Foxes

[WILD time]

hi in my horse field we have a vixen and 5 cubs. The farmer has paid a keeper to watch to see if there are any foxes and kill them. If they find them they will shoot them. Is there anything we can do?

[Dogghound]

kill the farmer. nowt u can do its awful makes me so cross. why do they want them dead?

[Kymba]

Do you own the field or do you rent it from the Farmer?? If it is yours you can ban him from entering your field. If your renting I would make sure I was there as much as possible as do everything I could to stop him being able to shoot them.. We as Humans seem to think we have the god given right to shoot and destroy what ever we want....
Oh and Welcome to WAB..You will soon be addicted and make lots of new friends and learn so much from many people sorry its taken so long to reply but as you know have been a few problems recently

[Urisk]

If the field is yourse, then can't you argue that the foxes are yours too? I know its not encouraged, but perhaps you could feed them a little bit? It may keep them from wandering to far where they may be a problem.


See the problem is that the reason a keeper will be out for them because they may cause a lot of damage to the farmer's stock. Remember that we are animals too, and essentially we are competing for the same resources here: there are bound to be confrontations. I would really object if the keeper was to kill the foxes while not on the farmer's land, but if they are on that land, well the farmer has got to protect his livelyhood, and in a way, according to the ways of nature, and competition, he does have every right to eliminate other competitors to protect his territory and resources.

That said, I am still a strong believer that things can be worked out to allow man and beast to live together without these disputes. Maybe you can speak to the farmer and come to some arrangement with him? Even if it's getting the animals relocated or something.

[APC]

What livestock does the farmer have?