Cage trapping fox in suburban areas

Hello. I'm still new to this business, and am finding out that a lot of people have no idea what we do. I commend all of you who have made a successful go at this trade, as for me it is a very hard sale. No one wants a nuisance wildlife problem... they didn't ask for it, and therefore don't feel like it should cost them to have it resolved. I understand that, it's not like they decided to remodel their kitchen, made a conscious decision to spend the money, and afterwards will have something to show for it.

Anyway, one little section of the suburban town I service has been plagued with a mangy looking fox. It started out the local police department called me, then the fire department, then the school, as well as the general contractor of a new subdivision... all in the same area. Problem was no one wanted to pay for my services... they just were hoping I'd come catch it. I get this a lot in my area. I don't know if people think I'm just an animal lover, or whether they think their taxes pay for it (like animal control), but it happens a lot. I almost decided to try and catch it for some PR, as the school and subdivision owner both gave me permission, but finally decided I would hold out.

Yesterday the call came in from a resident in an upscale neighborhood near the area. They have been seeing the fox for a while, but now it has begun coming into their yard, and is terrorizing their 7, yes 7 cats. So today he hired me to trap it. I'll be using cages, which has always been a feat in itself for me to cage trap a fox (have caught many in footholds), but another big problem is all the cats. I found two areas around the perimeter privacy fence where the fox has been cutting under it, but the cats use them too. I have been paid a set up fee, and will be paid for the fox as well as any non-targets that I have to come release, so it's a no lose situation for me... but I want to handle this quick and efficiently by catching the fox without lots of non targets. I'm using two 15 x 18 cages and one 10 x 12, and have put one each near both crawl unders, and one near the cat quarters. I'm trying to avoid the cats by using fox lures and urine, as well as the same types of baits I would use while fur trapping. I've covered the floors of the cages with straw, and have covered the trap sides and tops with burlap.

So, sorry for the long read, but is there anything else I can do to up the odds? Putting the cats up is not an option, as they're really just ferals that the homeowners have taken in, but they come and go as they please. Thanks for any and all replies... this is a far cry from fur trapping.

You can hang something called a critter in the back of the cage. Its just a square peice of fake fur about 4x4 with plastic eyes

1 Use the larger cage traps, I prefer 14x14 but I have caught plenty in 12x12s.
2 If you can find where it is denning and set the trap near the entrance that is a huge plus.
3 KFC or the like is great fox bait, high odor and high energy value to the fox.
4 Make your client put her 7 cats inside or you'll never get the fox, as the cats will end up in your traps first.
5 If you don't have any success within 2-3 days add a dab (and I do mean a dab) of fox gland lure in the back of your trap.

If the fox has been seen during the daytime on a regular basis it is probably carrying a heavy parasite load. That makes it much more susceptible to capture as its caloric requirements are probably exceeding its ability to forage. Use that to your advantage.

also...any cats you catch spray them with water they will be a lot less willing to go back in for a free meal..
and the bigger the trap the better!
all my fox traps are 2 ft square and 6 ft long...ive got a BIG one that's 4 and a half ft square and 8 ft long its a good trap and has caught a lot of wild foxes...

also bait...this fox will be used to trash...so give it trash,a plastic bag with some kfc in in the back of the trap is as natural to the fox as a mouse to the wild one

Thanks for the advice guys, it is much appreciated. So far I've had no action, as in I haven't even caught a cat. But the client hasn't seen the fox again either, so it may either be dead, or running a big loop through the neighborhood. But I haven't gotten any reports of it from the school, general contractor, police department, or fire department, which makes me believe one of these 8 degree nights we've had has done it in. That's a great tip about the KFC and the trash, and I will try that next. We will be having a couple rounds of snow moving through our area over the next few days, so I'm going to try and get out and look for tracks. If I don't have any luck in another week or ten days, and my client still hasn't seen it, I'm going to pull traps until it reappears again. Will update this thread if anything breaks. Thanks again.

Have live snared fox when cages didn't work in suburbs. Find where it goes under a fence, shed, deck, or into a culvert or pipe. Go out after a snow and read the area - even if it's a different fox, most of them follow same patterns. When they get mangy to the point where bare skin is exposed, death comes with the next cold spell. Mangy fox are more likely to go into a cage - hunger trumps caution. Fresh blood of any kind will draw one a long way.

Cats don't normally go to sweet baits but fox will--often.
Blackies Fur King or Earls Persimmon Bait or even pie fruit filling or donuts.
I suspend bait a few inches from the roof (in a lil cup-bottom 2" of water bottle)OR put UNDER the cage beyond the treadle....always laying a light trail of the bait to the mother lode.
Have you painted your cages?
Have you tuned the triggers?
Are you covering/blending the cage floor so it won't walk on wire?
Do you set the trigger with light tension?

Hope this helps

Keep us updated!

Cover your cage trap floors with dirt & Spray some cat urine inside the trap. little cat fur wouldn't hurt.

Thanks for all the advice guys. There are some great suggestions here and I will use them in the future. This job wrapped up some time ago but I wanted to update everyone. The fox was ultimately caught, but not by me. My client never saw it again after I began trapping, and about a week later it was caught in the same neighborhood, but a few streets over from where I was at. A wildlife rehabber had been helping a homeowner for about a month try and trap it, and they finally connected. The fox was a daily visitor to their yard, and they had all kinds of pictures of it on the front and back porch, and she finally coerced it into the trap by concealing the cage with twigs and branches and using used cat litter as an attractant, and tuna fish in oil for bait. She was very excited, as it was her first fox catch. She treated it for mange and a secondary infection, and as of the last pics she sent me of it, it is looking very well. She plans to release it soon.

Anyway, I still did alright on my portion of the job, as my client kept me on to reduce some of the stray cats around his home. I also made a lot of contacts throughout the whole process, and business has really picked up since.

Again, thanks for all the help, it is much appreciated.