# help identifying: cat or fox?



## blowefosho (Jan 29, 2008)

I checked on my one trap i had set out today before i laid some more out. Came up to it and it had been tripped and nothin in it, i was like awesome nothin again haha. Got up to it and found two claws that the animal ripped off to get out of the trap. took some pics of them next to a quarter so you can see how big/small they are. it has red fur like a fox but looks to me like a cat? never caught a fox so i dont know what their feet look like. anyway heres the pic


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## blowefosho (Jan 29, 2008)

well after lookin at some pics could it be a red squirrel perhaps? strikingly similar to the one on my wall


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

baby saquatch I'm pretty sure :lol:


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

i'd say fox just off what I see. Fox have some pretty sharp nails. The red hair also kind of gives it away. 
xdeano


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

The external morphological structure of the toe looks as if it's not a retractable claw so it must be fox.


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## blowefosho (Jan 29, 2008)

ok so i went back to reset the trap and found a few peices of hair stuck to logs and on the ground. probably 2 in long white and black root with red tip. Sound like a fox?


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## TN Trapper (Dec 29, 2007)

So that was your trap that got me lol looks like a fox to me.


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## blowefosho (Jan 29, 2008)

well ive come to the conclusion that its a red squirrel. claws are the same size and identical to a squirrel i have. the hair in the area matches up to what would be hair on the tail of the squirrel also


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## sixgunslinger (Mar 2, 2008)

Those would be toes from a red fox


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## ND trapper (Nov 14, 2006)

Regardless of what it is you need to tighten your pan tension a bit. At first glance I thought Red Fox.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

You can tell I am a prairie person (no give away with my screen name right) because all I could think was dirt hole along a quarter line. No squirrels a mile from trees.  If I would have given it a little thought canine are not that sharp. The power of suggestion cat or fox kept the brain in the box.


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## sixgunslinger (Mar 2, 2008)

Plainsman, you are correct, a red fox nail is usually not that sharp, however a grey fox is, good observation. A grey fox can also retract its nails just like a house cat, as well as climb a tree.

I will also agree that the pan tension needs to be increased a little.


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## blowefosho (Jan 29, 2008)

how do i tighten my pan tension? and whats the purpose?


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

They are thinking the trap had it by the hock and slid down to its toes before getting full compression.


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## sixgunslinger (Mar 2, 2008)

blowefosho said:


> how do i tighten my pan tension? and whats the purpose?


Some people use the pan bolt to adjust the pressure. I use the dog. If using a trap with a dog, lay the dog in line with the pan notch right on the pan bolt. Now take a pair of pliers, one jaw on the dog, one on the trap frame and squeze down, slightly. The dog will bend "up" on the end of the dog that goes into the pan notch. The more you bend the more tension. Bend the dog the oposit way to decreas pressure. 1 to 2 pounds of pressure is recomended for fox trapping. I use the same for ****.

The purpos of having a heavier pan tension it to avoid toe catches. The animal must commit more weight to set off the trap. With the animal putting more weight on the pan, it causes its foot to be down more in the trap resaulting in a higher catch on the leg, almost eliminating toe catches.


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## blowefosho (Jan 29, 2008)

oh ok i gotcha. i see exactly what your sayin thanks for the help!


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