Are you a predator hunter? You should consider it.

[Powerstroke]

I thought I would pass on a little story from the other night. I work in a west metro edge suburb and I work over nights. It is very common for me to see various predators while out and about.

The other night I was driving near some local businesses when I saw a red fox wandering through a parking lot. My first thought was " I wish I could shoot him", but I settled for watching him do his thing as he wandered through a world of concrete and asphalt. He picked his way along boulevards and landscaping until I saw him pull a 180* turn like a good bird dog who crossed a scent.

The fox hunted around for a few seconds then hopped up onto a raised planter and started sniffing in a large plant. To my surprise he emerged with a large white object in his mouth. He hopped down and walked a short distance. With my window down I could hear the fox crunch into something and chewed until the item was gone. He licked his paws and made his way back to the nest within the shrub.

I watched that fox make several trips to the nest until I'm sure he had consumed each of the duck eggs he found. I know mallards are known for nesting in landscape planters in the cities and this fox apparently has learned that too.

Needless to say, I was a little mad watching the whole thing. I realize its all part of the circle of life, but I was a bit upset about the damage this critter had caused in 5-10 mins.

So, I propose to you, if you're not a predator hunter in one way or another, you should consider it. Too many times I hear hunters from different walks who aren't interested in predator hunting. Between coyotes, fox, skunks, raccoons and other nest raiders, you can imagine the damage then can do over the course of a nesting season. Food for thought. Its just my opinion.

[Jmnhunter]

i would say fox, raccoons, and skunks are the worst enemies to nesting birds. coyotes actually have some benefit for ground nesting birds as they will kill those nest raiders and rarely hunt down birds (check out some delta waterfowl studies,PF, and DU studies). as far small mammals and even deer go, coyotes are a different story...

outdoor cats dont help either, atleast the fox ate what it took, cats usually kill for sport and leave the carcass, i've seen dead hen mallards in my parents yard with the throat ripped out is all.

..but I know how outdoor cats are loved by many here and get people riled up

[delcecchi]

We used to have a fox living in our neighborhood, but haven't seen it in a while. We now have herds of rabbits eating everything in sight.

Predators aren't all bad.

[brian6715]

I don't really see a reason to jump into predator hunting just because a fox ate some duck eggs. If we are that concerned about duck/bird populations, we should stop shooting them... the natural predators have more rights to the birds than us and something tells me they need them in order to stay alive more than we do

[DrJuice1980]

Can I hunt you then?

Thats some very questionable rationale there PowerStroke, very uneducated stance on management. Thats also the same mentality a lot of humans have against other humans, its all mine. You're pretty much admitting your guilt that everything is for you and nothing else.

[pushbutton]

Back in the 50's Chairman Mau went all terminator on the sparrows....because they ate some of the seeds planted in the fields. Thing is though the birds also ate bugs; and with no more sparrows, a few years later the unchecked insect population completely wiped a good portion of the farm crop, spread disease, and contributed to something like 30 million people dying. Having said that, I have way too many fox around and wouldn't mind a couple less

[delcecchi]

That's the thing, I only had one and now have none.

I do tend to have too many racoons and possums, but that's another story.

[pushbutton]

I'll trade a few of your coons and possum for a few fox. Since the fox proliferated over the last decade, scant few rabbits, gophers, coons, and skunks. Good and bad for everything I guess. Fox are eating themselves out of house and home though. They are not looking too good this year and suspect MA Nature will soon step in and correct the imbalance.

[leechlake]

young foxes were grabbing our golf balls on course near my house about four years ago. Healthy population that year.

[delcecchi]

I live on what was the fringe of Rochester, and there are a bunch of racoons around. I was talking to a friend a few blocks away and they have them too.

What's the rule on getting rid of them? The coon not the friends.

[DrJuice1980]

Fox are eating themselves out of house and home though. They are not looking too good this year and suspect MA Nature will soon step in and correct the imbalance.

Naw, I'll just grab ol blue and head out with my Elmer Fudd hat on. Kill em all.

lol

[Neighbor_guy]

I have been giving the red foxes a free pass the last year or two. There is a young one that holes up in the culvert across the street in the winter and suns herself our tar driveway in the spring as it holds the heat when the ground is still frozen. Does a good job cleaning up the frozen bait in the winter as well.

I do love predator calling/hunting and will knock down a dog or two in the winter. But in the spring I do really enjoy watching the Reds.

Coyotes is a different story, bang bang