Young foxes

Varminting and vertebrate pest control. Small game, hunting feral goats, foxes, dogs, cats, rabbits etc.

Young foxes

Post by NTSOG » 07 Nov 2019, 8:58 am

G'day,

I'm wondering when I should start seeing juvenile foxes running around here in Victoria? How old are they when they start roaming?

Jim
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Stix » 07 Nov 2019, 10:03 am

Now...!!
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Re: Young foxes

Post by flutch » 07 Nov 2019, 10:57 am

dont know about victoria but they have been running around since august here in WA
Guns:
Rossi S/S 410
Lanber U/O 12 gauge
Adler B220PG 12 gauge
Ruger 22lr
Remington 270 win
Howa 223
Weatherby 300 Winmag

Bows:
G5 Quest Drive
G5 Prime Defy
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Blr243 » 07 Nov 2019, 11:21 am

6 weeks ago I was seeing cubs running around big piles of logs ( their den with mum) two weeks ago I was seeing four foxes feeding on a pig I had shot I assumed they were young and related. One of them can b seen in the background in a video of a big boar that I shot a couple of weeks back ... gotta get my act together and post up that vid
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Oldbloke » 07 Nov 2019, 2:21 pm

8 days ago shot a bitch fox. Tits were still drying up.
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Stix » 07 Nov 2019, 2:22 pm

Oldbloke wrote:8 days ago shot a bitch fox. Tits were still drying up.

I bet they're dry now...
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Re: Young foxes

Post by YoungBuck » 07 Nov 2019, 2:23 pm

I've read February (for Aus) is when they are pushed out of the den to be independent.
It'll shoot the fleas off a dog's back at five hundred yards, Tannen, and it's pointed straight at your head!
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Oldbloke » 07 Nov 2019, 2:26 pm

Yep, they looked dry tuesday evening. Lol
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Re: Young foxes

Post by flutch » 07 Nov 2019, 3:28 pm

YoungBuck wrote:I've read February (for Aus) is when they are pushed out of the den to be independent.



um no, just no
Guns:
Rossi S/S 410
Lanber U/O 12 gauge
Adler B220PG 12 gauge
Ruger 22lr
Remington 270 win
Howa 223
Weatherby 300 Winmag

Bows:
G5 Quest Drive
G5 Prime Defy
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Jon79 » 07 Nov 2019, 8:17 pm

Caught this one a few weeks ago
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Stix » 07 Nov 2019, 8:41 pm

Jon79 wrote:Caught this one a few weeks ago

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

What ya doing with that little cutie Jon79...? :)

Trying it out for a pet...?...or did you dong it...with a 12g :unknown:

I rekon they are magnificent looking creatures...Still dont know why i shoot something i admire so much... :lol:
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Blr243 » 07 Nov 2019, 9:10 pm

Up on cape York many yrs ago I caught a dingo pup that size. It tried to bite me at every opportunity
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Re: Young foxes

Post by NTSOG » 08 Nov 2019, 5:59 am

HI Jon79, how old do you reckon that pup was?

Jim
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Re: Young foxes

Post by YoungBuck » 08 Nov 2019, 7:56 am

flutch wrote:um no, just no

OK Mr flutch, please post some information to back your claim about why I'm wrong.

Here's mine:
http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agricultu ... ls/red-fox
...Cubs emerge from the den at around six weeks of age and by 8-10 weeks the cubs abandon the den and live on the surface.
At three months of age they hunt for small animals and gradually gain independence by January-February...
It'll shoot the fleas off a dog's back at five hundred yards, Tannen, and it's pointed straight at your head!
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Stix » 08 Nov 2019, 8:43 am

NTSOG wrote:HI Jon79, how old do you reckon that pup was?

Jim

Id hazzard a guess its 9 weeks 8 days old...lol...

Nah...probably between 8 - 12 weeks old is my guess...
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Re: Young foxes

Post by flutch » 08 Nov 2019, 4:46 pm

YoungBuck wrote:
OK Mr flutch, please post some information to back your claim about why I'm wrong.


because they don't they're out running around well before then, well well well well before then and I dont need some numpty government pen pusher website to give me that idea, the fact you had to look it up and I know for a complete fact that they can be out independent confidently by September and not a day later than the start of November and after shooting them for the last 26 years consecutively I think I would have a pretty conclusive idea.
Guns:
Rossi S/S 410
Lanber U/O 12 gauge
Adler B220PG 12 gauge
Ruger 22lr
Remington 270 win
Howa 223
Weatherby 300 Winmag

Bows:
G5 Quest Drive
G5 Prime Defy
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Jon79 » 08 Nov 2019, 10:26 pm

NTSOG wrote:HI Jon79, how old do you reckon that pup was?

Jim


Dunno at a guess I’d say 6-8 weeks? It had lost all the brown colouring the real young ones have and had ventured a good 500m from the den so starting to get out and about
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Jon79 » 08 Nov 2019, 10:30 pm

Seemed to think he was invisible
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Re: Young foxes

Post by NTSOG » 09 Nov 2019, 5:15 am

flutch: ''they can be out independent confidently by September and not a day later than the start of November.''

Is that time-line likely to differ between states, i.e. would they be out earlier in warmer northern climes than in say Victoria?

Jim.
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Re: Young foxes

Post by NTSOG » 09 Nov 2019, 7:53 am

The reason I asked about when young foxes start roaming is that the little blighter in the photos attached has been coming around to my usual bait station for a few nights. To my unskilled eye it looks immature, much like a domestic puppy looks 'soft', lighter in build and undeveloped in comparison to an adult dog. Could this little fellow be one of this season's 'crop'? He's pretty regular with his timing: between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM for one or two visits per night.

He's going to have to come at an earlier hour before I have a crack at him, especially with the weather the last few days.

Jim
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Stix » 09 Nov 2019, 9:24 am

NTSOG wrote:The reason I asked about when young foxes start roaming is that the little blighter in the photos attached has been coming around to my usual bait station for a few nights. To my unskilled eye it looks immature, much like a domestic puppy looks 'soft', lighter in build and undeveloped in comparison to an adult dog. Could this little fellow be one of this season's 'crop'? He's pretty regular with his timing: between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM for one or two visits per night.

He's going to have to come at an earlier hour before I have a crack at him, especially with the weather the last few days.

Jim

Hey NTSOG...

Thats not a pup mate...well not to my vision anyway..having said that there is nothing for size comparison in the pic..but that fox looks fully formed to me & so has got to be atleast 6 months old, which given the time of year it must be at least a year old.

If its just started showing up, it may well be a vixon who;s kids are moving well onto solid food & off the boob now, &/or they pups are now old enough for her to leave the nest & fill her belly to make more milk... .

I often come across vixens (shoot them) that are quite small & you'd swear they were pups when walking up to them & pick em up...
They can a good bit smaller in the head & shorter in the snout as compared to a male, & sometimes their head form can look like a cat at a distance under a spotlight--more rounded than elongated.

Youd know a pup this time of year from its over-all size (much smaller), then as they grow through to Dec/Jan, by their head shape, thin tail (not bushy) & they grow to being very lanky looking & out of proportion before filling out--small head, big ears, long legs thin body (like an lanky adolescent male German Shephard).

Thats my take on it anyway... :thumbsup:
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Re: Young foxes

Post by Stix » 09 Nov 2019, 9:40 am

NTSOG wrote:flutch: ''they can be out independent confidently by September and not a day later than the start of November.''

Is that time-line likely to differ between states, i.e. would they be out earlier in warmer northern climes than in say Victoria?

Jim.

I know youre not asking me, but while im here... :)

My take on this is yes...i think the climate does play a part, although ive found breeding is mostly dictated by "the season", rather than climate...

Like fruit trees & birds...i dont know if you notice some years its still winter to us yet fruit trees start budding, & some birds are already on the nest...then before you know it the weather changes...

Other years, it can warm up quite a bit (as opposed to a full blown cold winter temps) & fruit trees barely start to bud & birds dont hump until its well warm...

I think there's more to seasons that animals know & we dont, & it doesnt just come down to the obvious we observe, like temp or climate...

Again, just my opinion from my observations...but having said that i dont keep scientific data to back myself up... :o
:)

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Re: Young foxes

Post by NTSOG » 09 Nov 2019, 11:38 am

Vixens ''... sometimes their head form can look like a cat at a distance under a spotlight--more rounded than elongated.''

Now that is interesting. I saw one the other day under IR through the scope and also got a poor photo of it, but not a shot off - it was a bit toey and shot through very quickly. At first I thought it was a cat. As a neighbour's cat has been raiding my bait site I had to be careful.

So 'he' in the photo is likely a 'she'.

Thanks Stix,

Jim
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