One of the dogs started barking at the sliding glass door a few nights ago, so I looked out to see if the neighbor’s dogs were in our yard again. Or maybe the deranged collie was just seeing things again. But sure enough, there was something out there. At first, I thought it was a cat. But when it turned sideways, it was clear from its silhouette that it was a red fox.
I kind of like foxes. We have big dogs, so I don’t worry much about a fox carrying off one of my four-legged friends. I’m pretty sure a fox would be no match for pigs, either, and the horses really have nothing to fear from them.
The chickens, on the other hand, might need a bit of help to avoid becoming a meal for a hungry fox.
I’m pretty sure the chicken bunker I built to house the birds is fox-proof. Even the run we let them out into during the day would be hard to get into. But foxes are crafty critters, so I’d rather not have one sniffing around.
The fox in the yard the other night was right off our back porch, and it wasn’t very close to the chicken coop. But I still thought I better let it know that our yard is a no-hunting zone.
I slid open the door and yelled, then I fired my Kimber 1911 into the ground to drive the point home. The fox was close enough, I could have shot him. But to tell you the truth, I didn’t want to. He’s probably keeping the rabbit population in control around the place, and right now, fox pelts aren’t worth the work involved in skinning them. Besides, foxes are pretty dang cool.
Now, if it had been a coyote, things might have been different. Hopefully some of those bigger critters will come to investigate. If so, I’ll be ready for them, and so will the collie. He’s been watching out that sliding door ever since he saw that fox.
