Fox Travel Routes

[CoonDuke]

Scenerio:
A fox makes his way haphazardly through a wooded area. Urinates at a few places along his way.

Do you feel that fox or another fox will return and use the exact same trail?

If so, do you feel that if a trap was placed under a single track the chance existed of catching a fox?

Keep in mind the habitat the fox traveled in was relatively open, mature timber. Not a lot of cover to force him to a specific trail.

Let's see what your fellas think.

[Stef]

No

[conibear1]

Another no!

[CoonDuke]

OK, how ' bout a snare on the path?

[Stef]

No

[Stef]

look for funnel

[CoonDuke]

I wish we could use snares here.

I found 3 fox trails like I described in a woods patch along a creek bottom. The three fox trails all came together at a point where the creek, brush patch, and steep ridge meet. All three sets of tracks (plus some rabbit tracks) all came together to a trail that made it's way up the steep bank.

I guess I'll just slap a dirthole at that spot. I am just intrigued with catching a fox in a blind set.

[dj88ryr]

CD, The second set I put in this year was a blind set for fox ( yeah shocked the hell out of me too ) I just couldn't resist. A trail cut a corner of a corn field. The path was maybe 4 feet away from the actual corn and was in high grass. I never even thought of setting there until I hit the corner and saw where the trail was squeezed close by a bush, the well worn path was even more apparant here as everything on the trail had to squeeze through at this point. What really got me buzzing was a pile of fox scat right in the middle of the trail at this squeeze down. I never took a fox there, the trap was fire several times and when it rained later that week the reason became apparent FREAKIN DEER. So the trail was great for fox,...... and every other critter using that trail.

[17kiss]

DJ and CD , why not a mafia set on a location like that? Just a dropping and a drop or two of lure . may produce a little extra fun Sounds like the perfect location for.

[Steve Gappa]

Made my first "real" Mafia sets this year.

I had a perfect location- an cow pasture where the cows had been taken out a few weeks earlier-

This was my first year there- and I made 4 sets in about a 5 acre field- I made a stepdown in 1 corner (took a coon there) , another stepdown by the dried out pond (totally untouched) and on the other side of the basin made two mafia sets in the cow trails. The two trail sets were the only two that connected- each one producing 2 coyotes over a 4 week period.

And those 4 were in the top 5 in size. What made it neat was the location is a crowned hill- so I couldn't see the set until I was about 25 feet from the traps- as you were driving acrossthe field- nothin, nothin- then the coyote would stand up. 4 of the "neatest" coyotes I took this past year. Now I know how to set this up and what side the coyotes are coming up out of the ravines on- I hope to do better there next season.

But back to trails- JC has gone to a lot of blind sets, just because he likes them. One thing he says and shows in his video is that in the corner of a field- you can take your shovel and make a trail for 20-25 feet going into the woods- it doesn't have to actually GO into the woods- just up to it. Canines will readily checkout this new trail. Sounds like something I'll be trying next year.

BTW 17kiss- I know that making trials like that works very well on otter. If you find toilet areas but no trails- make a trail with your tile spade- I dig mine 3-4 inches deep so that the trail is very well defined. Set the traps off to one side of the trail (I make mine the width of the spade).

[17kiss]

Thanks for the advice steve. Lightbulbs are going off in my head!