I keep seeing a couple of beutiful red foxes at one of my farms by our hay barns but I cant set a foothold because I risk catching our dogs or a new calf. Should I go after it with a firearm or are there any sets that I can make to deter dogs of calves? Would 12 gauge buckshot mess up fur too much?

How big is your dog?

Why aren’t snares an option?

Domestics do not respond the same as wild animals when captured.

Blind sets are a bit more effective than bait led or lured sets for non-target avoidance.

2 full grown border collies/McNab and a 5 month old border collie. What kind of snare set?

They are coming and going, find out where, (they are leaving sign of these places). Hang multiples in those travel ways.

Stay away from entanglements, clear them away if you have to.

The foxes have a beaten down path on one side of the barn. A #2 would be harmless to a dog the size of ours. I could make a trail set.

You're likely getting a bit past prime fur already. Calves won't get caught in a foothold unless you had massively oversized traps. Cows will screw up sets a bit.

You could try calling one in.