The ewes are about to start lambing and those cute little baby foxes known as cubs are all grown up and ready for a tasty snack.  Unfortunately foxes need to be baited near lambing ewes. New born lambs have no defence against a starving carnivore. We purchase the baits from the ranger at the Rural Lands Department in Moree. You have to be chemcert accredited to handle pesticides, poisons and some other chemicals. This two day course designed as an introduction on the safe use and storage of chemicals is pretty much mandatory for most farmers, graziers and crop spray contractors. I recently renewed my certificate and flash my card at the ranger who notes down the number. We shoot a kangaroo, and yesterday Dad and I drag it acoss the perimeter of the paddock to be baited (where the ewes are) to entice the foxes with scent. The baits are then buried in the ground  (on the scent trail) a few inches down so as to avoid poisoning other wildlife and livestock. The foxes dig them up and eat them, hopefully. The baits are similair to a light coloured tray of easily breakable biscuits and are extremely poisonous. Gloves must be worn at all times and large signs printed in red noting, ‘1080 poison laid on this property’, must be placed at all entry points to the baited paddocks and all adjoining neighbours must be informed.  Back in this country in the 40s, 50s and 60s, and who knows, maybe later; the men would break the bait off with their teeth while they drove a vehicle or rode their horse and throw it into the scrub. No one ever got sick or poisoned themselves and lambing rates were high. They breed ’em tough out here.