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Anybody know stuff about foxes? We live in a semi-rural subdivision – like 15 homes with 2.5 acre lots. My home is right in the middle the subdivision … so no major tree cover, but there are a couple wooded areas about a 1/2 mile away. Now for the 2nd Friday morning in a row at about 8am we see this really good sized fox wandering around in our back yard about 50 feet from the house. Seems healthy and search around for mice, etc. I don’t know much about foxes, but it seems suprising to see him out in the daylight like that so close to the homes.
He/she is a beauty, here’s a couple shots from last week:
http://www.alliancecommunitybible.org/FridayFox1.jpg
http://www.alliancecommunitybible.org/FridayFox2.jpgI took a video this week, but it’s a 24meg file … so I think we’ll pass on sharing that.
I spent many days fox hunting. The numbers declined first because of mange, with is contracted in fox dens from fleas. The strongest survived.
Now, the number of coyotes has increased. Coyotes kill foxes so they aren’t competing for food in their territory. This forces the foxes to search for new food sources. Looks like this one is a hardy one! Nice hair coat. Enjoy him while he is there. A fox usually hunts in a 5 mile area, compared to a coyotes 25 mile area. They pose no threat to humans. After all, they are “sly as a fox”!Note: The foxes should be mating now, traveling in pairs. Look for a second one within a half mile. The hunting season for foxes should be just about over. Coyotes can be hunted year round.
I agree. I am not a vet, but I would rule out mange if it has a nice coat on it. It won’t last too much longer though. By April it will probably be looking like it went through a war. That fur will start thinning out due to shedding and all that runnung through brush will really take it’s toll. The coyotes will go after a fox whenever possible due to the food competition. Because of this, the fox will stick to the thickest of cover where the coyotes have a hard time.
A male gray fox will travel up to 50 miles to set up a territory. And a pair which is believed to mate for life will defend a territory of 2-3 square miles.
A male red fox will travel 100-150 miles to set up its own territory. Breeding season for both is January-March.The one you have seen, I’m guessing a male, could very well have been run out of a certain area by another male competing for a female and is looking for his own place and a vixen to boot.
A piece of trivia for you: A gray fox is capable of climbing trees and have been seen as high as twenty feet. They can also jump from one branch to another. Assuming of course that the branches are big enough. They weigh up to 13 pounds.
@furfool wrote:
I agree. I am not a vet, but I would rule out mange if it has a nice coat on it. It won’t last too much longer though. By April it will probably be looking like it went through a war. That fur will start thinning out due to shedding and all that runnung through brush will really take it’s toll. The coyotes will go after a fox whenever possible due to the food competition. Because of this, the fox will stick to the thickest of cover where the coyotes have a hard time.
A male gray fox will travel up to 50 miles to set up a territory. And a pair which is believed to mate for life will defend a territory of 2-3 square miles.
A male red fox will travel 100-150 miles to set up its own territory. Breeding season for both is January-March.The one you have seen, I’m guessing a male, could very well have been run out of a certain area by another male competing for a female and is looking for his own place and a vixen to boot.
A piece of trivia for you: A gray fox is capable of climbing trees and have been seen as high as twenty feet. They can also jump from one branch to another. Assuming of course that the branches are big enough. They weigh up to 13 pounds.
Thanks, Jeriamiah Johnson. What are you anyway, a fur trapper? LOL
My parents live in Minneapolis, and in spite of being a typical subdivision of older homes, with a mall and all the other city stuff nearby, they have been enjoying a grey fox pair living in the yard the past couple of years. Dad has seen one up a tree. They appear to be denning in a huge brush pile in the far back yard.
Every visit home, I’m there just after they saw the foxes. Count yourself lucky! And thanks Jim for the “foxy” education.
Thanks for all the info!
Last summer I had a fox and three kits run through my yard just as I was pulling in my driveway. 😯 This past Sunday I was a wild turkey in my backyard. 😮 I live in the NW corner of Milwaukee.
@GR8 EYES wrote:
Last summer I had a fox and three kits run through my yard just as I was pulling in my driveway. 😯 This past Sunday I was a wild turkey in my backyard. 😮 I live in the NW corner of Milwaukee.
You’re always a wild turkey. 😆 😆 😆
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