Is this a fox den?

[Jstpssng]

We have lots of groundhogs making a mess tunneling under buildings. I lived in the country all my life...just wanted opinions. I've seen lots of wildlife, I don't hunt...never hunted.
I've had coyote move in which decimate other animals. I understand the balance of nature but when I see rabbits, quail killed I'll shoot/snare the coyote. We have fox, they're OK, mountain lion, bear, bobcat, raccoon, etc.
Opossums I lived trap.

My father had a lifelong war with woodchucks. When they moved the city limits he had to resort to live trapping and releasing them to become somebody else's problem. When he passed away I told my mother that she wasn't keeping a garden and they weren't really hurting anything, so as far as I was concerned we should leave them alone.
That was 5 years ago, and boy have they taken over the place. Yet I was just talking to her and she still agrees, they aren't hurting anything. She mentioned that they couldn't do much anyways, except to live trap them. I told her that if I was around I more I could... but they wouldn't be released alive. Did I mention what a nice trap the 1 3/4 Victor is? The truth is though that they aren't hurting anything much, and when she's done with the property the woodchucks will be somebody else's property.

 

[MossRoad]

We used to have lots of turkeys, quail, rabbits, etc. but rarely anymore. I set hunter cameras and know we have coyote. After getting horses we haven't seen coyote.
Near the creek I saw this hole dug about 10" across, large dead rabbit near entrance (stomach missing), a couple hours later apparently ate rest of rabbit.
Neighbor has chickens and one near our mailbox killed. I see turkey feathers near den.
We set a snare a couple days ago, this morning apparently got it by foot but it got loose (snare cable has a stop on it).
Any idea?View attachment 742994View attachment 742995View attachment 742996

The problem with declining populations of quail in VA has been documented to be mainly due to habitat loss.

 

[Thomas]

Place game gam near entrance.

Some of foxes around us.

 

[oosik]

Only coyotes here and they are doing a good job on rodent control.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

Haven't seen a mole in a while.

I wish I could say that, overrun with them.

 

[Fuddy1952]

The problem with declining populations of quail in VA has been documented to be mainly due to habitat loss.

I have a long brush pile where a pasture drops off to a steep bank into woods. I planted bushes there also. That's when I started seeing return of rabbits, etc until whatever this predator is that I need to get rid of.

 

[MossRoad]

I have a long brush pile where a pasture drops off to a steep bank into woods. I planted bushes there also. That's when I started seeing return of rabbits, etc until whatever this predator is that I need to get rid of.

That's your business. Personally, I'd rather have foxes than rabbits. I battle rabbits every year in my garden. They ate half of my tulips as soon as they came up this year. There's a balance in nature. When there's too many rabbits and ground nesting birds, there will be a bump in predators like foxes and coyotes, hawks, owls, etc... as the prey drops, the number of predators drops. It swings back and forth in balance as long as people stay out of it.

When people feed birds and then shoot squirrels that come to the bird feeder, I just shake my head.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

I have a long brush pile where a pasture drops off to a steep bank into woods. I planted bushes there also. That's when I started seeing return of rabbits, etc until whatever this predator is that I need to get rid of.

One "predator" isn't going to cause you to not have rabbits.

Rabbits: How to Manage Your Land for More Cottontails - Game & Fish

As habitat improvements accumulate, the future for rabbits (and rabbit hunting) and other wildlife will brighten.

www.gameandfishmag.com

 

[MossRoad]

Waskily Wabbits.... grrrr!!!

 

[Bill Guenthner]

That's your business. Personally, I'd rather have foxes than rabbits. I battle rabbits every year in my garden. They ate half of my tulips as soon as they came up this year. There's a balance in nature. When there's too many rabbits and ground nesting birds, there will be a bump in predators like foxes and coyotes, hawks, owls, etc... as the prey drops, the number of predators drops. It swings back and forth in balance as long as people stay out of it.

When people feed birds and then shoot squirrels that come to the bird feeder, I just shake my head.

Yep. We have plenty of song birds, squirrel, turkey, rabbits, and coyotes, hawks and owls. I put out black oil sunflower and peanuts in the shell (unsalted). The blue jays and woodpeckers battle over the peanuts, the squirrels eat as much of the sunflower as the birds do, but everybody gets something. I only put it out in the morning but it's an open buffet. The turkeys try to eat me out of house and home.

 

[stuckmotor]

It surprised me so much to learn that woodpeckers ate anything other than insect larva they's pecked out of trees that I looked up their diet. The items that caught my attention were peanut butter, also jelly. The article didn't mention putting the two together in a sandwich.

 

[stuckmotor]

Waskily Wabbits.... grrrr!!!



View attachment 743153

If you are vewy, vewy, quiet, you might sneak up on one of those wabbits.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

It surprised me so much to learn that woodpeckers ate anything other than insect larva they's pecked out of trees that I looked up their diet. The items that caught my attention were peanut butter, also jelly. The article didn't mention putting the two together in a sandwich.

They fly down and take the peanuts and then go up into a tree and wedge them into cracks in the bark, so they can collect them to eat later.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Well, again...I do understand the balance of nature also, having lived here 42 years. I don't hunt, rarely ever shoot anything.
Years ago we had everything here, then things started to disappear. By me planting bushes and food sources I've made it more conducive for wildlife, yet things are disappearing.
I grew up 15 miles from here, neighbor had 2500 acres. We never ever saw a deer...until sometime in the 60s my grandfather saw one way down in his front pasture. We were amazed.
Then a while back I visit my 95 yo Mom, still living there. There was a herd of 50...fifty deer around her house.
So yes...it's man's encroachment, loss of habitat AND preditors.
What I don't want are a few foxes or coyote and NO quail, rabbits, turkey...list goes on.
Opossums can carry disease to horses. Those are easy to live trap and relocate.
Coyote are so bad in this county and next over where I grew up the county pays $50/head for them.

 

[MossRoad]

Deer actually benefit from human encroachment. Quail don't. So if you're seeing more deer and less quail, that fits perfectly with more people causing the decline in quail, not foxes.

When I was a kid living on the north side of our town, the back yards were the city limit. We never, ever saw any deer, but we had tons of bob white. Fast forward 50 years and it's almost all houses for couple miles north now. There are now tons of deer and no bob white.

There are still the same amount of foxes.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

Deer actually benefit from human encroachment. Quail don't. So if you're seeing more deer and less quail, that fits perfectly with more people causing the decline in quail, not foxes.

When I was a kid living on the north side of our town, the back yards were the city limit. We never, ever saw any deer, but we had tons of bob white. Fast forward 50 years and it's almost all houses for couple miles north now. There are now tons of deer and no bob white.

There are still the same amount of foxes.

The same thing happened where we used to live only it was killdeer, they simply cannot exist with mowed lawns and automobile traffic and dogs and cats. After 4 or 5 years they were wiped out.

 

[ruffdog]

One "predator" isn't going to cause you to not have rabbits.

Rabbits: How to Manage Your Land for More Cottontails - Game & Fish

As habitat improvements accumulate, the future for rabbits (and rabbit hunting) and other wildlife will brighten.

www.gameandfishmag.com

If you get a nesting pair of Great Horned Owls, your rabbit population disappears. They don't call them "flying tigers" for nothing!

 

[NorTracNY]

Fox may be cute, but they have lost all cuteness in my eyes. They have taken out too many of my birds over the years. There are plenty of rabbits, mice, and squirrels, but they seems to like my poultry best.

 

[MossRoad]

The same thing happened where we used to live only it was killdeer, they simply cannot exist with mowed lawns and automobile traffic and dogs and cats. After 4 or 5 years they were wiped out.

View attachment 743268

I used to see a lot of those at the airport, and at the beaches along Lake Michigan. Still do along the lake.

 

[ruffdog]

Killdeer like the cow/horse pastures too.