Shooting foxes in my garden?
Discussion
Legal or not?
I've a problem with a large number of foxes that treat my garden (patio/steps/pathways & balcony to be exact) as a toilet
& the bushes as shag pads - which makes a hell of a racket.
I'd dearly love to despatch the bu55ers, all mange ridden vermin BTW, & have the means to do so.
Here's the scene; detatched house with large 100' wide garden surrounded by mature trees in semi-rural location, not overlooked by anyone else. Houses 50-60' away on each side, 150-200' at the back. The shot(s) would be from an upstairs window, fired downwards into the lawn a long way from my boundary. No chance of any shot (12 bore) passing outside of my property.
So can I lawfully start blasting away?
I've a problem with a large number of foxes that treat my garden (patio/steps/pathways & balcony to be exact) as a toilet
& the bushes as shag pads - which makes a hell of a racket. I'd dearly love to despatch the bu55ers, all mange ridden vermin BTW, & have the means to do so.
Here's the scene; detatched house with large 100' wide garden surrounded by mature trees in semi-rural location, not overlooked by anyone else. Houses 50-60' away on each side, 150-200' at the back. The shot(s) would be from an upstairs window, fired downwards into the lawn a long way from my boundary. No chance of any shot (12 bore) passing outside of my property.
So can I lawfully start blasting away?
I think the law regarding the discharging of weapons on private property has more to do with the distance to the nearest public highway from the shooter than the intended direction of the shooting.
I am sure someone will be along to correct me if I am wrong though..
As far as shooting fox's goes, I think they are fair game.
I am sure someone will be along to correct me if I am wrong though..
As far as shooting fox's goes, I think they are fair game.
Not just public highway, also property borders IIRC.
Is a 12 bore going to do much at that distance? A fox is a reasonably big animal and, dependent on choke, you'll have quite a spread.
Could you, errrr, borrow a mate's 2.2 live, a telescopic sight and a silencer for a night or two? If you definitely have a shot that goes to ground...
Is a 12 bore going to do much at that distance? A fox is a reasonably big animal and, dependent on choke, you'll have quite a spread.
Could you, errrr, borrow a mate's 2.2 live, a telescopic sight and a silencer for a night or two? If you definitely have a shot that goes to ground...
Contact the local RSPCA for advice. They usually have loads of leaflets. If they were Cats, you would find it hard to stop them at your boundary, but a fox is but a mere wild dog IMHO. You need better fences. Simple.
LMAO at the Chav Comment. Perhaps you could invest in a large DOG. Might help with both problems !!!
LMAO at the Chav Comment. Perhaps you could invest in a large DOG. Might help with both problems !!!
jacko lah said:
If they were Cats, you would find it hard to stop them at your boundary, but a fox is but a mere wild dog IMHO. You need better fences. Simple.
It is true that the buggers will go where they damn well want so long as they can. If you can stop them with a fence its a lot more convenient and avoids the need for staying up late at night in camouflage gear!
Just remember the blighters dig. They LOVE to dig. Its what they do. So your fence needs to sink into the earth far enough that a determined fox will tire of heading downwards.
Back where I grew up Farmers would tie the carcass of a dead one to the fence to discourage 'em. Lord knows if this works, mind. And it may be OK in the middle of a field where you don't mind the smell - but its not so good in your garden!
The Fence sounds the best plan. After that poison (and this is not good), after that shooting them...it'll have too much neighbour impact to be practical...
If you have property surrounded by other property, you may be asking for trouble regardless of the distance to your neighbours being over 60 feet!
If you start to shoot your 12 bore from an upstairs window and you have not notified your neighbours of your intention, you will almost certainly receive a visit from a Police Firearms team when someone reports you discharging your weapon from the window.
This might entail a lengthy spell in a police cell and the removal of your shotgun certificate and guns as they would consider you irresponsible for using the weapon in that environment.
Large shot is capable with dealing with foxes at reasonable range. BB will kill them cleanly at 30 yards. If you are firing downwards onto paving stones, you may have a ricochet problem. Large shot will possibly continue the 60 feet to your boundary and cause concern to your neighbours.
5 or 4 shot will kill them at lesser ranges up to about 15 meters but will still have a ricochet problem although not so dangerous as BB.
Putting up better fencing may not help becasue they will jump over 6 feet to negotiate the fence and will get through the smallest of gaps if they find them.
There is one way you can try. Go to an agricultural supplies merchant and ask for a substance called Renardine! This is a fox repellant. You pint it on surfaces around your boundary and it is suppposed to keep them away. Another way you can do it is to staregically place lion or tiger poo around your boundary. That is a bit self defeating though as fox poo is slightly less offensive and much smaller
!
If you know where they are coming in, you could set up a snare but you can only legally use snares which are not self locking. You can get fox snares from agricultural supply merchants or from companies that supply gamekeeper equipment. Using a snare requires some knowhow in setting it up properly and the fox will not be dead when you go to it so you will have to think about a method of dispatch without your gun!
An angry fox in a snare is a forbidable foe if you have to get close!
In short, if you are in a residential area, there is not a lot you can do to stop them without upsetting your neighbours because
1. They love the 'likkle cuggly fings' to visit and play
2. They become concerned about Rambo in the next house.
Blasting away at dusk or dawn from your windows will cause you problems unless you happen to make it coincide with the week either side of November 5th unless of course the neighbours twig what you are up to
I would suggest that you do not resort to a gun to sort them out and especially not a rifle of any calibre as there is a real danger of damage or injury from a ricochet from such a weapon, even a .22!
If you start to shoot your 12 bore from an upstairs window and you have not notified your neighbours of your intention, you will almost certainly receive a visit from a Police Firearms team when someone reports you discharging your weapon from the window.
This might entail a lengthy spell in a police cell and the removal of your shotgun certificate and guns as they would consider you irresponsible for using the weapon in that environment.
Large shot is capable with dealing with foxes at reasonable range. BB will kill them cleanly at 30 yards. If you are firing downwards onto paving stones, you may have a ricochet problem. Large shot will possibly continue the 60 feet to your boundary and cause concern to your neighbours.
5 or 4 shot will kill them at lesser ranges up to about 15 meters but will still have a ricochet problem although not so dangerous as BB.
Putting up better fencing may not help becasue they will jump over 6 feet to negotiate the fence and will get through the smallest of gaps if they find them.
There is one way you can try. Go to an agricultural supplies merchant and ask for a substance called Renardine! This is a fox repellant. You pint it on surfaces around your boundary and it is suppposed to keep them away. Another way you can do it is to staregically place lion or tiger poo around your boundary. That is a bit self defeating though as fox poo is slightly less offensive and much smaller
! If you know where they are coming in, you could set up a snare but you can only legally use snares which are not self locking. You can get fox snares from agricultural supply merchants or from companies that supply gamekeeper equipment. Using a snare requires some knowhow in setting it up properly and the fox will not be dead when you go to it so you will have to think about a method of dispatch without your gun!
An angry fox in a snare is a forbidable foe if you have to get close!
In short, if you are in a residential area, there is not a lot you can do to stop them without upsetting your neighbours because
1. They love the 'likkle cuggly fings' to visit and play
2. They become concerned about Rambo in the next house.
Blasting away at dusk or dawn from your windows will cause you problems unless you happen to make it coincide with the week either side of November 5th unless of course the neighbours twig what you are up to
I would suggest that you do not resort to a gun to sort them out and especially not a rifle of any calibre as there is a real danger of damage or injury from a ricochet from such a weapon, even a .22!
Shooting is not a good idea. A 12 Bore loaded with BB will do the job but being that close to neighbours means its a poor idea. Also as Gone said if you use a rifle without a good back stop there's always a chance you could bag one of your neighbours. Why not trap the little buggers www.browfarm.co.uk/trap_man.htm ? Once trapped you can dispatch them point blank with either a gun or the business end of a spade
gone said:
In short, if you are in a residential area, there is not a lot you can do to stop them without upsetting your neighbours because
1. They love the 'likkle cuggly fings' to visit and play
2. They become concerned about Rambo in the next house.
Blasting away at dusk or dawn from your windows will cause you problems unless you happen to make it coincide with the week either side of November 5th unless of course the neighbours twig what you are up to
I would suggest that you do not resort to a gun to sort them out and especially not a rifle of any calibre as there is a real danger of damage or injury from a ricochet from such a weapon, even a .22!
Plain good sense as ever from Gone.
But not as satisfying as obliterating the little bastards...
Seriously: I think making an attempt to keep them out or discourage them makes more sense than the attempting their destruction in a manner likely to gain you the interest of the local Constabulary....
apprentice said:
Be ware that it is currently mating season for foxes... the noisy are currently getting jiggy with it every night in our garden!
Me and the missus are trying to compete with 'em... anyone know where the 'G' spot is yet!
"Orgasmic Living".. anyone?
better ask this fella...
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