Verm-Out

Pest Control & Game Management

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) 

   When the hunting ban came into force in 2004 it meant you could no longer hunt the fox with a pack of hounds, so the ways we control foxes now are:-

1. Flushing the fox from cover to waiting guns

2. Lamping

3. Putting a terrier to ground*

4. Trapping

Fox at the chicken coop  

1. Flushing the fox from cover to waiting guns.

   Done anytime troughout the daylight hours, working woodlands, scrub and hedgerows with dogs flushing the fox from cover to waiting shotguns where they're despatched with the correct heavy shot loads.

2. Lamping.

   Lamping is our main method of fox control and is carried out in the night hours with the use of an high powered lamp with a strong beam which reflects the glaze of the foxes eyes when contact is made. If the fox is out of range we entice it closer with a distress call so it can be despatched with the moderatored .243 centre fire rifle.

                Fox den

3. Putting a terrier to ground*.

   We control foxes with terriers by putting the dog into the foxes earth to bolt the fox either to waiting shotguns or a safer method into a net to be humanely despatched. Since the hunting ban came into force this can now only be done on land where game birds are being reared to be shot and where the landowner has consented with written permission. The terrier also has to have the locating collar fitted in case you have to dig down to rescue it. Before entering the terrier we have to determine whether the den is occupied by foxes and not badgers. The vital signs are hair around the entrance, footprints, droppings, flies, scent, disguarded bones and feathers.

Fox Cage Trap.

4. Trapping.

  Live catch traps are used in areas where none of our other control methods can be carried out. The traps are baited and checked on a daily basis until the fox is caught. The fox is then removed to be humanely despatched.