Have a fox job at a local public school. Been getting humbled for over a week. All my usual tricks are not working. Have tried sweet stuff, mild bait and even some loud bait. Nothing but non-targets. Would be happy to hear some other ideas. Pride is out the window at this point, I'm looking for help.

Limited to cages only

Toby, Have no idea how your setting up or setting with, cages, foot traps ?

Red fox or grey fox?

Cages, as it is on school grounds.

Red fox

Is it wondering through? Den sight? What have you tried?

Den site(s) appear to be in the dry culverts on campus. There is a residential neighborhood nearby as well as some ag fields.

I'm limited to cages on the school campus. I have placed them in various locations and have used a variety of baits. Majority of the sightings are next to the football practice field so there is currently a lot of human activity in the immediate vicinity. Trying to place traps in good locations while minimizing visibility is limiting my options.

Have you tried live bait attached to your cages? Like a guinea or hen in a bait box...... In my experience, reds really do not like to work cages.

I operated an urban ADC business for about 25 years. I got out of the business several years ago. I was a believer in using drift fences for most ground set traps. We have many more gray fox than red fox.

Pigeon as bait.


Red fox on Dam.


Red fox in trap


My first attempt at trapping fox. I was mainly trapping armadillos, raccoons, skunks, etc. I got a call to catch a fox, so, I set some armadillo traps. This is what I caught the next day. Don't remember what I used for bait; probably a road killed squirrel

Toby, How about trying the ag fields, I'm sure they would be hunting the fields. Put some foot holds in along the edges, Bet ya get em.

Have you positive set the dry culverts? Have you used noise to scare them so they relocate on their own?

Have not tried live bait in the cages. That would be a new experience for me and equipment wise I do not believe I am adequately set up for it.

We have a very limited number of foxes in our area and most that I catch are in an urban setting. In the few fox jobs I've been a part of over the years, catching them has never been this frustrating.

Do not have permission in the ag fields, however I agree with you that they are probably spending significant time there.

The dry culverts are too visible for me to comfortably set traps in. Lots of foot and pet traffic in this area so I am being overly cautious.

No noise to scare them, but I think my general presence in the middle of their "comfort" zone has caused them to vacate the area. The director of maintenance says the sightings have completely stopped.

Do reds have a seasonal shift in home ranges around this time of year or do the family groups disband this early in the fall?

Do you have seasonal food sources starting to get ripe? Persimmons, wild grapes, apples, figs and who knows what else? If so, they will certainly take advantage of them. The last chicken killing reds I caught were visiting the dropping persimmon tree on the same property but 100+ yards from the chickens. They would not go in cages but did work foot hold sets. I had to work early and late and cover traps during the day without making them stick out like a sore thumb. Place was open to the public 9-3 and lots of neighbors. Was not an easy task.

There may be a few fruit trees in neighbors back yards around the school???

But, I ended the job without any target catches. The director of maintenance was appeased since there were no more sighting in recent days.

Sometimes that's the resolution that makes them happy. Not for us but problem solved or problem moved equals happy client.