The red fox is the most widespread canid on the European continent. It also lives in North America or Asia.
There are its related species that are found in places inhospitable to the red fox. In cases where these species collide, competitive conflicts occur, with the red fox being the dominant animal to its relatives.
One such is the arctic fox, which differs not only in its white appearance, but also in its occurrence in the far north, where the red fox does not have enough food.
Other lesser-known species of foxes throughout the northern hemisphere are the korsak fox (Central Asia), the kana fox (Israel). In North America, it meets other relatives such as the big fox, the gray-brown fox and the gray fox, which as the only fox subspecies can compete with the common fox and even displace it.
The red fox is a smaller beast that is smaller than a jackal or a coyote. They feed on a variety of food (insects, mice, small rodents, birds, nests, etc.).
Its coloring is brick red to rust with a white breast and white belly. The end parts of the legs are black. It has a long bushy tail that is topped with a white flower. In winter, the fur coat is very prominent.
The red fox is a very adaptable creature that adapts to all habitats, including human settlements. It inhabits large forest complexes, mixed hunting grounds, and can live in purely field conditions. We meet it more often in urban metropolises, where it looks for food in garbage, and in villages it can live near human dwellings.
The fox is a nocturnal creature that inhabits its burrows. It emerges from these burrows at dusk and returns to them again from hunting at dawn. It is the top predator in some localities where there are no wolves or bears, or jackals with coyotes.
Breeding takes place from the end of December to February depending on the weather and locations. The fox makes a so-called fox howl. Foxes and vixens show themselves differently.
In the spring, foxes subsequently have fox cubs in their burrows from the end of March to the end of April, which they take care of until they start hunting on their own, which is sometimes in late June or July. At that time they are taught to hunt. A fox can have 4 to 8 foxes in one litter, but in rare cases it can have many more foxes.
In nature, it plays a very important role in hunting small rodents, such as voles. Not infrequently, however, he visits chicken coops, where he takes several chickens at once. Especially in the period of cubs.
The legislation in the Czech Republic permits the hunting of red foxes throughout the year. However, a good hunter respects the period of cubs and does not hunt foxes from mid-March to early June.
In most cases, foxes do not start actively hunting until autumn, when they change color to their winter coat. Indeed, the most beautiful hunts are in the cold, on a full moon in the snow, when the frosted fox creeps along the roads towards the place from where he heard the hare screeching. This is one of the most interesting ways of hunting a fox, when the hunter must perfectly control the imitation of the sound of the fox’s prey and at the same time know the places from which the fox can come without the hunter seeing or approaching the hunter.
From daytime activity, it is effective to catch the fox at dusk, at night or at dawn, when it returns to its burrows. During the day, the chance of catching a fox is minimal.
Historically, foxes did not nest on roses at all. They were hunted by all sorts of means (from hammers, iron-type traps, digestion, gassing of burrows, etc.). A very popular method of hunting was hunting and parforce hunting in England, when large packs of dogs were used to chase the fox. Horsemen followed them.
Nowadays, the approach to foxes is already more humane, and foxes are mainly hunted with a firearm on a sled, sled or on joint hunts.
A very controversial topic today is the allowed method of hunting by burrowing, where some defend it as a traditional method of hunting with bred dog breeds designed for it, and others condemn such a method of hunting as a survival that has no place in modern times.
The most beautiful red fox hunt is clearly the decoy hunt, when the hunter imitates its prey. For this, the squeal of a hare, a mouse click (the sound can also be imitated with the lips) and the cry of a bird are used. During the laying season, foxes also respond well to the cry of a fawn. Here, however, it may happen that a larger pig comes to look at you, which likes to look for freshly laden fawns.
In recent years, decoys have appeared on the market that can also imitate fox meows (so-called fox flutes). It is used to lure the vixen for the female or for imitating its juice. Such decoys can be used effectively during January to February, when the foxes are in molting (breeding season).
Foxes have their own paths, where they go hunting or return from it every day. So you can guess the place and pick up the time when the fox will pass. This is a fairly effective hunt for hunters who specialize in foxes.
Sometimes foxes are hunted on so-called lures, when attractive animal remains are used (smoked mackerel, smoked fish, fish in general, etc.) and the fox runs out of bait. In most cases, the roost is given near the perches, where the hunter will then catch the fox.
Foxes can be hunted with a shotgun starting from 4 mm shot size. Small caliber calibers up to .308win can be used from the bullet holes. Of course, it depends on whether we want to preserve the fox fur, which was once a valuable article.
Lures in the case of the possibility of luring a fox.
Good shelter and good wind. The fox is a very bright and clever animal. It’s enough for her to betray herself once and she won’t be fooled a second time!
The fox has an internationally recognized scoring of the size of its skull by the CIC method, which can be compared to the size of the animal. However, some hunters also have fox fur as a trophy, from which they have hats made, or even fur coats for their dear wives.
I hope you found this article useful!
Your Huntastic Team
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