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There's a house in the neighborhood that's been for sale, and vacant for a couple months. With my keen hunter instincts, I noticed some movement in the yard of this house the other evening. I got my field glasses out and seen a couple young foxes coming out of a den dug under the concrete of the driveway. I used another house to hide myself and got up close as I could, but they still busted me, though they didn't seem to mind my presence. There were 6 of the little buggers playing without a care. Then mama returned and let them know I shouldn't be allowed to fraternize with them like this, and away they went.
"Destructive" is a matter of perspective, and of degree. I don't play executioner unless a species is unusually predominant, and destroying others to the point of reducing diversity.
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws "first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
They are all over the area where my other mountain property is, and there was one living under a bush in the front yard of my Denver rental. I like watching them. I have film footage from my phone of a vixen walking right up to me, didn't know I was there, I had stalked real close and crouched with the phone. It realized I was there when it was about 5 feet from me and about did a backflip. They don't seem to have any adverse affects in that area on any of the other wildlife, plenty of deer, rabbits and squirrels everywhere. One of the neighbors said he was having great fun shooting them with his pellet rifle. That conversation immediately went off a cliff. He doesn't do it anymore. I absolutely disdain killing for no reason, and consider people who do it beneath contempt. If he at least was skinning it out for the pelt I could grant him a bit of leeway, but just for fun really made me ill.
"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance." Declaration of Independance, July 4, 1776 11B30
Here in the UK, towns and cities are full of foxes, people feed them in their gardens and get great pleasure from seeing them.
Unfortunately they dig up lawns, kill domestic pets, spread mange and stink the place out scent marking.
Recently two cases of foxes entering homes and biting babies has turned a few "fox lovers" against encouraging the little buggers.
Whatever you do always give 100%........... unless you are donating blood.
game keeper wrote:Here in the UK, towns and cities are full of foxes, people feed them in their gardens and get great pleasure from seeing them.
Unfortunately they dig up lawns, kill domestic pets, spread mange and stink the place out scent marking.
Recently two cases of foxes entering homes and biting babies has turned a few "fox lovers" against encouraging the little buggers.
See, now that's at least good reasoning for cutting back the population.
"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance." Declaration of Independance, July 4, 1776 11B30
I was worried sore shoulder,
I shoot skunks, I don't go near them after they are dead.
They are destructive and disruptive.
But there is no pleasure in it.
I have never been able to determine their place in ecosystem.
If they are keeping the small rodents in check, then I wouldn't bother them. Once they cross the line to where they kill domestic animals or attack young humans, then they become fair game. Just my opinion.
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
Mescalero wrote:I was worried sore shoulder,
I shoot skunks, I don't go near them after they are dead.
They are destructive and disruptive.
But there is no pleasure in it.
I have never been able to determine their place in ecosystem.
I shoot porcupines for the same reason. They are very destructive to trees. Was just noticing a few more small saplings they killed yesterday. Trees grow slow here and have a hard time of it.
"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance." Declaration of Independance, July 4, 1776 11B30
I have a den right down the road and not 75 feet from the center. Been there for the last few years and the pups started coming out a couple weeks ago. I get a kick outta em not to mention what the girls think. I have another den about 2 miles away in a culvert not 50 yards away from an occupied acreage. They'd be chip shots with about any gun but I've been letting them be cept for occasional callin stands. Population was very hard hit due to mange and coyotes moving in and I'd like to have more around. Did have another guy trying to pot shot em off the road this last winter, kinda PO'd me but pretty sure he missed any way.
As for destructive... Like everything they need to be kept in check but I don't think they'd even make the top 10 of destructive critters around here. Probably more good than harm. But when it comes right down to it, I don't give a hoot if they aren't. When there's enough of em I hunt em and trap em, when there's not I let em be. I like the challenge, their fur and the few bucks I get outta selling em.
I have never been able to determine their place in ecosystem.
My sentiments exactly for skunks. Figure they be God's attempt at a joke and bet he laughs his behind off every time someone gets sprayed. They are a shoot on sight critter for me.
Well I'll be odd man out. I don't like 'em anywhere near me. Three or four times a year there will be a story on the news of some little old lady that was attacked by a rabid fox. The state acts like it's the racoons that are the problem but I never see racoons attacking anybody.
We are always leaving the house or coming home in the dark. I'd hate to have one come up and nip me in the back of the leg early one morning, then know I'd have to go get the shots.
If you're gonna be stupid ya gotta be tough-
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
Mescalero wrote:I was worried sore shoulder,
I shoot skunks, I don't go near them after they are dead.
They are destructive and disruptive.
But there is no pleasure in it.
I have never been able to determine their place in ecosystem.
They compete with the Moles and Ravens for grubs and worms.
They compete with all the other carrion eaters.
They compete with snakes and Opossums for ground nesting birds and there eggs .
They compete with bats for the rabies virus.
If someone pointed to a skunk and said that is the last one on earth, I would say watch it while I go get my shotgun
---J
Keep The Peace, Love and Harmony, These are the Gold Nuggets, All Else Is Sand !!
Skunks are excellent mousers andf also consume a lot of insects especially the larger ones like beetles. Unfortunately when I lived in Kalifornia they were by far the main carrier of rabies. Their fur is quite nice.
Mescalero wrote:I was worried sore shoulder,
I shoot skunks, I don't go near them after they are dead.
They are destructive and disruptive.
But there is no pleasure in it.
I have never been able to determine their place in ecosystem.
They compete with the Moles and Ravens for grubs and worms.
They compete with all the other carrion eaters.
They compete with snakes and Opossums for ground nesting birds and there eggs .
They compete with bats for the rabies virus.
True though still not nearly as destructive as the two legged locust.
If someone pointed to a skunk and said that is the last one on earth, I would say watch it while I go get my shotgun
Hmm, interesting. I shoot yotes every chance I get because they are destructive to livestock, pets and kids. Yet some folks think I'm wrong, they like to here them sing and such. Others shoot skunks, or porcupines because they are destructive and they don't seem to have a "place" in the eco-system. Yet, I have a number of local skunks that cause no problems, in fact they have done a very good job of snail and slug control in my garden. And, skunks, though they can be odiferous, are cute little buggers too.
So, it seems that different folks will kill different critters based on their perception of the critters benefits to that individual or eco-system.
Jeepnik AKA "Old Eyes"
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
jeepnik wrote:Hmm, interesting. I shoot yotes every chance I get because they are destructive to livestock, pets and kids. Yet some folks think I'm wrong, they like to here them sing and such. Others shoot skunks, or porcupines because they are destructive and they don't seem to have a "place" in the eco-system. Yet, I have a number of local skunks that cause no problems, in fact they have done a very good job of snail and slug control in my garden. And, skunks, though they can be odiferous, are cute little buggers too.
So, it seems that different folks will kill different critters based on their perception of the critters benefits to that individual or eco-system.
For me it's that odoriferous part that puts them on the out's with me.
I believe owls and cars are the only things that don't have any qualms about doing mortal combat with them --twice.
--J
Keep The Peace, Love and Harmony, These are the Gold Nuggets, All Else Is Sand !!
I have a photo in a book of a GOV. controller in England he is standing beside a Toyota or Datsan long bed and the bed is over flowing with red fox pelts that he snared and have been skinned and stretched flat, he goes on to say that a good controller can snare over a thousand cottontails in a day.---Pretty amazing.
--J
Keep The Peace, Love and Harmony, These are the Gold Nuggets, All Else Is Sand !!
I live right in the middle of cow and coyote country. For years I have watched a few generations of local coyote families hunt in the middle of a herd of cattle without molesting them in any way including during calving season. The only time I've seen coyotes molesting cattle was towards the end of a hard winter when calves also dropped early. Those were shot. My Idaho rancher uncle taught me how to shoot on coyotes over a coyote call record player when I was 10. I've come to question how much of the coyote "problem" is myth.
As to skunks, I'm the weird person that is not bothered by the smell unless the dog just got hit by one.
"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance." Declaration of Independance, July 4, 1776 11B30
Mescalero wrote:Coyotes have never given me any trouble.
I keep hearing stories about them, but have never experienced it.
My dad farmed alfalfa in the middle of nowhere Nevada before retiring to the Philipines with his new wife. He always said to just shoot near them a couple times once in awhile to keep them away from the house and small dogs. I'm a bit harder on them than that, and shot a couple that were showing up in broad daylight 20 yards from the house and watching my little dog pretty intently.
"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance." Declaration of Independance, July 4, 1776 11B30
I would have as well,'but I have never experienced even that.
They are all around me but not bothersome.
My lab, Gus; is 70 pounds so maybe he does not look as inviting as a small dog.
When I had bigger dogs I never saw them closer than 200 yards from the house.
"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance." Declaration of Independance, July 4, 1776 11B30
I noticed some movement in the yard of this house the other evening. I got my field glasses out and seen a couple young foxes coming out of a den dug under the concrete of the driveway. I used another house to hide myself and got up close as I could, but they still busted me, though they didn't seem to mind my presence. There were 6 of the little buggers playing without a care. Then mama returned and let them know I shouldn't be allowed to fraternize with them like this, and away they went. 
any way.
