The VarmintFamily and I have been watching two Fox that have denned up just 140 yards from our sun room windows! They have taken up residency in a den (with two entrances) that is on the lee side of a small valley. They have been here now for over a month. In years past we have observed Fox using this same den and raising their kits from there.
Great fun it is watching them!
During the last few years the Fox in our county have just been devastated by mange! There was a massive die off! To the point where instead of seeing 6 to 10 Fox a day I would see just 1 in a month!
Luckily the Fox are now increasing in population during last year and so far this year.
I have a 20 power spotting scope set up for the family and visitors to our home to watch the Fox as they come and go and dust bathe and sleep on their den rim!
We can't wait for the young Fox to emerge from the den. They are rough and tumble types that play and romp for hours at a time!
And they are CUTE to the maximum.
But so far this year I have seen some unusual or strange behavior from this adult pair!
Three times so far this spring I have seen them doing strange things with their food (prey).
On the first occassion I saw one Fox come home with an adult Ground Squirrel in its mouth. The Squirrel was limp and freshly killed but no blood showed on it in the 20 power spotting scope! The Fox hesitated at its den mouth and then went down. Only to emerge in a few seconds and head out Hunting again!
About one minute later the other adult Fox emerged from the den with the Ground Squirrel in its mouth! It looked around for a minute and seeing no Magpies or Ravens it ran right towards the house about 25 yards and began digging a hole with its front paws! It dug furiously for 30 seconds and then dropped the Ground Squirrel into the hole! Instead of turning around and using its paws to bury the Squirrel it used its nose and face to move dirt to cover the Gopher up! The Fox ran back to its den mouth and watched in the direction of the freshly buried Squirrel for several minutes then went into the den!
Obviously the Fox was saving this tidbit for when it would be more hungry or for when the young become meat eaters - or just for what I am not sure!
The next strange incident I observed was one of the adult Fox came out of the ground with two animals in its mouth! One was a Ground Squirrel and the other appeared to be either a mole or a giant mouse! The Fox looked around and walked around the mouth of the den with the game in its mouth and then laid the animals down. The Fox went to the opposite side of the den mouth and lay down and went to sleep! Now the Ravens and the Magpies are constantly flying down onto the den mouth and picking around at food bits - I am guessing.
The Fox lay there for 20 minutes and then picked up its food items and went down! I am very surprised that a Magpie did not swoop down and try to "cop" one of the food bits! Could the Fox have been trying to use these morsels as BAIT? I don't know!
On the third occassion I saw one of the adult Fox come up out of the den with a Ground Squirrel in its mouth! It promptly went off about 300 yards and began Hunting! With the Ground Squirrel in its mouth as it Hunted its way out of my sight!
I do not know what became of that morsel or why the Fox would take it along as it went Hunting!
Over the years of watching Fox in the fields around my house I have never seen behavior like these two Fox have displayed so far this year!
Any ideas what is going on with these two Fox?
They both appear to be in excellent health and are well furred even though their winter pelts are starting to fade from red to yellowish in color.
More later
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

quote:

I do not know what became of that morsel or why the Fox would take it along as it went Hunting!

Now come on admit it VG you take a lunch hunting with you right. I know I do.

Leave a partially open bottle of A1 by the den mouth and this behavior will stop.

VG:

This is great to read! Please provide further observations.

When I was a a/h kid all I could think of was shoot it. Old rancher got on my butt and said there's so much more enjoyment just watching wildlife than shooting it. He was sure right.

This is another example where he was right again. At that time, he was referring to various ground squirrels around his place. The thirteen lined type was a lot of fun.
We'd peel peaches and toss the skins. Each time we'd toss them closer and closer. Finally they'd be running up our legs up to almost our chins and sitting there eating the skins.

One time the door was open and the old wood stove was still hot from dinners fire. One of the favorite pets hopped on the woodbox then across the stove top he went just a skidding and smoking his heels. Made a U turn and bailed out the door. Couple days before he came back in real cautiously and just sat there watching the stove for several minutes. Never went near it again.
Only problem we ever had was one time we must have closed the door with one in the house. What a mess! Chewed everything.

George

At a gun club in NH there is a rock pile about 60 yards behind the firing line across the field and just inside the woods. The fox(es) will come out and sit on the rocks and watch us shoot Cowboy Action. Fox kits are joy to watch.

I remember raking hay as a kid and having fox running with 20ft of the tractor catching mice as they scurried out of the rows of hay as the rows were rolled over.

Georgeld: Its raining today - hard, and I have not seen either Fox as yet. Last night just at 8:00 PM one of the Foxes came out of the den with a large mouse in its mouth. The Fox laid it in the dirt and watched it for a while. Then it gulped it down with just a couple of chomps on it.
I wonder why the Fox did not just eat it while down under in the den! Is it an act of defiance to the ever present Magpies?
A few years back in the late summer evening (10:00 PM) I crept out on my veranda overlooking my long grassy back yard. I had my LightForce portable spotlight with me. I had the red lense cover on this night calling type spotlight. When I turned it on I did not see any Fox on the den but I was able to see and watch 3 Fox hunting right in my yard!
At first I thought they were hunting mice but they kept creeping along picking at the grass - not pouncing nose first like they do when "diving" on mice.
I watched them for sometime and came to the conclusion they were hunting and eating the night crawlers that come up after our lawn sprinklers wet the grass just after sundown.
I have also seen Fox eating the fallen Crabapples that fall from my tree here not 20 yards from my house.
One of my greatest joys is watching wildlife and birds.
I have always enjoyed it.
I especially enjoy watching the predators like spring time Bears, Coyotes and Foxes hunt and feed.
I have seen Fox at high elevations in the late summer and fall. I live at 5,400' elevation but I have seen them at 7,000' on numerous occassions. I assume they "migrate" somewhat after the kits are raised and they head for the Squirrels, Chipmunks and Snowshoe Hares in the higher country. The Ground Squirrels taht are numerous here (in the millions) all "go under" and start their summer hibernation "estivation" on August 5th or so. Thus the Foxes main food source is inaccessible around here. Hence I surmise the Fox head for the hills and new prey?
Come winter though I will still see Coyotes at high elevations but not the Fox. Perhaps the Fox do not want to get caught in a foot or two of snow as this would surely exhaust them and their shorter legs.
I will keep you advised as to when (if) the kits come up.

Rusty Marlin: Thats a hoot the Fox being so near your range!
One of the ranges I shoot at here in SW Montana often has Antelope crossing the firing line! This range we are buying from the BLM and it does not have a fence around it. Sometimes cattle will come through the line of fire and be slow about crossing through.
As of late I have been shooting mostly on a private range with just two other fellows (the owner and a mutual friend) from the comfy shooting shack I have seen Whitetailed Deer, Mule Deer, Coyotes, Antelope, Elk (a mile distant!), domestic Buffalo (600 yards distant), Fox, Porcupine, Ground Squirrels and all manner of birdlife from Eagles to Canada Geese and large numbers of Sandhill Cranes.
Yes it is sure entertaining to look a young Fox in the face with my 48 power shooting scope! The Fox I have observed from my one range are denning about 200 yards from the berm! The gunfire often does not even scare them down into the den.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy