I don't have a rabid fox job but there has been a recent outbreak of people and pets being bitten by one in my service area. Just wondering what the best approach would be if I was called on to try to trap one. My guess is that they would not be attracted to bait and probably wouldn't have any constant pattern. Any experience?

Stan, are you referring to the on over here in Henry County or have y'all had some in Fayette County as well? If Henry then there's been two fox and two coons come back positive as of last I heard in separate incidents each. The county animal control is doing mandatory quarantines in half mile radiuses of each incident and going door to door checking vaccinations of pets.
Never dealt with a rabid one myself but I would think standard trapping techniques would not apply if the animal in question was symptomatic. I do believe Henry County should be doing a population reduction of predators in the effected areas though to help curtail the spread. Besides I know the areas and they could use a good thinning.

Yes David that is the area I was referring to. I haven't heard of anything in Fayette county. I'm not expecting a rabid fox call....was just thinking how to proceed if the situation ever arises. I had one at my house years ago that did run a distinct linear back and forth pattern. Easy with a shotgun! Think they could be caught in a drift fence "armadillo" set if there was any rhyme or reason to their pattern.

This is why some states ban re-location and most all others "Discourage" it.

Right Big Bob. In GA we don't relocate rabies vectors except for excluding bats.

The reason why Alabama has the same watershed/same county rule on relocation as well. If you're going to relocate a disease at least it shouldn't spread to far from it source.

Yes.

Here is something that you may ( Or may not ) find interesting. Wisconsin has never had a raccoon test positive for rabies but, when I was a kid, rabies in foxes was prevalent. Or was it?

Unless you actually test the animal ( In our case that means Madison ) you have absolutely no idea if you are talking about rabies or distemper. The response of the animal is exactly the same.

I truly believe that at least 90% of animals that show signs of rabies are miss diagnosed. There is so little difference between rabies and distemper that unless the animal is tested ( And very few are ) you really can't tell the difference.

The vast majority of rabid animals do not run at you and bite. They have no fear of humans and can certainly sneak up and nail you. This is not ordinary, but I guess it can occur with squirrels. ( Who, by the way, are not very susceptible to the rabies virus )

The only animal that has been tested positive for rabies in my area, besides the bat, has been the striped skunk. I have never been bitten by a skunk although they have had more chances to bite me than most animals of their size. Skunks don't bite. So if you're ever bitten by a skunk, a rabies shot is probably your only chance of reading more of my excellent posts. ( Or even the dumb ones )

If you had what a skunk has you wouldn't have to bite! I have had personal contact with 2 foxes that I suspected to have rabies but as you say...neither was tested. One of them chased me across a field and "treed" me on a tractor that wouldn't run. Stayed under the tractor looking at me. I finally dove off the tractor and sprinted 80 yards and dove over my deck rail. He was right behind me. My 10 gauge turkey gun put him out of my misery. The other one spent 3 days and two nights going back and forth in a pattern on a woods road and never stopped barking. I finally met him at the end of his loop with a shotgun.....which stopped the barking.

dont know what the deal was with mine but had a grey tree me in my truck on the boat ramp late one night.I would try to bluff charge it several times ,just to get to my truck.Guess who won that standoff.

This is some really interesting stuff guys. Did these foxes run with a normal gait and in a straight line? I've been fox bit a couple times and they can really make you bleed. But they are the biggest wimps in the woods. I once knocked one cold by flicking a finger onto the tip of his nose just to see if I could do it. He was in a foothold of course.

P.S. Kelly, if I guessed that the fox won the standoff, that would mean that you sent this post from your smartphone and that you are still on that ramp. Should we come and get you?

Paul, I have no idea if the fox that chased me ran at a normal gait. I wasn't looking back!

So I'm going to take it that your gait was somewhat faster than normal.