TheTallGuy
Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
Foxes....
- Thread starter TheTallGuy
- Start date
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Saw that earlier and I have mixed feelings. On one hand the farmer is giving the industry a caring image and should be applauded, on the other, he’s releasing some vermin which may come back to bite his own backside.
- Location
- East Sussex
All good PR if you ask me, what happens afterwards or when it goes next door doesn’t want discussing in public imo.
JMTHORNLEY
Member
- Location
- Glossop
I shoot A LOT of foxes, I have the utmost respect for them as predators and I enjoy this time of year while the cubs can be seen in the late evening playing in the lamp light. I have no desire to kill every fox on earth and they are required in the food chain, so I will leave very young foxes with a view to clean them back end when and where I can.
This isn't something I would do personally but I understand why and the publicity is very good for the industry so can't be bad.
I had a friend (farmer) who had a pet fox once, it's a long story so I'll shorten, he had shot a vixen not noticing a very small cub in tow. When he went over to pick her up he said 'I didn't know what to do, didn't want to kill the little bugger and she'd have died if I left her alone and it looked so cute....'
So home he took it and raised it with his spaniel. Turns out they make not bad pets if ruled with a rod of iron, used to take it to the pub and the f**king thing would jump up and sit on top of the dart board or a bar stool while the spaniel would sit by his feet. Nobody bar him could stroke or even touch it as a new bar maid found out when she nipped her but overall I was impressed with it, it just increased my respect for them. Still enjoy lamping all the same
This isn't something I would do personally but I understand why and the publicity is very good for the industry so can't be bad.
I had a friend (farmer) who had a pet fox once, it's a long story so I'll shorten, he had shot a vixen not noticing a very small cub in tow. When he went over to pick her up he said 'I didn't know what to do, didn't want to kill the little bugger and she'd have died if I left her alone and it looked so cute....'
So home he took it and raised it with his spaniel. Turns out they make not bad pets if ruled with a rod of iron, used to take it to the pub and the f**king thing would jump up and sit on top of the dart board or a bar stool while the spaniel would sit by his feet. Nobody bar him could stroke or even touch it as a new bar maid found out when she nipped her but overall I was impressed with it, it just increased my respect for them. Still enjoy lamping all the same
- Location
- Fife
I shoot A LOT of foxes, I have the utmost respect for them as predators and I enjoy this time of year while the cubs can be seen in the late evening playing in the lamp light. I have no desire to kill every fox on earth and they are required in the food chain, so I will leave very young foxes with a view to clean them back end when and where I can.
This isn't something I would do personally but I understand why and the publicity is very good for the industry so can't be bad.
I had a friend (farmer) who had a pet fox once, it's a long story so I'll shorten, he had shot a vixen not noticing a very small cub in tow. When he went over to pick her up he said 'I didn't know what to do, didn't want to kill the little bugger and she'd have died if I left her alone and it looked so cute....'
I share your views. Many people think that to kill something you have to hate it, but of course this isn’t the same.
In the OP the farmer did the right thing.
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
Next thing farmers will be incubating crows eggs
That’ll please packham
That’ll please packham
TheTallGuy
Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
I agree to a point, but the problem is that these foxes won't have the right upbringing to thrive naturally, which means that they are likely to gravitate towards human habitation & become urban type foxes.
- Location
- south norfolk
I love foxes and would love one as a pet.i understand they need controlling in certain parts though.currently got some cubs around the yard which is great.see adult foxes regularly too which is great.still plenty of hares,rabbits,pheasants and partridges along with muntjac,roe and red deer too
Nick...
Nick...
Davey
Member
- Location
- Derbyshire
- Location
- hereford
Mum had a pet jackdaw when she was a kid - followed her around the farm .
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
I have to take my hat off to whoever raised the cubs. It is not easy. I had a pointer bitch die suddenly leaving a litter of pups that I had to feed every few hours by myself. (No help back then).
To top it all, the electricity went off so I had to keep the wood burner going to keep them warm. It seemed that when I'd finished feeding the last one, the first one would be squeaking to be fed again.
Worst of all, none of them made decent workers at the end of the day! Rearing foxes would be an interesting experiment as a one off but I can't really see much point to it.
Would I hatch a crow's egg and keep the bird as a pet? Probably 'yes' as that might be interesting and crows are intelligent. Jays and magpies used to be kept as pets. All illegal now of course, unless close ringed.
To top it all, the electricity went off so I had to keep the wood burner going to keep them warm. It seemed that when I'd finished feeding the last one, the first one would be squeaking to be fed again.
Worst of all, none of them made decent workers at the end of the day! Rearing foxes would be an interesting experiment as a one off but I can't really see much point to it.
Would I hatch a crow's egg and keep the bird as a pet? Probably 'yes' as that might be interesting and crows are intelligent. Jays and magpies used to be kept as pets. All illegal now of course, unless close ringed.