Foxes

Common names: Red fox / Gray fox
Scientific names: Vulpes vulpes / Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Biology.
Adult body length (without tail): 16 to 29 inches
Adult body weight: 7 to 15 pounds
Gestation period: 51 to 63 days
Litters per year: 1
Litter size: 3 to 9 young (usually 3 to 7)
Breeding season: January through February
Birthing season: March through April
Age at which young are weaned: 6 to 7 weeks
Activity period: Night (pre-sunset to post-dawn)
Range: 3 to 25 square miles
Primary foods: Rabbits, rodents, birds, eggs, small livestock,
insects, fruits

Pest status. Foxes prey on turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, pheasants and the eggs of these birds. They also prey on young pigs, lambs and small dogs and cats. Foxes also carry rabies. Like coyotes, foxes often move from outlying rural areas into more urbanized settings in search of suitable harborage and prey.
CONTROL
Exclusion. Residents of housing developments visited by foxes should keep their dogs and cats indoors at night or contained in securely-fenced yards, protected from roaming foxes.
Fox barrier fences should be at least 5 1/2 feet high, constructed of no larger than 4 x 4 inch mesh heavy-gauge wire, have outward-angled wire overhangs and buried wire aprons.
Harassment / Intimidation. The installation of bright security lights over fowl coops, animal pens and back yards dramatically reduces the frequency of nighttime predation by foxes to small livestock and smaller pets kept in those areas. Also, having two or more trained (large breed) guard dogs on the property is an effective way to keep foxes away from small/young livestock.
Live-trapping. One method employed by Rottler technicians to capture foxes is the placement of dirt sets using staked leg-hold traps on fox trails and near den entrances (secured from humans and non-target animals). This constitutes an effective measure for capturing coyotes in rural and new suburban developments. The strategic placement of snares concealed among tall vegetation and brush along trails is another proven method for taking foxes.