Foxes living under porch
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Anonymous
| Not sure if this is the right forum but seems garden adjacent, haha. We have a family of foxes living under our porch. I have read that once they are out of the den for about a month and learn to hunt, it's fine to encourage them to move on. They are super cute but they are starting to get a little too comfortable with us. The babies are not at all afraid of humans and will approach us if we go outside, even if we make noise to scare them. I worry that as they get bigger this could become an issue. Any experience in humanely encouraging the family to move on? |
Anonymous
| I think you can call Animal Control for guidance. Our neighbors had this exact scenario a few years ago, and if I remember correctly, they spoke to the animal control people and they told them to wait until the babies were "out of the nest". |
Anonymous
| Avoid the family until the babies are gone. Alternatively, you could chase them waving a broom or spray the adults with water from a hose; not to hurt them but to reinforce that they are not to associate with you. |
Anonymous
| Get some wolf urine from the store, drizzle it nearby and they will move on. It is very bad for them to become habituated to you. Calling AC or a wildlife specialist may help relocate them. That's what we/our hired professional did. |
Anonymous
| You’re so lucky! I love foxes, and kits are the cutest wild animal babies. |
Anonymous
| Keep the foxes! They keep away other animals ... mice, other burrowing rodent-type animals which are much more damaging to your property. |
Anonymous
| Lucky you! We had a fox family in our yard last year - the kits were adorable and so fun to watch. But all of them (minus one) seem to have moved on after a few months. We're hoping that the one that stayed will have another bunch of cute fox babies soon! |
Anonymous
|
OP here. We really do love them and I am not looking to do anything that would hurt them. They are super cute and I have loved watching them!
Butttt I have small kids and am about to get a puppy, so we will be outside late at night, and they are truly not at all afraid of us. I tried to go to the grocery store around 9 the other night and despite me making noises to try to scare them, two of the babies came bounding up to me like puppies, so I turned around and ran back inside for the night. The mom was outside and did not seem afraid either. Their den location is such that they play on our porch and in our driveway all night so they are very close to our house. I worry that them not associating humans with danger is going to be bad for them in the long run, as PP said above. I will try the wolf urine. |
Anonymous
| They won’t be there forever. Just give them some space and they’ll go away in a couple months when they’re bigger. |
Anonymous
|
Please! don't hurt them, that mama is so scared all day and night hoping nothing will distrub her rasing the little babies.
It is only few months and they will be gone. We really need a balanced wild life, so few foxes left. Thank you for your patience. |
Anonymous
OMG.. this is not good.. moving a family at this stage is a devastaing thign on them. It is really death to all of them. |
Anonymous
| Last post seems right. Please let us know what is happening. |
Anonymous
| Aw, OP. If it were us, my daughter would insist on taming the kits... |
Anonymous
| Move |
Anonymous
|
OP back.
We aren't going to do anything for a while (and may not at all). From what I have read, once they are hunting with their parents, it's fine to encourage them to go. They are seemingly starting to do that. However, there is a cute little runt that seems behind the rest of the kits, and I really don't want something bad to happen to her. So putting my foot down and keeping them for now, despite DH, kids' grandparents, and neighbors on my butt. I am not some animal hating monster, I swear - quite the opposite actually! |