A Nice Relaxing Walk On The Beach - Not

[flame ryder]

We love to take our dogs for a walk on the beach. Main reason is because the beach seems to be the only place we can let them off their leads and they can just run free. And I'm talking deserted, windswept, country beaches...not city beaches, and there's usually no one else on the beach (especially in the middle of winter) except us and our dogs.

But lately we rock up at the beach and we see these blasted signs warning us of fox baits laid in dunes and adjoining beaches. Grrrrrrr I know that there's a big fox problem and I hate foxes as I have poultry, and I know they need to be controlled but the beach...Cmon!!!

We then made our poor dogs stay on leads when they are used to running free, and they look at us as if to say " wtf? stupid humans! Why are we still on leads?"

This is on most beaches in our area and there have been cases of dogs taking the baits. I hate baits...better to have a hunting day and shoot all the foxes, least it's a quick death and no innocent dogs eat bait and die a horrible, slow and painful death.

[Red Fox]

What area are you in?

[persephone]

Hunting days don't really work Foxes are notoriously difficult to shoot in areas where they have cover ..and sand dunes would make it dangerous. I would be using a long lead AND a good muzzzle ...and stick to the water's edge , where the tide cleans the beach . It only takes a second for a dog to grab a bait .(often just a chicken wingtip)

IF teh baits are done properly, tho, the location should be marked, and the baits buried ...to avoid crows etc picking them up & dropping them elsewhere , and to limit them being taken by non target species.

[flame ryder]

What area are you in?

We are in the South East.

I agree Persephone if there's gunna be baits laid it needs to be done properly, if so it can reduce non target species eating them however it isn't always reliable.

We once baited on our farm (many years ago) I was on edge the whole time. We checked baits every day and even when we tried every trick in the book to catch the foxes, none ever ended up taking the baits. In the end I threw them away...I couldn't stand the stress anymore. I was always scared something else would dig them up and drag them around, then a crow or other bird of prey might pick them up and drop them elsewhere, or the intended fox would dig them up then become suspicious and not eat them, leaving them exposed on the ground. Probably un-likely but my imagination worked overtime. Same in the dunes, same thing could happen...freaks me out. I hate baits.