If I only take Males, will that increase the Fox population? I like having them around... they eat all the horse barn rats. I like trapping them too. I know they mate for life, if I take a male, will another mail replace it ??

Around here the only way to help the fox population is to kill coyotes. Other than diseases coyotes seem to have the greatest affect on the fox population.

Geese mate for life too...when one is killed they don’t mind finding a new life mate.
I’ve always been told that coyotes were the main issue for a lack of foxes. I remember as kids coons and fox was are main take in traps. Coyotes were few and far between. Now it’s just the opposite, Fox are few and far between. But, this past year I’ve seen and caught more than ever before. Eliminate one predator and another takes its place.

I have a rather low yore population
So I catch as many fox as I can from my properties
The lower the population the larger the litters
And I believe late season YOY is the best fur I can catch
Just how I see it

Wet dog hit the nail on the head for me. I took as many fox as I could the last two years on my line ( I have a good craft maker outlet for them) and I've seen more pups and the biggest litters than I've ever seen before. What is up in the air though is the question. Will the coyotes just have an easy feast of yearling fox?

Kill coyotes and leave the groundhogs alone.

We don't have Coyote's... In fact, my Fox population has no predator's.. They are top of the food chain around here. I'd just like to see more of them...

Just manage them then . around me the coyotes do a job on the fox when I was able to manage the coyotes year ago I was able to have the red fox show up more.

ask your local farmer to quit plowing in all there corn and bean scraps in the fall. more food for the fox by creating more food for the rodents.

Most guys never ever think about farming their line. During prices like this, one can easily watch over their line. Try backing off your catch if your really interested in having more fox. Our fox have started to come back. Coyotes about ruined the fox trapping.
Two seasons ago there was a farm I was on that had a litter of reds. Probably could have taken 4, 5 or 6. I stopped at two. Not every body has PB golden fox country where they just keep coming. Just like with fisher, use a bit of restraint. It may mean not trapping the entire season in an area but only five days.
Spend some effort in the winter putting out some feed where you have some foxes. Help them out. You cannot help them out if you take everyone.
Just a couple ideas.
Mac

Food, Cover and Water. Repeat--- Food, Cover and Water. That is the basis for all wildlife populations to survive and continue. Your (Everyone's) local fox population yearly densities (#'s per acre, per mile, per county etc.) were the highest about 8 weeks ago as the litters were being born. Now they (#'s) are slowly being reduced daily by the struggle to survive. That is Bio. 101..................... How do you keep that harvest # higher for for a fall/winter removal???? Kind of tough with so many factors playing against the "fox crop" but here is the way science looks at it. If you want the potential for more animals you need to focus on the one or more of those 3 parameters that is limiting your production. Assuming you can positively influence one or all 3 with what you have you then can fine tune your focus on reducing predators (removing coyotes) and possibly (I said possibly) limiting harvest. The best example is ----- If you want more pheasants you increase the the nesting COVER so more babes get born. Maybe you can or can't increase denning sites for the fox in your area (I'm talking county wide now not just the few farms most folks trap on)...... So -------------- you search for another "helpful" avenue (I am old enough to have bountied fox) to increase those #'s . An animal with the roaming instinct and range that a fox has (as shown through research) will have no trouble emigrating (out) of high pop. areas and immigrating (in) to areas of suitable/good HABITAT. The K factor (Carrying Capacity) will be solely dependent on that quality of F,C, and Water. But your yearly harvestable "Crop" will be based on the yearly environmental exposures. So K's and populations don't always jive. Those pop. #'s can be way above or below the K. Yearly fluctuations are bettered buffered by the Higher Quality of the K though....... Floods, droughts, winter stress, hail, diseases, predation, land use etc. all factor into that yearly "Crop".... Here in NE our fox will "pup" alongside highways, by cemeteries, edge of towns, golf courses etc. anywhere the coyotes don't like to hang out. We have a high enough badger population (the den makers) and food base to have a lot larger fox K and higher yearly pop. but the inter-specific competition with the coyote limits the actual yearly #'s. So when coyote prices go to 6.00 for a gorgeous fully prime North Dakota/Montana pale, and we get over-run with yotes, remember that competition thing if you want to "help" the fox #'s................... the mike

In one property I trap. I always catch the same number of fox as coyote. But just as he said. There are small towns around here that has fox roaming people's yards every night.

Selective release of females will not be a huge game changer for increasing populations and especially for species like fox that pair up. If you are releasing female coon, mustelids, etc. then that could be a bigger factor, As stated above habitat is the key factor. If you have small fields, woodlots, fence rows, rock fences, small towns and smaller farms etc. you will have more fox as the smaller (quicker) but not faster fox can do well in those habitats where the larger coyote does better with more open areas that the fox has disadvantages with. Also if you have good fox habitat it may mean that there are fewer yotes and thus less mange in the area.

Bryce