Allotments 4 All

This pest was in a field full of lambs. The shepherd says he has lost a lot to him or his clan. After taking the picture I turned on the flash gun on the camera and it scared him away, but for how long I do not know.

hi, i'm sorry to say it's only wild life - to kill or be killed, the fox is only doing what he know best, to feed him self or any young, can you blame him or her, but what can we do, cant send them to a shop, to think not so long ago people stopped fox hunting, yes i'll hold my hands up and say it was a wrong way of sorting the problem out, and i dont like seeing them chasing an animal around the country side with dogs untill they drop, people having fun on horses, calling it sport, shooting or gasing them are wrong aswell, but new ideas need to be thought of with dealing with foxes, as they will do loads of damage to livestock giving the chance, just ask a farmer who has had all his hens killed over one night by a fox, but as you say how long will it be before the fox enters the field and kills the lambs, :'(  there's even a bigger problem with them in the towns now, killing cats, people's pets in gardens, so what do we say look at the nice fox or bad fox for killing the lamb
catch you all later,
windygale,
ex- farmworker who has cleaned up after a fox-and who's living in the country side still,

What a lovely picture Palustris.  You must have been thrilled to see it so close.

Don't believe everything you hear about foxes and lambs.  Much of this is put about in the hope that the hunting ban will be reversed.  In the website below you will find quoted:
"For instance in the vast majority of cases, post-mortem evidence has proved that lambs taken by foxes are likely to be either already dead, or weak, non-viable lambs."
http://www.workingforwildlife.org.uk/reserves/fox.htm

People have said that foxes take cats too.  I have photos of my late mother's cat Kylie, happily sitting in the garden with a fox and her cubs.  I now look after Kylie and she is quite a small cat so it isn't as if the fox would have been frightened of her.  I will look out the pics sometime and post one on here.

Some interesting thoughts there Windy.  I too can see both sides of the argument.  Where we used to live our neighbour often had small lambs living in the bottom oven of his aga, recovering from attacks by crows and other carrion. They would try and take the eyes out of the little ones.  Not much you can do about them other than lay in wait and shoot the buggers, then hang the carcass from a tree to keep others away.

hi , paulines7, i can only speak for myself, but i or my family have suffered with loss of 1 cat, 3 pet rabbits and a guinee pig over three nights, try telling that to two kids of 5 a fox is a nice animal,

Mini, i have seen people shooting foxes some good shots and some not, and thats a problem they run off and die a bad way in pain, yes crows are a big problem, next thing will be the big owl taking all the lambs to feed on

stil catch you all later
windy

We have lost hens and ducks to foxes over the last 10 years. The farmer nearby reports losses of piglets from his outdoor reared animals. The fox pictured was  actively stalking a very viable lamb when I took this picture. He only ran when he caught my scent. And yes I know it is in his/her nature. And yes I too do not see the point of chasing foxes all over the place with a pack of dogs (especially as the kill rate is so low). A firend did a research study at University and the conclusion was almost inescapable that foxes(until they moved into towns) only survived because hunting persons preserved them to chase. This argument about good or bad is futile. The fox comes hunting my fowl I will shoot it. It is my nature to protect that which is my own!

windygale, I am sorry to hear of your loss but you must take responsibility for having your rabbits and guinea pig in living accommodation where predators could get to them.  

As to the cat, I don't understand why it was killed.  How did you know it was by a fox?  What was the cat doing out at night anyway?  The Cat Protection League avocate that cats should be kept in when it is dark.  

At the end of the day windygale, you cannot blame any animal for destroying your pets.  It could have been another cat, stray dog (yes, we get quite a few in Salisbury Plain area), buzzard, stoat or weasel.  Yes, it probably was the fox that got the rabbits and guinea pig but then rabbit is their staple food.  It was your responsibility to keep them safe and you cannot blame the fox.

Super pic. again Eric.  and I agree with everything you say about the Fox.  Handsome beast but a pest nonetheless.

I hope there is no heated debate on fox hunting now. 

;) ;)

hey pauline7, do you live close to me, i live at upavon, and no this will not turn out to be a heated debate or slanging match,

my work mate next door saw the fox coming out of the shop bought rabbit's wire cage with it in it mouth, he chase it in the field hoping the fox would drop it but when through a hedge and then lost sight of them both,
i was shopping and other times working late, as we do on most farms,

with refs to the cat, she was a wild cat that just turned up on our door step on day and made a home with us, she only ever wanted to live in my shed, and i was happy to allow her to do that, but for her to stay in door was a no no as she went up the walls, curtains,  if you shut a door after her

responsibility- we can only try to do our best with the time, tools and money we have, but if your out or working you cant keep a check on others like wife & kids actions, we put our trust in shop bought products and when they go wrong what do we do, its to late to run  and ask for a new pet because the item failed,
now i have dogs and cats and they get on well together, but the cats still go out nights and sleep in the shed even though they have beds in side

catch you later
windy

I think enough said, we will agree to disagree!!

Yes, I am not that far away from you, about 10 miles as the crow flies, in fact you are probably closer than anyone else on the board.