I'm going to loan a cage trap to a friend to catch a grey fox that is harassing his cat. I told him to be prepared to catch every critter around before the fox. Would a fruit type of bait be the best to attract the fox without attracting the cat (grapes)? Is there anything that will attract the fox without attracting coon, possum, and skunk?

Thanks for your help.

Use the cat!




But seriously, is there a den, path of travel, etc that he can take advantage of?

Ive used fresh fish with good luck of not catching any coon, possum or skunk

Do you even have coon, opossum or skunk in Alaska?

If you don't have any commercial fruit paste baits I would suggest trying some Smuckers Strawberry jam or Concord Grape jellies.

His lot is probably an acre with several neighbors will similar size lots and they are all on a wooded hillside at the edge of town. I haven't been the property to check for dens or trails. This is not a paying job for me so I'm just loaning a trap to a friend. I'm sure the first thing he will catch is a skunk and he tell me to come get my trap. LOL

The last time I loaned a cage trap to a friend it ended up at the bottom of a creek. He wanted to catch some armadillos and I set them up for him with the understanding that he would take the armadillos out and keep them set. He caught three or four armadillos just fine. I was out of town on vacation and he called me about a skunk in one. I told him how to cover it up and how to handle it. He didn't fully follow my instructions. He had a tarp tied around the trap with a rope and threw the whole thing in a creek. The tarp floated and the trap sank with no rope attached to it. He bought me another trap but some fisherman probably got a surprise if they were able to pull the trap in.

Was the trap tagged with your name and number on it?


With no obvioustrails, I'd look for natural pinch points. The best bait/trap combo in the world won't work if the target never sees it.

I think I'd help him place the trap. Your experience trapping could very well mean the difference between success and failure for him.