wildlife in back yard -what to do about it?

[TsPoet]

My mom lives in Albuquerque. She is in the "foothills", but surrounded by homes, a couple of miles from open area.
Her dogs have treed a fox in her back yard. What can/should she do about it? It's after 5 there, so is it too late to call anyone, even if she knew who to call?

[SadieKate]

How about she just takes her dogs indoors or elsewhere for a while? The fox will manage to get down during the night if it doesn't have to contend with the dogs.

http://www.pacificwildlifecare.org/docs/LivingwithFoxes.pdf


FOX FACTS
This canid has well-developed teeth; strong nonretractable claws; and acute senses of smell, sight, and
hearing.
The gray (or tree) fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is common in San Diego County. Fox have long
bodies, relatively short legs, pointed noses, bushy tails, and large, pointed ears. Gray foxes average
three to four feet long, including the tail, and weigh 7 to 13 pounds.
Their basic color is grizzled gray with a distinctive black streak along the top to the black tip of the tail.
They are rusty yellowish on the feet, legs, sides, neck, and back of the ears.
Gray foxes are found in suburban and rural areas alike; they reside in all the small canyons and brushy
areas. They prefer chaparral and open forests and den in hollow logs, beneath boulders, or, sometimes,
in ground burrows. They are often seen in areas that are seemingly well populated by humans due to
the ever present crush of progress.
Gray foxes are omnivorous, eating small mammals, insects, fruits, birds, eggs, and carrion. They will
not harm a domestic adult cat or small dog. They are timid, elusive, and primarily nocturnal.
They are the only true tree-climbers among canids, climbing to sun themselves or to escape predators.
They can scale just about any kind of fencing, climb trees, telephone poles, etc. They are sometimes
seen on rooftops of houses and buildings. Gray fox are also good swimmers and can run up to 20 mph.
Territories can vary from 100 to 2,000 acres, depending on habitat quality, food availability, population
density, and competition with other species. Gray foxes can live to be six to eight years old, but most
die within the first year from disease, predation, accidents, trapping, and hunting. They have a loud
bark and also squeal and growl. Their anal scent glands give off a powerful odor.
Foxes' primary enemies are large predators, including eagles, large owls, bobcats, domestic dogs,
coyotes, and humans. They will not attack a human but will fight to protect their young. Their defenses
include elusiveness; when threatened, gray foxes climb trees. Many foxes are shot or poisoned by
farmers concerned about their livestock, or are hunted or trapped for their fur.
Because of dwindling natural habitat, foxes have adapted to living more closely with people. Foxes in
the wild normally do not kill more than they need to eat. Foxes perform a valuable service to humans
by controlling the small-rodent (mice, gophers, moles, rats) population, so they should be viewed by
humans as an ally. Usually this benefit far outweighs the occasional damage they may cause.
Gray foxes mate for life. Both parents share the duties of hunting and caring for their young.
Oftentimes one of the parents will do the hunting while the other stays near the den to protect their
young from any potential danger. The male will not den with the female and their young, but he is
always somewhere close by.
Gray foxes will try to find the safest place they can to have their young -- natural rock and tree cavities,
sometimes under decks, sheds, and small outbuildings. They will usually return to the same den site
each year.
Gray foxes with families are only temporary visitors. Once the young are weaned (about 3 months), the
parents will relocate their family.
Gray foxes can sometimes be nuisances. Young Gray foxes, just out on their own for the first time,
enjoy digging in flowerbeds, marking their new found territories and playing together in your backyard.
Tips
1. Do not feed the fox. They can easily become dependent on human food sources.
2. Never leave pet food outside.
3. Never discard edible garbage where fox can get to it.
4. Secure garbage containers and eliminate their odors. Use a small amount of ammonia or cayenne
pepper in the garbage to discourage scavenging.
5. Restrict use of birdseed. Fox are attracted to it and to the birds and rodents that use the feeder.
6. Foxes den only during breeding season. Be patient and allow them to remain; the parents and
young will abandon the den by the time the young are three months old. If you cannot wait that
long, any kind of disturbance, such as loud noises and human scent, will likely cause the vixen to
move to another den. Once she is aware of the danger, allow her the opportunity to move her
young without threat of harm.
7. Make sure the henhouse or other enclosure is well protected. Use heavy- gauge mesh wire to cover
up holes in the structures and keep out most potential predators. Since foxes can climb over or dig
under fences, a completely closed-in structure is best.
8. Install small gauge wire fencing around the perimeters of decks. Spray an ammonia/water solution
under the deck; strategically place mothballs around the area.
9. Trapping is not a good idea. Foxes mate for life, and it is almost a certainty that only one of the
mated pair will be caught. Foxes are also territorial; if you trap successfully, other individuals will
move into the area.
10. Pick that fruit as soon as it ripens.
11. Battery operated flashing lights, tape recorded human noises, scattered moth balls and ammoniasoaked
rags strategically placed may deter foxes from entering your yard.
12. Avoid using pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
13. Do home repairs in the fall. This will prevent nursing babies with vixen from being trapped inside.
14. Clear brush piles from your property.
15. Burying wire or cement blocks around the bottom of a fence will discourage digging.
If you do not mind sharing your space with Gray foxes, enjoy observing them with binoculars when
they visit. Watch for movement along hedges, fences, bushes lining streams, and other places where a
fox would feel comfortable with cover close by. Foxes living in areas where hunting is forbidden tend
to be less shy.
Copyright 2004 Project Wildlife
http://www.projectwildlife.org/living-fox.htm

[TsPoet]

How about she just takes her dogs indoors or elsewhere for a while? The fox will manage to get down during the night if it doesn't have to contend with the dogs.

http://www.projectwildlife.org/living-fox.htm[/I][/INDENT]

thanks, I think that's her exact plan. Dogs are locked up. She'll walk them (out front) at least once before bed and check on the fox/tree in the morning.
I think you are right, It'll probably make its way down and away after dark sometime.
cool photo opportunity at least.

[Kathi]

We have coyotes and foxes in our neighborhood and in foxes in our mountain neighborhood. If you do nothing it will leave on its own. I don't know about fox but when coyote packs are removed new packs move in. I've not heard of fox going after dogs but do know that coyote will kill small dogs and cats. Do not leave any kind of food (bird, pet food etc.) outside as that will keep them around and keep garbage in tightly enclosed containers. We are told to make loud noises, throw pebbles, not rocks or put pebbles in a can and shake it anything to scare coyotes and foxes away. The foxes were probably there first and are losing their fear of humans. Anything you can do to make it fearful will keep it away and most likely save its life. It probably has a den somewhere nearby, not sure what their range is, and will leave on it's own.

[SadieKate]

I'd be getting the photo also! I always have Bubba drive down a certain road in Idaho when we happen to be in the area after dark. It's like I have a 6th sense about a fox showing up. Considering the great horned owls in the area also, I bet there are a ton of rodents.

[missjean]

That photo is pretty cool! I didn't know foxes could climb trees, but, I guess the possibility of getting ripped apart by dogs would make a fox do amazing things!


.

[Biciclista]

Oh how beautiful!

[lph]

Aw :)

I know they're pests and all, but they're just so darn beautiful!

[TsPoet]

Just an update - as predicted the fox was gone in the morning.
(s)he really was beautiful. they might be pests, but no harm was done and a beautiful picture was taken, so a very happy occurring.

[spokewench]

Lovely in all ways

[OakLeaf]

They're only pests if you keep chickens. :D

I consider myself lucky whenever I see a fox. It's pretty rare, they're around but they're really shy. I'm more likely to see them as roadkill than alive. :(

[lph]

I rode by a fox just the other morning! Ambling around beside the bike path past IKEA, sniffing for scraps :) That one wasn't shy at all, but maybe it just didn't recognize me as a human in all my winter gear :rolleyes:

[OakLeaf]

If your avatar is you in your winter gear, then I might not recognize you as human, either. :p :cool:

[lph]

*snork* :D

[Trekhawk]

WOW! I had no idea a fox could climb a tree. Great pic.:)

[malkin]

Very foxy!