JohnGalway Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 (edited) . Edited September 3, 2009 by JohnGalway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 John it certainly better here than the recipe section ! Interesting study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Very interesting that although always classed as a voracious and vicious killer of all available livestock, there appears to be little evidence of this being true in this study. Could it be that foxes reputation has been tailored to justify the human desire to kill them perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Very interesting that although always classed as a voracious and vicious killer of all available livestock, there appears to be little evidence of this being true in this study. Could it be that foxes reputation has been tailored to justify the human desire to kill them perhaps? Unfortunately for the fox..their reputation always goes before them,and when you do get 1 that takes livestock you see just what they are capable of. Unluckily for the fox-or any animal for that matter-this world belongs to man,and any animal that interferes with it,particularly the livelyhood side,will always come 2nd. Found that very interesting John,particularly how many sheep your feeding them you need to get out more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seb Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Would a fox catch a cat that was alive or would it of eaten a dead one it found say run over at the side of the road? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Proof that Reynard is a great survivor...bit like Bear Grylis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted December 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 (edited) . Edited September 3, 2009 by JohnGalway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexm Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Where are they getting all the leather jackets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vole Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Voles ey? I have gone right off foxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted December 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 (edited) . Edited September 3, 2009 by JohnGalway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 955i, there is an abundance of evidence that the fox is a voracious killer of livestock. Like John, I also farm sheep (and cattle/poultry), and fox predation is a distinct and unequivocal problem if left unchecked. We've also had cats (burly farm cats, not those fat suburban things fed on Felix) killed by foxes. Any fox is fair game, no matter how young or old it is, and irrespective of the image of foxes being cute and fluffy as portrayed in hippy propaganda. The chap I shoot with is a vet, so the next time we go out lamping I will have a rummage through the foxes' stomachs for anything of note. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glogin Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Interesting study! I'm surprised there was no trace of deer meat. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted December 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 (edited) . Edited September 3, 2009 by JohnGalway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 (edited) as portrayed in hippy propaganda. Have to ask why it needs to be 'hippy' propaganda? Not everyone who would disagree with you is a hippy I can assure you. I am fully aware of foxes habit of taking livestock, but to be fair, why is shooting the fox the answer more than increasing the foxproofing on a chicken run? And why do I regularly come across people hunting them on large arable farms, or do they terrorise wheat as well*? I understand the need to get rid in certain places, but don't believe that this justifies killing foxes for the sake of it in all areas. That would be like saying that all dogs on farmland should be shot because some have been known to attack livestock. Not interested in getting into an argument about it, just my opinion *As an aside, one of these occasions was when myself and three colleagues were walking transects across farm land at night doing a bat survey. The hunters got very arsey and claimed to own the land when this was blatantly not true, and continued shooting with high power rifles despite the fact that there were members of the public walking around and they didn't know (or seem to care) where. Didn't do much for my impression of fox hunters to be honest! Edited December 18, 2008 by 955i Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Have to ask why it needs to be 'hippy' propaganda? Because I couldn't be bothered to type out 'Guardian-reading, soap-dodging, Labour-voting, newt-loving, fox-cuddling propaganda'. Do enlighten me about improving the fox-proofing on commercial poultry units. Most arable farms have some form of game shooting in operation, hence the zealous control of foxes. Shooting foxes is also very good fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 As an aside, one of these occasions was when myself and three colleagues were walking transects across farm land at night doing a bat survey. On a public footpath or with permissoin from the land owner i hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 I was going to mention that too, Magman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 On a public footpath or with permissoin from the land owner i hope Of course with permission, it was the farmer that wanted the windfarm we were surveying for. Unlike the hunters I may add who the farmer said he had no idea were going to be there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie 1 Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 its alrite fox proofing the chicken pens better and so forth however when you have a pheasant shoot you can't do that. once the pheasant leave the release pens it is up to preditor control to look after them and as foxes do travel a fair bit, you have to shoot all round your shoot which does include fields of wheat stubble etc. i don't know where abouts the foxes where that had there stomach analised but if they are close to john then the chances are they where shot around sheep. if that survey where done where i shoot i would estimate about 40% of the diet would be between pheasant and duck. this has also got me very curious so i will try and do a bit of research into what is in the stomachs of the foxes i shoot round here. charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 I suggest we start a campaign for foxes eating cats. Absolute waste of space is the cat LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth Stalker Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Very interesting, surprised not to see pheasant on the menu As for the shooting of foxes, when you get to your pen to find 81 out of 100 pheasant lying dead & decapitated in the space of a few hours, you soon change your mind And that was in a supposedly fox proof pen, underwired & electric fence SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenhunter Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Haven't read all the thread so don't know if anyone else has commented on this but I can say that a fox will take a cat if it can! Saw the remains of the proof as a much youngr man. Snow with blood with a circle of tracks, definitely fox, going round it. tracks of cat in tracks of fox in and out. Looked like the fox had circled the cat quite a few times before killing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted December 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 (edited) . Edited September 3, 2009 by JohnGalway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supersonic Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Where are they getting all the leather jackets? That Asian bloke on the market Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 I have seen a fox kill a cat myself (although hearing it happen was more unpleasant). Most cats are no match for a hungry fox. However we have three scrawny ASBO-wielding farm cats that have given opportunist foxes an absolute hiding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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