Rabs Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Now I am an animal lover.. Always have been.. But we get loads of foxes locally all year round.. And man do they make a noise and sometimes I tell you, if I had a gun lol (only kidding :)).. They also raid all the bins in the area so leave a lot of mess too. So most nights they come between about 3 - 6 am and this is what it sounds like, right outside my window.. Sometimes it can go on for ages too.. Do you have any local pests like that, that you have to put up with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman5293 Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 So have you decided which gauge shotgun you want to buy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 the screaming is them mating, this is the time of year. It is blood curdling, sounds like a baby in a cement mixer. I'd blow the blighters heads off without batting an eyelid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PingPongBob Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 I'd blow the blighters heads off without batting an eyelid. lol. Me too 00 buck would do a nice job! Mockingbirds are my problem in the spring, but nothing as annoying as that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 the screaming is them mating, this is the time of year. It is blood curdling, sounds like a baby in a cement mixer. I'd blow the blighters heads off without batting an eyelid. I get it all year round man.. seriously.. if thats them mating.. lol no wonder there are so many of the bloody things :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plainsman Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Seriously? Shooting animals because they make noise? I'm stunned! I'm completely pro-hunting, and love a deer tenderloin as much as anyone, but I can't imagine shooting an animal just because it makes noise? I hunt for food for my family, and when I kill an animal it's to eat it, and it's with much humbleness and gratitude. Foxes are awesome, I had a family living just down the hill from me that I watched grow up. Really interesting animals! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grampa Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 If you don't like the sounds of Nature you should move into the city. We don't hear no stinking foxes around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 Seriously? Shooting animals because they make noise? I'm stunned! I'm completely pro-hunting, and love a deer tenderloin as much as anyone, but I can't imagine shooting an animal just because it makes noise? I hunt for food for my family, and when I kill an animal it's to eat it, and it's with much humbleness and gratitude. Foxes are awesome, I had a family living just down the hill from me that I watched grow up. Really interesting animals! Personally I woulndt ever do that.. I understand killing for food.. but would never otherwise hurt an animal.. (apart from spiders, they must all die) However when your knackered and get woken up by these things at 5 am sometimes I want too :) and the thing is its not like shooing them away works.. These guys are not scared of humans and just go around doing what they want.. If you do go after them they will of course run off but will come back again within seconds... Also when I had a cat I used to get really worried about what they may do to him.. ive seen them row with more than one cat before, and they never travel alone.. so they gang up on local pets. And I had to bail my own cat out more than once... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plainsman Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Personally I woulndt ever do that.. I understand killing for food.. but would never otherwise hurt an animal.. (apart from spiders, they must all die) However when your knackered and get woken up by these things at 5 am sometimes I want too :) and the thing is its not like shooing them away works.. These guys are not scared of humans and just go around doing what they want.. If you do go after them they will of course run off but will come back again withing seconds... Also when I had a cat I used to get really worried about what they may do to him.. ive seen them row with more than one cat before, and they never travel alone.. so they gang up on local pets. And I had to bail my own cat out more than once... I can understand that. If predators are killing pets or livestock, that makes the situation much more difficult. I try to look at it like I'm the pest bothering all the animals who were here long before I was. I've learned to live peacefully with bears, coyotes, fox, raccoons, bobcats, badgers, mountain lions, wild pigs, rattlesnakes, and more. One of the noisiest animals I had living near me was a big old owl, that guy would wake me up extra early every morning. I've lived in the city too. I'd much rather the animals wake me up than gunfire, sirens, and circling helicopters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 I make foxes scream all the time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PingPongBob Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPy1D-bsFDE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 If you don't like the sounds of Nature you should move into the city. We don't hear no stinking foxes around here. That's just the problem, I do, London. Here in the UK there are far more foxes living as scavengers in cities than there are in the country. It is estimated there are over 10,000 in London, they attack dogs and sometimes children. They are not scared of people and many people are weary of them. I've been saying it's going to become a serious problem for a while. I'd be very glad to see a cull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Get some Parsons Amonia (the liquid stuff) and sprinkle it around where they congregate - works for Racoons, maybe it'll encourage the foxes to move on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdecantoo Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 OK AXE, we have to know. Are your foxes screaming from pain, pleasure or fright? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 We live in the boonies and are literally the last house in the community at the end of a dead end road.Our house can't be seen from the main road because we are surrounded on all sides pretty well by stands of 40 ft. spruce trees except for our front deck which allows for panoramic views of the North Atlantic where we can watch whales breaching,the dozens of species of sea birds and also watch the icebergs in late spring.Since we are so secluded we are constantly seeing various wildlife.Moose are very common but are a nuisance at times because they have developed a taste for my gladiolas,lilies,irises and other showy plants.In the winter the snowshoe hares and regular woodland rabbits can be a bother because they eat the delicate branch ends on the young trees I planted when they poke up through the snow.I generally throw out fruit etc. for the rabbits to discourage them from eating my trees but there is little that can be done about the moose except try to scare them away with loud noises but it doesn't take long for them to become accustomed to that. A few years ago a male and female pair of beautiful little foxes started coming around.The poor little critters were emaciated and to make matters worse the female was lame in one of her front paws-probably caught in a rabbit snare. Since I love anything with fur or feathers,I started putting out a pile of food for them every evening that winter. It was heatrwarming to watch them,first the male would go to the food and eat some then he would vanish in the woods for about 30 seconds and then appear with the lame little female who I guess hid because she couldn't flee danger because of her lameness.Anyway the male would bring her up to the food and stand watch while she ate and at the slighest noise he'd give a shrill yelp that foxes give and they would make for the bushes.By the time spring had come they had fattened up,their coats became lush and shiny and the little girl's leg had gotten a lot better to the pointthat she could amble along pretty good. BTW: Just about a mile offshore from my house is the world's largest seabird colony that is a Unesco World Heritage site.People aren't allowed on the islands because any human interaction could prove detrimental to the birds.The colony has proven to be of great worth to scientists and biologists who get special permits every year to do important research on the islands into the all aspects of the bird's lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPy1D-bsFDE Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 a fox scream is just 1 "creepy" animal sound....rabbits also scream coyotes and panthers both cry like babies....and a panthers scream sounds just like a human female. imagine sitting in the woods and hearing an old mans voice....only to realize it's the crow in the tree above you, speaking plain english... creepiest thing i've ever heard though was a pair of African vultures in Birmingham Al. zoo speaking in hushed tones, in plain english...about the people that had just walked away from their enclosure . another un nerving sound is the "yipyipyip yip" of several coyotes encircling you, when you realize they're working their way in closer as they call out, trying to "trap their game". living in the Appalachain foothills i've heard all kinds of strange animal sounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Bonzo! Really good tale. I enjoyed reading your post very much. And just to confirm what Farns said re: London. The foxes are pretty much everywhere. We have quite a few who come by our way and I've previously posted a clip of the dog-fox ambling about our terrace seemingly without a care in the world. I don't mind the screams - we sleep at the front half of the house and the garden is to the rear so noise isn't a biggie - but I really wish they could find a different toilet........ P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Hello! There are many of them in my village, and they do scream this time of the year. As old local Swabs say, they only scream until the grapes are still crude (because - as they say - they eat the grapes which are sour and that's what makes them scream). When they stop screaming the grapes are ready for harvesting. Village legend - I guess, but nice :). Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 We live in the boonies and are literally the last house in the community at the end of a dead end road.Our house can't be seen from the main road because we are surrounded on all sides pretty well by stands of 40 ft. spruce trees except for our front deck which allows for panoramic views of the North Atlantic where we can watch whales breaching,the dozens of species of sea birds and also watch the icebergs in late spring.Since we are so secluded we are constantly seeing various wildlife.Moose are very common but are a nuisance at times because they have developed a taste for my gladiolas,lilies,irises and other showy plants.In the winter the snowshoe hares and regular woodland rabbits can be a bother because they eat the delicate branch ends on the young trees I planted when they poke up through the snow.I generally throw out fruit etc. for the rabbits to discourage them from eating my trees but there is little that can be done about the moose except try to scare them away with loud noises but it doesn't take long for them to become accustomed to that. A few years ago a male and female pair of beautiful little foxes started coming around.The poor little critters were emaciated and to make matters worse the female was lame in one of her front paws-probably caught in a rabbit snare. Since I love anything with fur or feathers,I started putting out a pile of food for them every evening that winter. It was heatrwarming to watch them,first the male would go to the food and eat some then he would vanish in the woods for about 30 seconds and then appear with the lame little female who I guess hid because she couldn't flee danger because of her lameness.Anyway the male would bring her up to the food and stand watch while she ate and at the slighest noise he'd give a shrill yelp that foxes give and they would make for the bushes.By the time spring had come they had fattened up,their coats became lush and shiny and the little girl's leg had gotten a lot better to the pointthat she could amble along pretty good. BTW: Just about a mile offshore from my house is the world's largest seabird colony that is a Unesco World Heritage site.People aren't allowed on the islands because any human interaction could prove detrimental to the birds.The colony has proven to be of great worth to scientists and biologists who get special permits every year to do important research on the islands into the all aspects of the bird's lives. Respect man !! :) Thats amazing that you do that. I would also do that if I could and lived in a place like you do with all that wildlife, sounds like paradise... if I lived where you did then I wouldnt mind the noises, it would be worth it :) If only there were more people like you in the world And our foxes.. far from malnourished.. There was one I saw the other day that was almost the size of a Labrador ive never seen one so big before. But cos as you say they get used to new circumstaces, they are now used to foraging our rubbish bins for food. And with the way things are today with people who throw good fod out they are thriving more than ever. Like mentioned earlier on in the thread.. I also take the view that they were here before us and we are responcible for animals because of that and the fact that we push them out of their territory.. This is all reminding me of when I went to South Africa... I went to Cape Town and did a Baboon walk where you walk into the forest with some guides and you go and sit with them for a while.. The troop we were sitting with were one of the last two left in that region. The guides told us that there was a strip houses built between their two feeding grounds. When the baboons moved between their territories they have to now cross these houses and get shot and traps set, and there was even one that had acid thrown over him.. Its sickening. That was about eight years ago now so I dont even know if they are still alive. If they are, they probably wont be there much longer.. I got some video I took when I went. They say Baboons are dangerous.. Yet we sat with these amazing creatures for over an hour with them playing around us and not once did I feel any threat or negativity.. Quite the opposite. Im sure they can be agressive to people, im not saying they are perfect. But they deserve more respect than we give them. This is the footage I took.. (I had better music, but got moaned at by big brother so had to use some generic crap) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblooded Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 I make foxes scream all the time! Ah yes... But do you know how to make them scream twice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 Ah yes... But do you know how to make them scream twice? Shift into reverse to make sure you finish it properly? :P :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Where I live in "America's Outback," there's a lot different perspective on such stuff. First, some of the nastiest predators are feral dog packs - suburban, farm or ranch dogs that pack up and will take on anything. They're not afraid of people at all. They even operate in towns. When I lived in Memphis a little kid was taken from a porch and killed, for example. I've had my hand on a firearm for self defense twice in my life regardless of having been in some interesting circumstances involving humans; both times were with feral dog packs. The first was the nastier since they were bouncing off the sides of my tent in a state park's "primitive" camping area. There were a few other campers around too. Luckily I didn't have to shoot because they didn't get in the tent although my lady tentmate, a town girl, wanted me to bust some caps. I don't shoot until I see a target. Problem with packs is that some experienced writers have suggested 2 people armed with rapid firing shotguns with backup high capacity handguns may still be at very significant risk. Best control is tracking 'em and putting their owners in jail and euthanizing the "pets" 'cuz once they start, they don't stop - or if not based with an owner, shooting them at a distance. Now... around here there are lots of coyotes. They kill calves and lambs. There are increasing numbers of mountain lions and a rancher lady friend back tracked one and discovered it had been stalking her. She started "carrying" until they stopped seeing tracks. A cupla local cops saw one of these oversize kitties in my late Mom's large "in town" back yard. Next door states have major problems with wolf predation of livestock and even domestic canines. Coyotes, wolves and big cats have friends who don't care about ranchers so it's very difficult to try to save one's tax money and working capital without folks putting you into court and spending more money there. A "pretty" critter that gets little notice is the skunk. Lots of 'em get rabies. Nasty, nasty. When I was a kid my grandma's house had a loaded shotgun at both front and back doors 'cuz there were almost weekly visits. Rattlers are less of a problem most of the time, btw. As for "dangerous," if you know anything about the American bison, you'll stay the heck away unless you have your ducks in a row for safety. Even a pro can get killed by his own stock. Even rodeo hall of famer Jerry Olson's pet was treated with great respect. He's from here; there's a bronze statue on Main Street of him riding Chief. I've seen some idiots getting into the heavily-fenced sections where the buffalo run and half wish they'd get run over. Of course, even domestic cattle can be nasty, even without idiots pushing the envelope. Elk, deer and antelope in some years will destroy ranchers' very expensive livestock hay supplies. Even their home range grass in a dry year. More actual damage, human risk and idiotic "save the whatevers" problems come from the prairie dog. There are millions of them still, and a high percentage of their towns are full of the plague. But since they have been chased out of "new" city areas on prairies where they held court a cupla centuries ago, they're pushed off onto those of us who live in less populated areas. Even the number of those who have enjoyed shooting the rodents to help ranchers has been cut significantly, not so much by the feds "protecting" them, but by legitimate fear of the plague. Yeah, deer and elk and moose can be quite a danger for drivers, but one hopes that drivers in such areas take that into consideration. OTOH, there always are what we jokingly call "Wyoming grills" on a lotta pickup trucks here - they figure it's not "if" they hit a big critter, but when. Hitting livestock at highway speed at night in a politically correct automobile is awfully easy to do and frequently brings death to folks in the front seat. Luckily they usually probably don't feel it, though. Motorcyclists are are perhaps greater risk. Ah, the tales I can tell. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 We live in the boonies and are literally the last house in the community at the end of a dead end road.Our house can't be seen from the main road because we are surrounded on all sides pretty well by stands of 40 ft. spruce trees except for our front deck which allows for panoramic views of the North Atlantic where we can watch whales breaching,the dozens of species of sea birds and also watch the icebergs in late spring.Since we are so secluded we are constantly seeing various wildlife.Moose are very common but are a nuisance at times because they have developed a taste for my gladiolas,lilies,irises and other showy plants.In the winter the snowshoe hares and regular woodland rabbits can be a bother because they eat the delicate branch ends on the young trees I planted when they poke up through the snow.I generally throw out fruit etc. for the rabbits to discourage them from eating my trees but there is little that can be done about the moose except try to scare them away with loud noises but it doesn't take long for them to become accustomed to that. A few years ago a male and female pair of beautiful little foxes started coming around.The poor little critters were emaciated and to make matters worse the female was lame in one of her front paws-probably caught in a rabbit snare. Since I love anything with fur or feathers,I started putting out a pile of food for them every evening that winter. It was heatrwarming to watch them,first the male would go to the food and eat some then he would vanish in the woods for about 30 seconds and then appear with the lame little female who I guess hid because she couldn't flee danger because of her lameness.Anyway the male would bring her up to the food and stand watch while she ate and at the slighest noise he'd give a shrill yelp that foxes give and they would make for the bushes.By the time spring had come they had fattened up,their coats became lush and shiny and the little girl's leg had gotten a lot better to the pointthat she could amble along pretty good. BTW: Just about a mile offshore from my house is the world's largest seabird colony that is a Unesco World Heritage site.People aren't allowed on the islands because any human interaction could prove detrimental to the birds.The colony has proven to be of great worth to scientists and biologists who get special permits every year to do important research on the islands into the all aspects of the bird's lives. I'm no mathematician, but putting two and two together you may have solved your rabbit problem by bringing the foxes to your yard. I simply would have decided to learn to make hosenfefer 'cause rabbit is delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Yeah, deer and elk and moose can be quite a delicious treat ... Fixed. You're welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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