Foxes were introduced into Australia in the early 1800’s for use in hunting by the landed gentry. Just as in old   England, the master of the hunt would arrange for a collection of property owners and their mounts, and with a pack of blood hounds, would hunt, harass and tear to pieces a defenseless small animal. A good time was had by all. As Tasmania had its fair share of landed gentry in those days, it’s more than reasonable to assume that foxes were introduced here as well as on the mainland.

There isn’t that much mystery about the presence of foxes; if they are about, they can be detected by their smell (a significant musk) or more likely by their bark, which sounds a bit like a small dog with a cough.  So if there is no fox smell or barking in your area, then you can be   certain that there are also NO foxes. The fox’s bark is  easily identified in the background of scenes from typical English TV presentations (Midsommer Murders, Miss Marple and many others). Through saturation over the years of wildlife TV documentaries, magazines, etc. most people in this country would surely know what a fox looks like, just as mainlanders know exactly what a Tasmanian Devil looks like.

Contrary to what might be believed about habitat, foxes are no different to many other animals in the wild. They simply prefer, because of the natural self preservation  instinct, to keep away from man but when they hunt at night, will prowl around man’s habitat, particularly around other dog’s feeding dishes etc. or anywhere they can smell chooks. And like the Quoll, (and maybe the Tasmanian Devil) once in a chook pen, they will eat their fill and kill the rest. I’m reminded of a kid’s picture/story book we had at home when I about 7-9yrs, and a poem about the Tasmanian Devil –  I must have been fascinated by this animal to remember it all these years.

They dub me a Devil. I am.

I’m partial to poultry and lamb.

When I’ve eaten my fill I just go and kill,

‘til the owner appears, then I scram.

(The Devil is well known as a carrion eater, so I’m not too sure if the poet was entirely correct).

When the vixen is going to have kids they settle into a  hollow log, an unused wombat hole, rabbit’s warren, cave, or   underneath an old unused remote shed – wherever, in her wisdom, she’ll be dry, cosy and undisturbed. There is no special habitat.

Around 15 years ago I noticed a sign that was obviously officially emplaced on the Esk Valley Road just in from the Midlands Highway turnoff at Conara, asking people to report foxes. This didn’t surprise me as much as it normally would, because, apart from my own       observations, I had heard that there was a concerted effort from? – to draw people’s attention to a misnomer – foxes in Tasmania. Making inquiries at that time I was told that there was a conspiracy at foot to legalise or extend the use of the controversial (for good reason) poison – 1080.  So I had then made a point of calling farmers in different parts of the State to ask the question – “Have you ever seen a fox on your property?” Everyone had answered in the negative and many added statements to the effect that they had lived on their property all their life! (or similar).

The base reason why there are no breeding foxes in Tasmania is because the Devil will take their young as fast as they are produced. It’s not rocket science to understand that that is what happened when they were first  introduced!.

Don Pike, Four Mile Creek.