I don't target red fox , but catch them in my coyote sets from time to time. I will keep a few adult males for tanning but like to release the females and smaller fox. I took a smaller male the other day partly because it got down to 15* over night and while i checked traps at first light, the foot was hard as a rock and ice cold. I have to believe that there would be no way the foot would recover if I released him. Am I correct in that thinking ? Would warming the foot with hand warmers prior to release do any good ?

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You might want to re-think fox. Here in cent MN, the taxidermist are paying a premium for full carcass fox for full body mounts. City guys want them for their man cave. Call your local fur buyer.

A animal with a frozen foot will lose that foot. You might as well pelt It out.

This....

That seems odd. I get them well below zero without that issue. I use laminated offset almost entirely. 15 is pretty balmy low here.

I always check the foot on any cats I release if the temps are mid 20s or lower. Some don't get released

Same here. I have told several people the same thing and no one wants to believe it.

Ours are so busy doing deer mounts most stopped doing any other mammals. I sell the ones I tan for good money, but only if I have a buyer ahead of time. I just like keeping a good population around so it not just about the money. No coyotes ever get released.

That's what I do if there is any foot damage at all, it gets skinned and tanned .

When you say "lose" , is that to say it will rot and fall off, or they will chew it off, or just be a dead foot ? Just curious. thanks

Not all coyote traps are fox foot friendly. MB 550's help. When I catch a fox and there is broken skin on both sides (#3 whatever and not laminated or cast) I will keep them. I'm more concerned with a coyote catching them without 4 good legs.