While there's a chance it was just passing through, you're likely to see foxes return time and time again if: There's a water source such as a pond, fountain, swimming pool, puddles or a pet's water bowl. There's a food source such as bins, pet food or you're feeding other wildlife such as birds or hedgehogs.
Fortunately, foxes are creatures of habit and will usually enter at the same place each time. Look at the area from a fox's point of view and see if there's anything you can do to make it more difficult to come in.
Yes, he will come back. My father has kept chickens for years and it is a constant battle to keep the foxes out. You were lucky he only took one, usually they kill them all but only take one away. DF's chickens are let out in the daytime and put in a chicken shed at night, as that is when the fox usually comes.
These foxes can easily be scared away by making loud noises such as yelling or blowing whistles, dousing them with water houses or squirt guns or throwing objects such as tennis balls toward them.
THE FOXES ARE NESTING IN AN AREA YOU FREQUENT
Foxes love to build their dens in sheds, wood piles and other outdoor structures. If you're noticing a lot of foxes in an area you frequent, such as in and around your shed, you'll want to get rid of the animals for the sake of convenience.
Besides keeping rodents like mice and rats at bay, having a fox family living or visiting your woodland garden is likely a signal that your garden is healthy and offers good habitat for an upper level predator. That includes access to an abundant supply of food, water and shelter.
For example, foxes hate natural ingredients like chili pepper, garlic, capsaicin, and a chemical compound called alliinase. Sprinkling these foods around your garden will naturally prevent foxes coming near your home and garden. Foxes also hate water, flashing lights, and loud noises.
Foxes are normally wary and unlikely to approach humans. However, if fed by a person, they can become conditioned to approach people and may appear to be a threat. They may prey on poultry, lambs, piglets and small pets.
Fox attacks on dogs are rare because these animals try to evade conflict. However, they will defend themselves against a dog if cornered. Adult cats are usually safe, but a fox may hunt and prey on kittens.
Dogs can work quite well at keeping foxes away as well. Unfortunately, because foxes are so smart, they often just wait until your dogs go indoors to strike. You might consider adding an outdoor livestock guardian dog if foxes are a serious threat in your area.
Most of the time, a fox will run away and hide from a person. However if you are in a situation where a fox approaches you, try to stay calm, slowly back off, and don't make any sudden movements. Try to stand well away so the fox can see that it can get away and you aren't a threat to it.
If you see a fox outside during the day, it's no cause for alarm. It will likely run away if it sees you. If it doesn't, it has probably learned to associate people with food, likely because someone has fed it, and it may exhibit a boldness or even approach you. You should never feed, approach or chase foxes.
An adult fox can pass through a hole 4" (10cm) square and can scale a 6ft (2m) fence or wall with ease. It is extremely difficult to stop foxes passing through your garden.
Foxes. Foxes produce dog-like droppings that are usually pointy and twisted at one end and full of fur, feathers, tiny bones, seeds and berries. In rural areas, fox poo is quite dark, but in urban areas, where foxes eat human food waste, it can be lighter. Fresh droppings have a distinctively musky or 'foxy' smell.
Foxes favor strong-smelling or super sweet foods like fish (fresh or canned), chicken, meat, and sugar-coated vegetables.
You can use certain smells to deter foxes, they are reported to dislike the smell of chilli peppers and garlic so try infusing in boiling water and spraying around your garden as a fox repellent.
Foxes have a devastating impact on native wildlife across Australia, currently threatening 14 species of bird, 48 mammal species and 12 reptile species. In fact, almost any animal up to 5.5 kilograms in weight is at risk of fox predation. The economic impact of foxes is estimated to be $227.5 million per year.
Bone meal or blood-based fertilisers in your flower beds are also a bad idea. Commercially available fox deterrent powders don't seem to work. Online, on gardening forums mainly, you'll find suggestions. Spreading coffee grounds is one.
A Fox Sighting May Mean Trickery is Afoot
Instead, some traditions, like those from the Quechua people, hold that foxes are a bad omen. To them, the creatures represent deceivers, thieves, and greedy people. The same negative connotation of the term “fox” is found in some Abrahamic religions, like Christianity.
Male foxes scream to mark their territory and warn off potential competitors for mates. It's also a tool they use to scare off predators and protect their young. If you are innocently walking by and a fox starts screaming at you, it might mean that you're too close to their den and cubs.
Cunning and trickery: Foxes are often associated with cleverness, adaptability, and slyness. If you see a fox at night, it may be a sign that someone is trying to deceive or manipulate you, or that you need to be more strategic and resourceful in a particular situation.
Foxes are wild animals, meaning they should be treated with caution, but foxes are not typically aggressive or dangerous. The Humane Society explains foxes don't often attack humans “except when they are rabid … or when they are captured and handled.”
Predators. Young red foxes are primarily preyed upon by eagles and coyotes. Mature red foxes can be attacked by larger animals, including bears, wolves and mountain lions. Humans are the most significant predator of adult foxes, who are often hunted for fur or killed because they are considered pests.
Using natural ingredients like chilli peppers, garlic and capsaicin will keep the foxes away. Try boiling the chilli pepper and garlic with some water, then mix it in a blender. Spray this mixture anywhere in your garden that you don't want foxes to go near.