Fox Trapping – Tips for Traps, Bait, and Sets
When my neighbor brought over the fox he had just skinned, I knew I wanted to catch one. It was a gorgeous red fox pelt that was ready to be tanned.
Related: Fox Trapping Mistakes
A fox is one of the smartest animals you will ever trap. They can smell extremely well which makes them a formidable opponent when trying to trap them.
Fox trapping is a combination of traps, bait, urine, and lure to get a fox to step in just the right place to be caught. A fox may be trapped for its fur, or as a nuisance and pest.
Fox can be released and relocated if state laws allow for the relocation of nuisance animals. Be sure to check the laws before you relocate any animals. Some states have very strict laws about relocating animals so you are not just moving the problem to someone else.
To see more information about your state laws you can look at our state trapping articles. They go over some laws and other trapping regulations.
Best Fox Traps
I took a survey of ninety-five trappers on our Facebook page. The question I posed to the trappers was, What is the best fox trap you use? Why? The only thing I didn’t account for, in the survey, was many participants picked a trap size and not a specific trap and brand.
The trapper’s best fox trap is a 1 1/2 coil spring trap. The 1 1/2 coil spring trap is the proper size for a fox and reduces any damage to the trapped fox, its foot, and Leg.
Trappers said that the 1 1/2 sized trap is also able to hold a coyote that is becoming more prevalent across the United States. Coyotes are one of the biggest animals you might catch in your trap when fox trapping.
It is good to have a trap that will hold coyotes as well. This may cause you to need to buy a little bigger trap that can work well for coyotes and fox at the same time.
If you would like to learn more about how to also trap coyotes, check out this article I wrote about coyote trapping.
Trappers votes for the MB 450 and MB 550 traps in second and third place. These traps are very popular and very similar. The MB 550 trap is just slightly bigger than an MB 450.
If you would like to learn more about these traps check back in the future as we come out with more information about them.
The following cart is the results of the top nine traps from the survey. Trappers voted for a lot of different brands and sizes of traps.
Best Fox Traps Survey
| Trap Size | Number of Votes | Vote Percent |
| 1.5 Coil Spring | 19 | 20% |
| MB 450 (#1.5 trap) | 13 | 13.68% |
| MB 550 | 10 | 10.52% |
| Snare | 8 | 8.42% |
| 1.75 Duke | 6 | 6.31% |
| 2 Coil Spring | 3 | 3.16% |
| 2 Bridger Dogless | 3 | 3.16% |
| 3 Coil Spring | 3 | 3.16% |
| 1.5 Victor | 3 | 3.16% |
| All other traps | 29 | 29.9% |
| Total Votes | 95 |
You should check out our article on the MB 450 trap where we go over why it is the best trap for fox.
Fox Bait For Trapping
Fox usually eat a variety of food. They will eat mice, squirrels, and any other meat they find around. Many times a fox will cash some food for later and mark it with urine.
Because foxes are sometimes scavengers and like to get an easy meal we can use bait that imitates this behavior.
A meat-based paste bait can be purchased or made for use when fox trapping. Fox are commonly eating mice and other meats. When specifically trapping fox meat-based baits are best.
If you are needing a meat-based bait you can get one at the following link on amazon. There are also a few other baits on there to checkout.
Another tip is that you can make your own fox bait. Mice can be trapped and used whole or turned into fox bait.
Related: What do coyotes eat?
Homemade Fox Bait Recipes
Mouse-Based Recipe: Collect mice and place them in a container with a lid on it. Keep flies out as much as possible because they will place their eggs on the meat and the maggots will eat the bait. Let the bait ferment for the summer in the container. The sun can speed up this process. In the fall and winter, you can use this bait for trapping.
Meat-Based Recipe: The process above can be repeated for a meat-based bait. Collect scraps of meat, fat, or other undesirable pieces of meat. Cut meat into small pieces. Store in a container for the summer. The meat bait will be ready to start using in the fall.
Tips For Above Recipes:
- Don’t put bait in an air-tight container, it will explode. I used an empty protein shake powder canister like this one on amazon.
- Bait can be kept for many years and it gets better with time.
- Don’t leave this in an easy to get area, it will attract any meat-eating critter in the area.
- This bait is some of the strongest bait I have ever smelled or seen. It does not come off your clothes or your hands. Don’t get it on you. Been there done that. It is nasty.
This bait will work for red fox, grey fox, kit fox, arctic fox, badgers, coyote, raccoons, skunks, and bears.
You don’t need very much bait at a set to attract a fox. Two to three tablespoons will be plenty.
Fox Lure
When you are out trapping some baits smell good to a fox but often they are not smelly enough to get a fox to come to the set to investigate. If the fox was a little farther away or was not super interested in the bait, a lure may grab its attention.
Lures are designed to be a territorial smell or the smell of a fox in heat. A lure is often made out of the glands or the liquids from glands.
Some lures have extremely strong scents in them such as skunk scent. These lures are known as long-distance lures because they work over a longer distance.
All these scents will work on grey fox, red fox, coyotes, raccoons, and bobcats. Most fox lures that are made of fox scents and lure will work best for fox.
Some a fox may be nervous around lures made with coyote or bobcat scents because sometimes they are preditors to a fox. Although they will probably still work just fine.
If you need a lure for trapping season I would use a gland lure. They will work throughout fox trapping season and will work on other predators that you can catch in the sets.
We would recommend a lure that Amazon sells, it is a gland lure, Mark June’s Fox Frenzy lure.
Fox Urine
When trapping fox you may want to use urine. Many trappers use urine because it can help a fox be more calm and curious about a trapping set.
The fox will want to mark its territory by urinating to let the other fox know that this is his territory. Fox urine will let the fox think that if it is not its urine on the set that the bait needs to be stolen and moved or eaten.
Some trappers may only use urine at a set. Hopefuly, as a fox approaches the set, it will be caught as it marks its territory.
Fox urine works well on red fox sets, grey fox sets, and coyote sets. If you need some urine for this trapping season a good place to buy it is on Amazon.
The Lenons Red Fox Urine is a good choice because you can buy it in bulk or smaller portions. If you are looking to just try it out it comes in 4oz bottles or a gallon jug for the serious trapper and several sizes in between.
Fox Trapping Location
So where can you find a place to put a fox trap? Finding a location may be easier than you think.
The best place to put a fox trap is where you can find fox sign. If you can find fox tracks, scat, or a den where you know fox live, then those are the best places to set up your fox trap.
When a fox moves through an area, they usually follow the edges of a field, ditches, dirt roads, or fence lines. They like these edges because that is where the prey is, where there is an easy path of travel, and where there is the cover to hide in if they see a predator such as a coyote or a human should come along.
The next best place to put your trap is where a fox may be traveling. If you can put a trap where many of the above features cross or meet you may have better success.
Place your trap as close to these travel ways as you can. In a two-track dirt road, you may pick to put your trap within a foot or two of the edge of the road. It may be better to put it in the middle of the two-track.
Other places that might be good to set traps and look for sign are around ponds, along river edges, and low spots or draws.
Water in the west is very important because there is not a lot of water, and foxes need water. They will usually stay close to it or visit often. You should see their tracks in the mud around the edges where they come to get a drink.
When hunting deer I have often seen red fox seeking around me and trying to stay out of sight by running the bottom of a wash or draw. These washes are good cover and make them harder to see when there is not a lot of brush or grass to hide in.
One of my favorite signs that are animals moving in the area is to watch where you are finding roadkill on the sides of the road. As you drive to work, or through town, certain areas will start to stand out. Where I see the most roadkill is usually when we are passing water, along field edges.
Best Fox Trapping Sets
The best set for fox trapping is a dirt hole set. It is made by making a dirt hole and filling it with bait and lure then burying a leg hold trap in front of the hole.
A dirt hole set is not the only set you should be using. There are several other types of sets that trappers are using to catch a fox that might avoid a dirt hole set.
Some of the other sets that are common among fox trappers are hay set, scent post set, urine post set, snare set and flat set. A trapper needs to understand how to make several sets and know when and where to use them.
We made a list of sets to use for trapping fox and coyotes. These set ideas are most helpful when trying to catch those trap shy fox. You can read our article on how to make the sets to get a more in-depth understanding of these sets.
Other Fox Trapping Sets
Fox Trapping Season
Fox trapping season is the best time to trap fox for fur. Trapping season falls when the fur has become prime or it is at its best quality.
The dates for trapping season are set by each state. Most fox trapping seasons start in October or November and end in March or April. The season is when the fox fur is prime.
You can check your individual state laws by checking our state trapping articles. They will talk about fox trapping laws along with a few other animals you may be trapping.
Is it Legal to Trap Fox?
Most states have plans for fox population management plans. They include whether or not a fox can be trapped.
Fox trapping is legal in most states in the United States. There is often a season in each state when a licensed trapper may catch a fox.
If a fox is causing a nuisance to your chickens or in another manner and you are not a licensed trapper, you will need to check on the legality of trapping the fox.
Often states have permits or licenses that will allow you to remove nuisance animals out of season. It is better to double-check the laws about trapping and transporting fox before you start trying to catch one.
Fox Trapping Kits
| Fox Trapping Kit | Price | Contents | Link To Kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 piece fox & Coyote Trapping Package kit New sale animal control | $ | 3 – Duke #2 traps 3 – stakes 1 – stake driver 3 – quick links 1 – pair of gloves. 1 – fox & coyote bait 2 – lures 1 – urine | Fox Trapping Kit on eBay |
| Fox Trapping Kit With 6 New MB450-FH Traps | $$ | 6 – MB-450-FH Traps 1- three in one tool 6 – wolf fang earth anchors 1- 24″ wolf fang earth anchor driver 1- metal sifter 1 package – pan covers 6 – 3/16 quick links 1- Fox urine 1- bait 2- Fox lures | Fox Trapping Kit on eBay |
| Deluxe Fox Trapping Starter Kit | $$ | 6 – MB450 Fox Traps 6 – Cable Stakes 6 – J-Hooks 1 – Stake Driver 1 – Pack #1.5 Pan Covers 1 – 5lb Bar Yellow Wax 1 – Package of Logwood Dye 1 – D-Handled Trowel 1 – Sod Digging Hoe 1 – Metal Sifter 1 – 4 oz. Mark June’s Fox Frenzy 1 – 4 oz. Milligan’s Steppenwolfe I 1 – Pint Fox Urine 1 – Pint Caven’s Predator Bait 1 – Bag of Sheep’s Wool 2 – Instructional DVDs | Fox Trapping Kit on eBay |
