Fox o'clock!

This is not our fence - but it is my photo, taken about 50km from home. It was an amazing sight and I had mixed feelings as I viewed it.

I wondered at the person whose fence has obviously served this purpose over a long period, given the fox bones in the foreground (and more decayed carcasses out of shot). 

What is the story behind the practice?  When did it start?  Were the foxes shot on the property or collected from a wider area?  Is it the work of one person, or a community?

We've seen other fox-fences since but nothing like the scale of this one, just a couple of bodies usually - maybe five at most.  Even so, praps fox-fences are fairly accepted here in rural Victoria.

One of our resident foxes is reasonably identifiable because his/her coat is more sandy-coloured than the more common dark red.  I was up late one night and happened to glance out the glass sliding door, just as he/she was walking past!  I thought that was very bold and started to wonder how often he/she prowled so close to the house when I wasn't watching! 

More recently the same fox was spotted at five o'clock sauntering across the front paddock, quite close to the fence in front of our house.  I raised the alarm and dashed outside with Erin and Vaughan on my heels.  We yelled loudly and the fox bolted away to the tree-line.  The chookies were promptly locked up.  Even though there have been no further daytime fox sightings, the girls now have a 5pm fort curfew!