Can You Trap and Relocate These Foxes?

“I don’t want their den here", is a very common statement said to us.

First Things First: Take a Breath, We Find That Most Fears Come from Myths

Have you discovered a fox den on your property? Maybe it’s tucked under your shed, under your deck - and now you’re wondering if you should be worried… do you swear it’s eyeing your Chihuahua or your 3-year-old child like a snack? Valid concerns - but the good news is, most of these fears come from myths and misunderstandings about foxes.

Why We Don’t Recommend Removal

The above request - asking for removal of foxes - is one of the most common messages we get in the spring. And the easy answer is, well, we could try, but we almost always are unable to trap the entire family, and it often results in unnecessarily orphaned babies, heartbroken parents searching for their young (or a distraught mate looking for its bonded partner), and a scattered family. Let’s take a few minutes to sort out fact from fiction:

We’re Glad You’re Here

To start, we completely understand your concern about seeing foxes on your property, and we’re so glad you did your research (or that you reached out, depending on how you stumbled upon this write up) before taking any action. Before jumping to the conclusion of wanting them removed, please take a minute to read a little education about the species - because there are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about foxes that we want to help clear up. After years of experience, we’ve noticed that most homeowners feel much more comfortable about foxes denning on their property once they learn a little bit more about them. It’s also important to know that all wildlife - including foxes - have fewer and fewer natural places left to raise their young. Often, attempting to move one family - or a single fox - out of their territory just opens the space for another to move in, without truly solving the concern.

The Truth About Fox Behavior

The good news is that foxes are non-aggressive animals that prefer to avoid people whenever possible. Unless a fox is a rare case affected by a neurological virus like rabies - which in Red foxes often commonly presents as paralysis rather than aggressive, attack-mode behavior - they prefer to avoid conflict. They aren’t a threat to you, your children, or most pets (aside from unsecured, prey-type, outdoor animals, like rabbits or chickens). In fact, their presence is a good thing - it almost always means there’s an abundant rodent population there (mice and rats make up the majority of their diet), and foxes provide excellent natural pest control.

Don’t Worry - It’s Temporary

It’s also important to know that their stay is temporary. Fox families typically leave by midsummer once the kits are old enough to travel. Most fox families even change den sites partway through baby season - a pattern that suggests they often use one den for their newborns and then relocate to a second one as the kits grow into rowdy teenagers. Who knows - maybe they sense they’ve left too much scent behind and instinctively seek out a safer, fresher spot that’s less likely to attract larger predators.

A Note for Chicken Owners

If you have chickens, it’s especially important to supervise free-ranging in the spring and summer - not just because of foxes, but because all predators, including hawks, owls, and non-fox land predators, have young to feed. My own sister, for example, free-ranges her flock daily, but only while she’s sitting outside next to them so she can shoo away any hungry visitors if needed. A little extra caution goes a long way.

When you raise prey-type animals, it’s important to expect that predators will be interested. If enclosures aren’t fully secured (including dig guards and aerial protection, also with small enough openings to protect from rats, weasels, mink, etc.), wild animals will naturally take advantage - not out of malice, but simple instinct. We know it’s frustrating to lose animals you care about, but if prey species like chickens are left unsecured, it’s unfair to blame a wild predator for doing what it’s instinctively wired to do - find an easy meal to survive.

What About My Dog or Cat?

First and foremost, did you know that under all that fluff, most wild foxes actually weigh less than your average domestic house cat? Though you may find a "big" 12 pound male here and there, many don't even weigh in at 10 pounds. When it comes to small dogs and cats, foxes don’t view them as “prey”. They can instinctively tell they’re fellow predator-type animals. A fox might chase a dog or cat away if the pet accidentally/purposefully stumbles upon the den entrance and the parents are trying to defend their kits. Theoretically, this may result in a nip on the tail or rump, though truthfully, I've only seen a nip like that happen once in 13+ years of fox rescue. 

Otherwise, foxes are very intelligent canines - they often become familiar with homeowners and predator-type pets they see regularly, sometimes forming a cautious but curious “long-distance relationship.” Their comfort in sitting out and watching people isn’t aggression - it’s just awareness and adaptability. We've even seen videos circulating on social media where wild foxes befriend dogs and cats. We also see a lot of videos of foxes approaching feral cat feeding stations, only to hesitantly wait on the sidelines until the (intimidating) cats have their fill.

Enjoy the View

We encourage you to enjoy the rare and special glimpse you have into their world! Foxes are incredibly family-oriented. Mates usually bond for life and both mom and dad actively and affectionately raise and care for the kits. Even if something devastating happens to Mom, for example, Dad will attempt to raise the family himself - they are amazing, loving parents. The babies are adorably foolish and playful, and getting to witness their antics is truly one of the small gifts of coexisting with wildlife!

What to Do If You Don’t Want Them Back Next Year

If you’d like, we are happy to advise on any behaviors you notice as the babies grow - and once the family has dispersed, if you decide you definitely don’t want them returning next year, we recommend boarding up any entrances and exits to prevent future denning. Be sure to also add a dig barrier - such as a 2' wide strip of fencing laid on the ground, perpendicular to your boards, which you can bury with a layer of dirt. Again, please only do this after the family has left. If you do this, we also advise keeping an eye on the site at the end of the following winter/beginning of spring, to make sure no new entrances are being created.

Can I Ethically Encourage Them to Leave?

If you still don't want them there after reading through this article: It is definitely possible to ethically haze a family of foxes from a den site if you are adamant about not coexisting with them, though this must be done carefully to avoid causing the parents to abandon their kits. 

Doing one or all of these three things is usually enough to make them feel unwelcome enough to leave:

​

1. Simply increase human presence near the den site during the day. I know, it sounds too good to be true, but it usually works.

2. Set one or two large, random manmade objects - such as a lawn chair or large punch balloon - about 15-20 feet away. You can get creative with the objects you use, and you can move them around a touch (to make them appear even sketchier to a fox) a couple times per day.

   • They are very suspicious of large, human-smelling objects, which is actually the reason it can take weeks to successfully trap a sick one, no matter how hungry they are.

   • Please avoid placing anything directly over the den entrance, as this can intimidate the parents so much that they abandon the site and leave the kits behind.

3. Play a radio close to - but not blaring directly over - the den site during the day. This will give the illusion that human activity is higher outside of their den. Turn this off at night, so they don't bunker down in there and avoid coming out to avoid said humans. 

​

Though it sometimes happens in one day, the parents often do this over the span of a couple overnights, because it's a lot of work to move a whole family. Please be patient.

Thank You for Caring

If you made it this far, it shows that you care and that you're willing to learn. Thank you for caring about our wild neighbors!