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Do you want to hunt a red fox? Would you like to learn how to hunt red fox? The red fox is nocturnal and has a very good sense of smell, eyesight, and hearing. It is also cunning and elusive. Additionally, the red fox is also sneaky, aware of its surroundings, and not easy to track down. In this article, we discuss hunting strategies to have a successful red deer hunt.
Table of Contents
How To Hunt Red Fox
1. Scouting Red Fox
When scouting for red foxes, keep on the lookout for tracks, scat, and fur. The big males leave heavy tracks. Always study the tracks to determine if they are tracks of heavy and mature males. Before going to physically scout the area, you can use Google Earth or hunting apps like HuntWise, HuntStand, or onX to study the landscape and look for possible den sites, burrows, tall grass, hills, water sources, and valleys where red fox could be found.
Additionally, some hunters use thermal monoculars to scan the fields. With thermal monoculars, they can accurately locate single and paired foxes. This helps them get a good idea of how many red foxes are in the area. The thermal monoculars let you see exactly where they are concentrated, what they are feeding on, and where they are holed up in.
2. Predator Calls
Calling can be used to hunt red foxes. Distressed rabbit calls, cottontail distress calls, hare screams, jackrabbit calls, coaxer calls, and bird cries are some of the calls that are used to lure red foxes. The red fox has very good eyesight and will cautiously approach the calls. You want to conceal yourself when calling so the red fox can’t see you. If it spots you, the hunt is over.
After making calls and you kill a fox, don’t start celebrating the kill and talking to your hunting partners. Instead, remain quiet, and continue calling. Change sounds after you take down a fox to lure more foxes and have chances to take more down.
You can switch to gray fox distress, then to juvenile red fox distress, and back to a rabbit distress call. The aim is to always change the call after you take down a fox to lure more. We did a review of the best predator calls that can be read from this link.
3. Decoys
When hunting during the day, you can use decoys with calling. This combination works well as the decoy captures the attention of the fox and not of you. This allows you to properly position yourself to take down the fox. The FoxJack decoy is one decoy that you can use when calling to hunt a fox during the day.
Additionally, a moving decoy is also very effective when hunting red foxes as it also captures the attention of the fox and takes its attention away from you.
4. Spot & Stalk Method
Hunters use the spot-and-stalk method to hunt red foxes. With this method, you find a high vantage point to glass an area for red foxes. When you spot a red fox that you want, you then slowly and carefully stalk the red fox with the wind in your face with trees and other vegetation as cover. Additionally, you want to limit your body movements s the red fox has very good eyesight and can quickly pick up any movements.
5. Wind Direction
When hunting for red foxes, always hunt hunting with the winds in your face. The red fox has a very good sense of smell. If you are not hunting downwind of the fox, the wind will take your scent to it and it will leave the area.
6. Hunting With Dogs
You can also hunt red foxes with dogs. With the help of trained dogs, you can track down foxes as the dogs keep them at bay. The dogs can keep the foxes within their sights and this allows you and your hunting partners to take shots at them when you have a good chance. There are dog breeds that are good for hunting and we did a review of the best hunting dog breeds.
7. Treestands
When hunting red foxes, you can set up a number of treestands in different directions. This helps when hunting red foxes as it allows you to move from one location to another depending on the wind direction. If you are interested in treestands, we reviewed the best climbing treestands.
8. Bait
Bait can be used to hunt red foxes. A red fox has a very good sense of smell. You can use that to your advantage to hunt red foxes. Smelly fish and other food that red foxes eat like mice, rodents, birds, and amphibians can be used as bait when hunting red foxes. Additionally, you can set up a ground blind that overlooks the bait pile and wait for the fox to come to the bait pile.
Foxes are very cautious and will approach a bait pile with caution. It will not approach the bait pile until it is sure there is no danger. Be patient and wait for the red fox to be convinced of no danger before you take a good shot. If you are interested in ground blinds, we reviewed the best hunting ground blinds on the market today.
Red Fox Hunting Tips
1. Red fox is nocturnal and often hunts in the late evening until early morning.
2. Red fox has a very good sense of smell and eyesight.
3. Red foxes can be hunted using predator calls like distressed rabbit calls, cottontail calls, jackrabbits calls, hare screams, etc.
4. Spot and stalk hunting method is one of the popular methods of hunting red fox.
5. When scouting and hunting red foxes, you can use thermal monoculars to scan the fields in search of red foxes.
6. When scouting for red foxes, look for scat, tracks, and the red fur of the fox.
7. When scouting, also listen for vocalizations, especially during the breeding season. They also bark and make yipping sounds.
8. Red fox eats fish, insects, small mammals, fruits, berries, nuts, carrion, earthworms, crawdads, amphibians, and ground-nesting birds and their eggs.
9. Always hunt red fox with the wind in your face.
10. You can use treestands and ground blinds to hunt red foxes.
11. When hunting for red foxes, you can glass from a high elevation using binoculars to spot red foxes.
The Bottom Line
Hunting red fox is challenging as it is elusive, sneaky, and nocturnal. Additionally, the red fox has a very good sense of smell, eyesight, and hearing. They use these abilities as part of their defense system against predators.
In this article, we discuss how to successfully hunt red foxes. If you are also interested in hunting wolves, then read how to hunt wolves. You can also read how to hunt fox, how to hunt bobcats, how to hunt coyotes, how to hunt cougars, and how to hunt wolves.
