video and playing it outside my sister's window.

[Seshat]

The department of primary industries representative told us that Australia has more urban foxes than rural ones - that the one we've seen probably represents a dozen we haven't.

So we've decided to act as if the rabbits are eternally in danger from foxes, and have completely changed our plans for their living arrangements.

Their permanent hutch will be indoor - their temporary housing right now is in the shed, which is fox-secure. (Concrete floor, so no burrowing.)

We're also getting a playpen or some other rabbit-proof temporary construction, and we'll take them out during the day when we can supervise them, and sit in the pen with them and have some 'quality rabbit time' with them and the grass and the outdoors.