The hunting of foxes has been a sacred ritual for ages and even now is still a tradition. It is a test of skills, patience, application of knowledge, and even a competition of wealth (using fox hunting hounds).
If that is all there is to it, why this article?
The answer is quite simple. Hunting foxes, whether as a game or for the thrill of it, has its requirements. Some of which are easy to meet, the others, not so much.
Over time, several methods have been devised to hunt foxes based on their habitats and behaviors, especially during various climate seasons. Some of these methods include chasing, trapping, shooting, and luring.
Let us talk about the fox’s habits during winter.
Using Fox Tracks in Snows
Foxes are very fast animals, making them very difficult to hit once they are on the move. Like other mammals within the region, the foxes have a mating cycle that can easily be calculated to our advantage.
Foxes have an annual mating cycle that occurs only during winter from late January to early February, with the vixen’s heat cycle lasting for about a week. The vixen digs, burrows, and stays with the cubs while the male is forced to sleep outside and hunt for food. This hunt for food makes the male fox vulnerable to predators because it leaves tracks on the snow, which leads to the burrows.
The key is to approach as stealthily as possible while circling to get a feel for the area before making a move.
What about the methods to use for hunting?
I will tell you about my two favorite methods of hunting foxes: night hunting with a gun and trapping.
Night Hunting with a Gun
Since foxes are naturally nocturnal animals, you would have more luck hunting them at night. Using a cottontail rabbit in distress to bait the fox is probably your best bet.
Make sure you have proper light and sweep it back and forth as it approaches. Avoid focusing the light on the fox for any length of time. Once it gets close enough, you can take your shot.
Using the ak 47 optics together with your hunting rifle would improve efficiency and, to an extended range. This hunting tool gives the hunter a bit of leeway as it’s possibly one of the best hunting scopes you can find.
Trapping
The good old use of traps is best for solo hunters who can’t afford a gun or those who do not desire to go for the kill.
Trapping makes use of special cages and baits to lure and trap the foxes. This plays specifically on the fox’s powerful sense of smell. Things to note are, while the fox is not super smart, it is not dumb enough to waltz into a metal cage just because of food, or maybe it is.
All you need to know is this;
- The fox has to be comfortable entering your cage.
- The fox has to be able to eat enough not to be suspicious of the environment.
This means your bait should not be in a straight line but must spread around the cage. As for the distance, I’ll let you be the judge of that.
What kind of bait is good?
The final piece of the puzzle, I knew you’d want to know. Fish is good, and fishy-smelling cat food is also a nice alternative. If you have none of those, pork can always come in handy. Trust me, they all work like a charm.
Conclusion
Hopefully, by the time you get to this part of the article, you will have soaked up enough information on how to hunt foxes as efficiently as possible. Knowing the right baits, time, and how to calculate their location all contribute to providing you with a fantastic hunting experience. Also, using the most appropriate tool or weapon, like the best hunting scope under 1000, might really help you out in this hunting game.
