Hey Guys and Gals, it's been awhile but I have a Predator calling/hunting question

[DaMadman]

I went over my M-I-L's house last night because she told me she's got a fox over there behind her house (sits in the middle of 5 acres) and the fox is getting pretty daring lately. It sits back just inside the woods line just behind her back yard and barks and yips and growls. I don't trust foxes since the one that was in my Dad's back yard attacked the neighbor kid and it had rabies. So anyway I went over there with a few calls and at first I got no response. Well when I hit the Jackrabbit in distress call this fox started about 50 - 75 yards away and started barking and yapping and cam flyinging out of no where as fast as he could come straight to me and the caller I was using. It got about 15 yard away and I pulled him in the sights and CLICK. The freaking gun didn't go off. I was using a .22 semi auto and the bolt didn't close tight and the firing pin missed the shell. I tried to eject the shell manually and it hung and by this time the fox was literally 25 feet from me stopped stone still in it's tracks just staring at me. As I got the shell out of the chamber he ran around to my right and I got another round in the chanber and fire at him kind of running away.

I stayed in the area and tried calling it back in but he just kept circling around just out of range then finally after about 20 minute he ran off out of sight.

My Question is. now that I shat at this fox (which I now realize I probably shouldn't have) I probably should have just waited him out and let him go on away without shooting and went back after him tonight. But anyway hind site is 20/20 and I did shoot at him so the question is.......

How long should I wait to go back with a caller to try to call him back in now that I took a shot and missed.

Keep in mind this isn't a widwest fox or coyote it is an urban Fox that isn't sppoked by human sent and is very bold and unbothered by the presence of people, dogs or cats.

Le tme know what you think, how long should I wait before going back after him?

I want this fox gone as soon as possible because my Mother in law has a toy poodle and a cat that go out in the yard alone (normally) but she isn't letting them out by themselves since the fox showed up.

[DogYeller]

Use that Poodle for bait next time you call and make sure the gun will fire.

When my Airedale was still alive, I would take him when I went out and called. The coyotes were so focused on the dog they seldom knew I was there.

[DaMadman]

Now there's a good Idea. But I don't think the Mother in Law would like it...hehehehee

[Rocky Raab]

Call once more, from a different place, if possible. If he comes in, fine. If not, you may have burned yourself.

Try this: take a stick or long piece of heavy wire and hang a large feather from it on a string. Stake it out 25 yards or so from the woods edge. Call once. I have yet to meet a fox that wasn't mesmerized by the sight of a large feather twisting and wobbling in the breeze.

[fabsroman]

Hell, put a damn buffet of food out for him and shoot him when he comes to eat it. One of my friends used to leave breasted duck carcasses out behind the house for the foxes and they were always hanging around in his backyard. We could have shot them easily.

Another thing to think about is using a Model 870 instead of a .22 next time. I know you have a few handy, so take advantage of them. At 25 feet, a shotgun will do nicely, especially if they are running.

[BILLY D.]

Originally posted by fabsroman
Hell, put a damn buffet of food out for him and shoot him when he comes to eat it. One of my friends used to leave breasted duck carcasses out behind the house for the foxes and they were always hanging around in his backyard. We could have shot them easily.

Another thing to think about is using a Model 870 instead of a .22 next time. I know you have a few handy, so take advantage of them. At 25 feet, a shotgun will do nicely, especially if they are running.

4 Buck works real nice under those conditions.

If the Fox is rabid it will lose it's thought processing and become more daring in the future. They also lose their sight during the process and charge shadows, in all actuality they have no idea what they are charging, it's just their will that makes them act that way.

Best wishes, Bill

[DaMadman]

yeah I thought about using the shotgun BUT there is a neighbor about 200 yards from my mother in law's back yard and I didn't want to use the shotgun because of how loud they are. So I was using the .22 with Rocky's favorite .22lr round, the CCI Velocitors.

at 10 yards I think a Velocitor through the boiler room would have folded him up right quick. but I am taking the shotgun with me this time.

I am going back tonight to try calling him out. I will try that feather trick as well sound like it might be interesting to see what it does I have a bag of old turket feathers that I used to use for making fletchings for ornamental arrows. I am going to stop on the way home and get some fox Urine cover scent and I recorded several new distress calls. If I don't get him tonight or tomorrow night I am going to buy a leghold trap and thaw out some of the old freezer burned squirrel meat that I have in the back of the freezer and get him that way. I didn't want to mess with trapping it because I don't like the thought of an animal caught in a trap for hours on end, but...gotta do whatcha gotta do and that fox needs to be gone.

[PJgunner]

My experience calling in predators is restricted to coyotes and bobcats so what I'll say is supposition on my part
FWIW.usually, either a coyote of bobcat, if you miss them after they come into a call will never come back to either a call or the real thing again.
There is that old saying, "Smart like a fox." so just possibly he may not come back to the call. You never know.
I agree with the choice of the shotgun and #4 buck for several reasons. One, you might only get a running shot and two, there's the possibility of ricochets with the .22, and that's bad news.
I'll grant you the shotgun is a lot louder, but if you only fire one shot, odds are they'll never figure out where it came from, especially if you can shoot from a bit inside a doorway or other enclosure. Even if you're put in the open, it's hard to figure out where the shot came from.
Oh! If you do get him, wear plastic gloves when disposing of the body just in cast it might be rabid. Make sure you don't come in contact with any of the saliva. I hear the shots for rabies hurt like hell.
Good luck.
Paul B.

[YoungBuck14]

The only real possible way to contact rabies is through the saliva. gloves are prolly a good idea anyways but thats for fleas and such. I would use the shotgun cause a 22 can easily go 200 yards and buck shot will prolly wont go that far.

[Andy L]

Foxes are probably the dumbest of all predators when it comes to calling. Shouldnt be a problem to call him in again. 22lr is not enough gun either. Go with the shotgun. One blast usually doesnt get many folks attention.