FOX TRAPS
# this article is the author’s opinion only
Cage style fox traps
Fox traps (cage) work well but they are hard work compared to soft jaw traps.
Firstly, use gardening gloves and wear boots (rubber) on your feet so you dont leave your scent where you will be setting up the trap, also so you leave no scent walking to or from the area to be used. If possible keep these gloves, boots, bucket and tools aside to use later as will be mentioned further down,
you don’t want any scent other than the rubbish and residual fox musk on them.
To use a cage trap you need to make a pile of old bushes, logs (various sizes) and rubbish near an area where you know foxes are using. It might be a track they often use, or where you have seen marks of them rolling/lying. Leave a small tunnel in the middle of the bushes. Take a bucket with you and using gloves to cover your hands fill it with whatever is on the ground in the tunnel you have made.
Give the foxes about 3 weeks or so to get used to the rubbish being there.
The foxes will start to hide in and around it. When you notice this happening (you will see the foxes or evidence they have been there, maybe scats).
Get the boots and gardening gloves etc that you used before; the bucket of dirt, your trap and bait (chicken leg or roo meat wrapped in wire netting). Also take newspaper with you to kneel on and a length of soft wire.
Only handle the cage with gloves on, then there is no human scent.
Tie your bait in the trap right up high at the back.
Take the back door off to do this and don’t forget to put it back on.
The longer the fox is in the cage trying to get the meat the better chance of setting off the trap.
Remember to wear your gloves a tall times =
Put the trap in the tunnel of rubbish, put the newspaper down in the front of the trap door and put your contents of the bucket over the floor of the cage.
You must not be able to see the floor or stepping plate. Do not get anything under the plate. Use your spare wire to tie the door open while doing this.
When finished, remove the wire that you used to hold the door open and set your trap lightly.
When finished stand back and look at it. Cover the door with branches and rubbish until you cannot see any of the trap. The branches can hang down over the front as then the fox cant see the back of the trap until they are in it. Remember if you can see any of the trap, they can too.
Pick up your newspaper and go.
When you check the trap, do not walk up to the trap entrance you need to check it from a distance.
Use binoculars to do this; you leave no scent around that way.
About a week after this there are no signs you have been near it and then it is a waiting game.
With these traps you need a lot of patience, but it does work. The only fox you won’t get in this trap is one that has had a run in with a trap like these before and got away.
I hope this maybe of some use to someone. This is a hard way to catch a fox, but effective if set up properly.
# this article is the author’s opinion only
Cage style fox traps
Fox traps (cage) work well but they are hard work compared to soft jaw traps.
Firstly, use gardening gloves and wear boots (rubber) on your feet so you dont leave your scent where you will be setting up the trap, also so you leave no scent walking to or from the area to be used. If possible keep these gloves, boots, bucket and tools aside to use later as will be mentioned further down,
you don’t want any scent other than the rubbish and residual fox musk on them.
To use a cage trap you need to make a pile of old bushes, logs (various sizes) and rubbish near an area where you know foxes are using. It might be a track they often use, or where you have seen marks of them rolling/lying. Leave a small tunnel in the middle of the bushes. Take a bucket with you and using gloves to cover your hands fill it with whatever is on the ground in the tunnel you have made.
Give the foxes about 3 weeks or so to get used to the rubbish being there.
The foxes will start to hide in and around it. When you notice this happening (you will see the foxes or evidence they have been there, maybe scats).
Get the boots and gardening gloves etc that you used before; the bucket of dirt, your trap and bait (chicken leg or roo meat wrapped in wire netting). Also take newspaper with you to kneel on and a length of soft wire.
Only handle the cage with gloves on, then there is no human scent.
Tie your bait in the trap right up high at the back.
Take the back door off to do this and don’t forget to put it back on.
The longer the fox is in the cage trying to get the meat the better chance of setting off the trap.
Remember to wear your gloves a tall times =
Put the trap in the tunnel of rubbish, put the newspaper down in the front of the trap door and put your contents of the bucket over the floor of the cage.
You must not be able to see the floor or stepping plate. Do not get anything under the plate. Use your spare wire to tie the door open while doing this.
When finished, remove the wire that you used to hold the door open and set your trap lightly.
When finished stand back and look at it. Cover the door with branches and rubbish until you cannot see any of the trap. The branches can hang down over the front as then the fox cant see the back of the trap until they are in it. Remember if you can see any of the trap, they can too.
Pick up your newspaper and go.
When you check the trap, do not walk up to the trap entrance you need to check it from a distance.
Use binoculars to do this; you leave no scent around that way.
About a week after this there are no signs you have been near it and then it is a waiting game.
With these traps you need a lot of patience, but it does work. The only fox you won’t get in this trap is one that has had a run in with a trap like these before and got away.
I hope this maybe of some use to someone. This is a hard way to catch a fox, but effective if set up properly.
Using and Setting Soft Jaw Traps for Foxes
# this article is the author's opinion only
Dying and Waxing your soft jaw trap before you use it.
This is the most important thing you can do for your trap/s when you buy them. You should do this every time you buy a new trap and also after you catch a fox in a trap. A boiler is good to do this in, if it is used just for traps. When you first get your trap/s, wash it/them in warm soapy water, rinse well and put outside in the weather for a week at least (out of reach of everyone). When this is done you will notice a bit of rust on it/them. That is good. Set your trap/s and then set it/them off with a stick. Do this a few times. If a trap is hard to set off get some wet and dry and rub the trap were the dog sits into the trap.
The end of the dog may need a gentle rub once or twice only. Then reset and test the trap until it sets off easy. Be very careful not to make the little area that holds the dog into place round or the trap wont set. Usually only a couple of rubs with wet and dry will do it.
You are now ready to dye your trap.
Go out and look around, see what sort of native trees you have growing around you (overseas readers need to use what is local to them).
Make sure you do not pick a poisonous tree that could be toxic to you when making your selection.
River Red Gum is a good choice if available. Pick some young branches, fresh shoots. Fill your boiler with warm water and bring it to the boil then add
your leaves. When it is boiling, leaving the ‘green shoots’ in the water, put your trap/s in and simmer for an hour.
Your water will go brown and so will your trap/s.
Then remove the lid and place it on your sink. With clean tongs or a wooden spoon used only for this, take your trap/s out of the boiler.
Sit them on the boiler lid being careful not to get burnt. Throw the water away.
Refill the boiler with boiling water and paraffin wax.
When the water is boiling, melt the paraffin wax on the water and dip the traps back into the boiler. Let them sit for about 10 minutes in the mix and turn them over with your wooden spoon/tongs.
Without touching the trap/s with your hands (use those tongs), take your trap/s out of the boiler; make sure that you DO NOT touch them with your bare hands. Use your gloves and hang the traps out to dry somewhere.
Setting your Soft Jaw Traps
You are now ready to set your trap/s. If you dont wax your traps they will rust up very quickly.
Check the boundary of your property daily looking for signs of fox scats and scent.
Most people can smell a fox from some distance once they recognise their scent/musk.
When they are frequenting the same area over a few nights, set the traps in that area.
Foxes also know where you have been, they smell your scent strongly.
To set trap/s you will need a bucket that is only used to carry the traps, newspaper, a small garden spade, sledge hammer, gardening gloves, rubber boots, traps, a pocket knife or secateurs, chain and pegs that are at least 2ft or 60cm long.The longer the better, even 3ft long.
The trick is patience and steady hands.
Find where the foxes have been and then locate their walking tracks. You will see this if you look hard enough, think ‘fox tracks’ as you are looking. The grass may be knocked down or separated. Sometimes it is totally flattened as they have rolled on it. If it is bare ground then you will see that the dirt may have been disturbed were they have been, with the occasional impression of a foot print.
Find the spot you want to set the trap/s. Put your gloves on and start.
Now there is a trick here to a successful trap.
Foxes will not go near ground that has been disturbed and smells strange. Lay your newspaper down and kneel on it. Spread out some more newspaper near where you want to dig the hole.
Dig the hole putting all the dirt on the newspaper. Make sure you stay on your piece of newspaper.
Make sure the hole is just bigger than the trap.
When the trap is set it should sit just below the level with the ground.
For wild dog size soft jaws dig a hole about 4 inches deep or 10cm. Then set the trap on firm ground and very gently place it in the hole.
Make sure it is level = this is very important.
Secure the chain on the trap by driving a peg or stay through the end link and into the ground till you can not see it or where you have sledge hammered it.
Next very carefully using your small garden spade or old spoon fill in around the trap being careful not to get any dirt on the pan of the trap.
Put the dirt right up to the edges of the trap, also in the trap but not under or over the pan or over the edges of the jaws.
Make sure the trap stays level.
Look around the ground/immediate area and see what can placed across the top of the trap to cover it. Usually dead grass or gum tree litter.
Be careful not to set off your trap and never put your hands in were the jaws can get you if you accidentally trip the trap.
When you stand up and look at the trap you should not be able to see any sign of the trap in the ground. The ground should look undisturbed.
Now roll up your newspaper taking any spare dirt with you. Collect all tools you took with you and double check to make sure you don’t leave any behind.
It is rare to get a fox the first night after setting the trap, but the second night is a different story if you have done it all correctly.
The fox may be caught by the front foot, as this is the most common. Check your traps twice a day and destroy the fox straight away.
#One clean shot down from the top of the head between/near the ears is instant.
Hopefully this will be of some help.
# protected under copy right laws of Australia
# this article is the author's opinion only
Dying and Waxing your soft jaw trap before you use it.
This is the most important thing you can do for your trap/s when you buy them. You should do this every time you buy a new trap and also after you catch a fox in a trap. A boiler is good to do this in, if it is used just for traps. When you first get your trap/s, wash it/them in warm soapy water, rinse well and put outside in the weather for a week at least (out of reach of everyone). When this is done you will notice a bit of rust on it/them. That is good. Set your trap/s and then set it/them off with a stick. Do this a few times. If a trap is hard to set off get some wet and dry and rub the trap were the dog sits into the trap.
The end of the dog may need a gentle rub once or twice only. Then reset and test the trap until it sets off easy. Be very careful not to make the little area that holds the dog into place round or the trap wont set. Usually only a couple of rubs with wet and dry will do it.
You are now ready to dye your trap.
Go out and look around, see what sort of native trees you have growing around you (overseas readers need to use what is local to them).
Make sure you do not pick a poisonous tree that could be toxic to you when making your selection.
River Red Gum is a good choice if available. Pick some young branches, fresh shoots. Fill your boiler with warm water and bring it to the boil then add
your leaves. When it is boiling, leaving the ‘green shoots’ in the water, put your trap/s in and simmer for an hour.
Your water will go brown and so will your trap/s.
Then remove the lid and place it on your sink. With clean tongs or a wooden spoon used only for this, take your trap/s out of the boiler.
Sit them on the boiler lid being careful not to get burnt. Throw the water away.
Refill the boiler with boiling water and paraffin wax.
When the water is boiling, melt the paraffin wax on the water and dip the traps back into the boiler. Let them sit for about 10 minutes in the mix and turn them over with your wooden spoon/tongs.
Without touching the trap/s with your hands (use those tongs), take your trap/s out of the boiler; make sure that you DO NOT touch them with your bare hands. Use your gloves and hang the traps out to dry somewhere.
Setting your Soft Jaw Traps
You are now ready to set your trap/s. If you dont wax your traps they will rust up very quickly.
Check the boundary of your property daily looking for signs of fox scats and scent.
Most people can smell a fox from some distance once they recognise their scent/musk.
When they are frequenting the same area over a few nights, set the traps in that area.
Foxes also know where you have been, they smell your scent strongly.
To set trap/s you will need a bucket that is only used to carry the traps, newspaper, a small garden spade, sledge hammer, gardening gloves, rubber boots, traps, a pocket knife or secateurs, chain and pegs that are at least 2ft or 60cm long.The longer the better, even 3ft long.
The trick is patience and steady hands.
Find where the foxes have been and then locate their walking tracks. You will see this if you look hard enough, think ‘fox tracks’ as you are looking. The grass may be knocked down or separated. Sometimes it is totally flattened as they have rolled on it. If it is bare ground then you will see that the dirt may have been disturbed were they have been, with the occasional impression of a foot print.
Find the spot you want to set the trap/s. Put your gloves on and start.
Now there is a trick here to a successful trap.
Foxes will not go near ground that has been disturbed and smells strange. Lay your newspaper down and kneel on it. Spread out some more newspaper near where you want to dig the hole.
Dig the hole putting all the dirt on the newspaper. Make sure you stay on your piece of newspaper.
Make sure the hole is just bigger than the trap.
When the trap is set it should sit just below the level with the ground.
For wild dog size soft jaws dig a hole about 4 inches deep or 10cm. Then set the trap on firm ground and very gently place it in the hole.
Make sure it is level = this is very important.
Secure the chain on the trap by driving a peg or stay through the end link and into the ground till you can not see it or where you have sledge hammered it.
Next very carefully using your small garden spade or old spoon fill in around the trap being careful not to get any dirt on the pan of the trap.
Put the dirt right up to the edges of the trap, also in the trap but not under or over the pan or over the edges of the jaws.
Make sure the trap stays level.
Look around the ground/immediate area and see what can placed across the top of the trap to cover it. Usually dead grass or gum tree litter.
Be careful not to set off your trap and never put your hands in were the jaws can get you if you accidentally trip the trap.
When you stand up and look at the trap you should not be able to see any sign of the trap in the ground. The ground should look undisturbed.
Now roll up your newspaper taking any spare dirt with you. Collect all tools you took with you and double check to make sure you don’t leave any behind.
It is rare to get a fox the first night after setting the trap, but the second night is a different story if you have done it all correctly.
The fox may be caught by the front foot, as this is the most common. Check your traps twice a day and destroy the fox straight away.
#One clean shot down from the top of the head between/near the ears is instant.
Hopefully this will be of some help.
# protected under copy right laws of Australia
