Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Reynard loses his life trying to steal chickens

My mistake cost Ol' Brer Fox his life last night.

I let the chickens out to scratch around in their "patio" yard off the Gulag while watering out back yesterday afternoon. Gave them some goodies, dandelion and wild lettuce from the yard, some scratch. Got busy with watering the orchard across the creek, then dinner,etc. Chickens went in and went to bed in the coop as usual at sundown. I was in the house.

Along about 2300 hours, starting to watch a HOCKEY game, I heard noises out there by the coop. Windows are open at night for the cooling breezes, and my recliner seat is right next to the closest one to the coop.

Oh Scheidt. I knew just what was going on as it was at that moment I remembered I never shut the gate to the Gulag. Fudge, I jumped up, turned on spotlight in the back yard, ran out on deck and yelled, ran inside, grabbed pistola, forgot flashlight, remembered before I left deck I think, grabbed the light, stopped at the well house and grabbed some earmuffs from the shooting bag (semi climate controlled storage ), and ran out to the coop to see what was bothering the birds and if it was still there after all the hoopla. Sure as Moses had a beard, there's a fox, probably the same one that got a hen a couple of months back and got his pic taken by the game cam the next night snooping around for more.

Well, he made the mistake of not leaving while I was doing all that prep. The he had a chance to get by me as I was getting through the "patio" and headed toward the gate. Instead, he cornered himself between the fence and coop itself. Poor choice.

Many here know I don't mind the mice, ground squirrel, pack rat, rabbit, snake eaters around the place. Less trapping of vermin I need to do. But get after my chickens and you end up like Roy the badger did a couple of years back.

Reynard will not be bringing Kentucky (California?) Raw Chicken home to the kids anymore:




The trail cam from back at the end of May:



One hen is a bit beat up, but seems no worse for wear this morning. Was feeding with the others last I saw her.