Around here reds use dens year round.

Fair point. We have coyotes here out the yin-yang and they eat fox, especially red fox. It seems tough to justify removing lower-quality red fox from the population under our coyote pressure situation. However, if you are trying to remove as many bird nest raiders as possible, and you'll kill all skunks, possums, and coons that end up in your trap, then yeah, I agree, killing as many foxes as possible will advance that goal, too. On balance, I'd rather have a few red fox running around in the spring, giving us pups, than eradicating them. I myself do not sell pelts, and I trap only for the benefit of other wildlife, the prey species like grouse and woodcock. And our trapping shows positive results in that regard. But I'd rather a few red fox remain overall.

What a waste. UNLESS it was a nuisance animal that one should have been let go in my opinion.

Don't tell us you are trapping to save nesting birds , but you won't set a coon trap because the pelts are worthless. THAT fox that is rubbed is worthless and there are millions more coon than foxes...................

You understand he's in the UK, not the US?

Don't care where whomever is !!!!!! What I said applies to all who are doing it but want to justify catching WORTHLESS fox. But wont set a coon trap because they are worthless.

Does the UK have raccoons? I am not sure. They do have an awful lot of foxes, however. And not a huge market for pelts. ADC there is totally different than here in the USA. I have spent time in England and Scotland with ADC guys. They are usually also professional hunters ("stalkers" which also means something really different there than here!), and they are relied on by the general human population to manage all critters. It is a totally different situation, market etc.

Sorry, your opinion means squat since you don't understand the management in the UK. Fur quality should never be the deciding factor for predator management. The population numbers are what matters, using the fur is secondary.

Hey jbyrd, you are combining two different users under one item. There's the fox picture posted by the ADC guy in England. I trap for ground nesting birds, here in the USA. Although you posed your question to him, you mentioned coons and ground nesting birds, which is all about me. So to the extent you were addressing me, yes, I trap for coon, as well as possum, and skunk, too. Even now we have traps out - conibears, cage traps, footholds and cable restraints. Our loops are up high and wide to avoid foxes and to target coyotes.

I never trap fox after mid January, it just isn't worth it, by then it is 60% rubbed to 40 % prime. and by then the females are or are close to be being pregnant. a smart trapper IMO would not be targeting them now on the high chance they will be rubbed and instead leave seed for next year. I have also herd a released pregnant female will abort pups if caught. now if its a nuisance call than thats something different and they need to be removed. I call that one frosted not cherry, congratulations on a nice fox