Penshurst district farmers use control methods to combat foxes

About 10 Penshurst district farmers met on Saturday to control foxes on their properties, which have started preying on newborn lambs in their paddocks.

Croxton East farmer Harry Linke joined the controlled shoot in an attempt to reduce fox populations which he believes are higher than usual for this time of year.

"The numbers seem to be up a bit for some reason," he said.

"I thought they'd be down because we had that rain earlier in the year, I thought they'd be flooded out a bit, but the pups were on the ground."

He said the group shot 24 foxes in a 24-hour period, with about 14 foxes found in paddocks with sheep and newborn lambs.

Mr Linke manages a first-cross ewe and prime lamb operation, and said he had his flock started lambing about two weeks ago.

"I'm lambing at the moment and yesterday there was a set of twins that had just been killed," he said.

"We were lucky we only found one lamb [while hunting] that had just been killed by a fox."

Croxton East mixed-farmer Tracey Kruger said she had to rescue lambs from foxes in broad daylight this year and welcomed the carefully-conducted shoots.

"It isn't just the lambs, it's the destruction of native wildlife as well that breaks my heart," she said.

"The nesting brolgas and swans are attacked as soon as the water drops and the foxes can gain access."

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Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell said fox control methods, such as using firearms, were outdated, ineffective and inhumane.

She said the party called on the state government to end its fox and wild dog bounty program and encouraged the government to direct taxpayer money towards alternative control methods.

"Over the years it has been running, it has not resulted in any long-term decline in fox numbers," Ms Purcell said.

"We acknowledge the impact that foxes are having on the environment and native animals, however, it is important to note that they are here because of human error - and it is our responsibility to find a solution for them that is as ethical as possible.

"I'd like to see the government end the bounty and explore methods proven to reduce fox population numbers, such as immunocontraceptives to stop them breeding, ultimately reducing populations in a meaningful way."

Ms Purcell said similar technology was being used overseas on a range of introduced and pest species with "great success".

Immunocontraception is a birth-control method that uses immune responses to prevent pregnancy.

The CSIRO and Wildlife Research published a study in 2007 that aimed to create an anti-fertility vaccine to use on European red foxes.

The study found a major challenge included foxes being difficult to handle, and the vaccine development was not achieved.

The study found important insights into the species that claimed it would be valuable if the project were revisited.

Agriculture Victoria recommended an integrated management approach that included shooting, baiting, exclusion fencing and trapping programs.

Foxes prey on poultry and lambs, and almost any animal up to 5.5 kilograms, and average about 400 grams of food consumption daily.

The Centre for Invasive Species Solutions has a wild dog management project, and its coordinator, Greg Mifsud said baiting was the most cost-effective method for managing foxes.

He said a strong example included a demonstration called Less Predators, More Lambs, which aimed to increase lamb survival rates.

"We've demonstrated in other parts of Victoria that people can do effective baiting programs that can reduce populations of foxes in conjunction with other tools like shooting and trapping," Mr Mifsud said.

"[Baiting] should be the first and foremost plan of attack.

"If you can work with your neighbours to get as many people to do a similar control program at the same time, it will reduce the population across a large area."

Mr Mifsud said baiting required a coordinated approach.

"All it takes is consistent control and that's what these landholders found with doing it five-to-six weeks out from lambing, it wasn't a huge cost in terms of time or effort," he said.

Mr Linke said his neighbouring farmers had lost several lambs to foxes in the past two weeks, and continued managing pest numbers when possible.

"I'm not there to make money, I'm there to kill foxes," Mr Linke said.

"It only takes one fox to cost you a lot of money and pain when you see what they've done to the lambs.

"They're an animal that just preys on the weak, especially newborn lambs that aren't up and about yet, they prey on them and pick them off easily, that's why we keep at them."

An Agriculture Victoria spokeswoman said the Victorian fox and wild dog bounty was an incentive for community participation to manage populations.

"Agriculture Victoria will continue to provide Victorian communities with information and training workshops on how to better improve pest management," the spokeswoman said.

The state's fox bounty is $10 a scalp, permitted the scalp is from Victoria and included both ears and skin around the eyes and nose.

The department has received 25,798 scalps from 457 applicants at collection centres this year, with south-west Victorians contributing 9700 scalps.

Almost 1500 people submitted 82,558 fox scalps to Agriculture Victoria's collection centres in 2022.

Mr Linke said he used thermal gear, which recognised body heat, to avoid using lights that wake foxes.

"It picks up body heat, they can go around without flashing lights which would wake the foxes up, but with thermal gear they can walk right up," he said.

"We try and do a headshot or a chest, they're gone within a few seconds there's no doubt about that."

Mr Linke said he simply wanted to save his lambs.

"My argument to [people saying it's] inhumane is when you see a lamb with its nose chewed off or half its tongue, where's the humanity there?" he said.

"We kill in the most humane way we can."