Thread: A mystery - need advice/suggestions

Greenie on way Ashore

Oh dear

Them boots made for walking?

My bet is, a fox is at it. They just cannot leave human doorways alone, nor their garbage cans, and they will also stick their head right into a door if it's left open. This is probably a young fox and he thinks the boot may be a worthwhile stash, or just likes the smell.

Now, can you tell me, for what good reason you'd leave your boots outside for any nasty to get into? Scorpians love them, and White Tailed spiders as well.

A newspaper boot rest on the floor just inside is a safer idea.

Talc is good, but do you know how to tell the footprints of various aniamls? Take pictures of the prints if you do get any, with a ruler against them.

I looking forward to the results of this one.

You could be correct Buzza although not that many foxes around. We hardly ever see rabbits - tons of other animals though but all native. When I was in Melbourne I saw hundreds more foxes in the inner suburbs and like you said they were a pest with the bins.

We always leave our boots outside and it has only been this week that we have had problems and on both occasions just with those boots. Not too many scorpions up this way but I have seen the odd one.

The other interesting part is that they were both left in exactly the same spot give or take 5mm and both times left upright. Being left upright is certainly consistent with it being a fox or a dog

I have a fairly good knowledge of animal tracks especially the animal tracks around these parts.

I will keep you across any developments.

The culprit has made two more visits since my last post.

The first was similar to the others except it was one of Meg's shoes that time.

The second visit occurred on Monday night. We heard noises on the pebbles near our bedroom just on dawn. The noises were very and light quick footsteps. We couldn't see anything so went back to sleep.

When we got up, both of Meg's shoes were missing. We found one on the decking under the table and after and hour of searching, we found the other one in the orchard about 50m from the house.

It was some time later that I discovered muddy footprints on the side of the BBQ. They were as if the culprit had been standing up on it's back legs sniffing the BBQ.

The footprints were about the diameter of a 50 cent coin. I suggest that Buzza is correct suggesting it was a fox.

I have seen dingoes in the area but about 10Km away and their paws are generally quite large. I doubt if it is a cat because the paw prints were too large and I suspect a cat would have jumped up on the BBQ but there were no marks on top of the BBQ lid.

This has become very intersting, andI'm following your progress. I'm 100% sure it is a fox now, as they have an almost dainty footprint compared to a dog or dingo. They will all climb though, and stand up on rear legs. Foxes and dingoes are great tree climbers.

Suggest wife gets heavier shoes so fox can't carry them as far.

If we had mobile coverage up here, I could jam a mobile in one of the shoes so I could find it easily - just ring the shoe.

Now that would be being Smart to the Max

Maybe you should invest in some foot deodorant - I had a similar experience with a pair of sandshoes once, they were constantly trying to escape.

Would 1080 foot deodorant work in this case?

A cocktail of Sheep Dip and 245 -T may also be of assistance....

or as the old hippy saying goes....


If you really love something, set them free...

A wonderful vision of shoes and boots roaming the hills and plains running free at last.

Tie a bit of string to a boot (or shoe), and the other end to a lidded tin can with some pebbles or small bells in it. Might make some noise dragging the boot (or shoe). Rather like an alarm.