CT I think that they made it illegal to shoot foxes with a "scatter gun" and now have a minimum of .22 center-fire
( and no longer .22 rim-fire as I understand it)triple 2 / .223 being the prefered.
There is a lot of legislation regarding the use of snares and in some circumstances they have a legitimate use
And don't forget of course that urban foxes don't stick to rubbish raiding they have a taste for pet rabbits, guinea pigs, garden fowl etc
And here comes the flack........................
<snip>Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 11, and Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 Article 12 it is illegal to :
set in position any self-locking snare.
set in position any trap or snare calculated to cause bodily injury to any wild animal included in Schedule 6.
Schedule 6 includes, badger*, pine marten*, otter*, red squirrel*, wild cat*, polecat.
set in position any snare and fail to inspect it, at least once a
day.
* Note : pine marten, otter, red squirrel and wild cat are
now listed in Schedule 5 of the Act and are therefore fully protected. The badger and its sett are also protected under the Badgers Act 1992. Wild cat and polecat are excluded from the Order.
Under the Deer Act 1991, Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 and Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 Article 12 it is also an offence to :
set in position any trap or snare calculated to cause bodily injury to any deer coming in contact with it,
use for the purpose of taking or killing any deer any trap or snare.
Only free running snares which contain a 'permanent stop', 9" (23cm) from the eye of the snare should be used.
Use good quality snares which incorporate a strong swivel. The wire must not be less that 460lbs (208 kilos) breaking strain.
Snares should be supported by a suitable 'tealer' or set-stick and set firmly in the ground. Tealers made from fence-wire are easy to conceal, set and make.
Snares must be firmly anchored.
Ensure that snares run freely and are free of 'kinks'. Snares which are frayed or damaged should be discarded.
Snares should be set so that the bottom of the loop is at least 9" (23cm) off the ground under normal conditions and up to a height of 12" (30cm) or more, on open ground. When setting snares at these heights the loop should be 6" to 7" (15/18cm)
at its deepest point.
The law requires that snares should be checked at least once a day. BASC recommends inspection at least twice a day and as soon after dawn as is practical.
Foxes should be dispatched quickly and humanely by a shot from a rifle, shotgun or pistol and the body disposed of responsibly e.g. by burying. </snip>
