How to Kill a Live Fox With a Trap

The fox is small, fast and difficult to catch.

Fox pelts are highly valued for the quality of the fur. Trapping the fox requires advanced knowledge of the habits and range, in addition to finely tuned traps and carefully placed sets. Many of the trapping methods are not lethal and will only hold the animal until the trap is checked. The snare is one of few traps that provide a lethal kill and it must be properly placed to catch the neck and kill the animal.

Things You'll Need

• 40-gauge snare wire
• Tape measure

Instructions

1. Locate a fox trail by walking through wooded and brush areas. Walk the edge of a treeline and focus on areas with heavy rodent and small game populations. Look for worn trails and small dog tracks to locate a fox. The animal travels habitual paths while hunting each evening, night and morning.

2. Follow the trail until you reach a narrow area that leaves limited travel options. The fox may walk around a snare in the open but the narrow area forces the fox through the snare.

3. Feed the clip end of the snare wire through the small loop on the opposite end to form the snare opening. Wrap the wire around a tree or stable object and attach the clip to the main wire. This will hold the snare in place while the animal struggles.

4. Adjust the snare to create a six-inch-diameter loop. The opening is large enough to fit the head of a fox without trapping the leg or body of the animal.

5. Measure six inches off the ground and bend the wire to position the bottom of the loop at the measurement. Make small adjustments to the position of the loop to ensure it is in the forced travel path of the fox.

6. Add branches and other objects to the outside of the travel path. Add enough to force the fox into the snare while preventing large animals from traveling through the path of the snare.

Tips & Warnings

• Add freshly killed rodents and other bait to the area around the trap. The bait masks human scent and attracts the fox to the area.

• Trapping requires a special permit in most regions. Apply for the permit or license and trap only where it is legal. Illegal trapping is a criminal act and violators are subject to fines and possible imprisonment.

References

• Sullivan's Line: Setting Snares
• Ohio Valley Outdoors; An Introduction to Trapping- Part Two, Red Fox; Ralph Scherder; January 2010

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish