Vulpes vulpes

A month ago, when snow still blanketed the ground, I'd been noticing a lot of canine tracks-some larger, a coyote and others 2 fingers wide of a red fox.  The 3 properties I regularly hike through seemed blanketed with tracks and some I noted, went right past my neighbor Jeannie's shed and barn.  That seemed a little unusual, but the barn has sat empty for many years and may be fertile hunting grounds.

Approaching my turkey blind a couple weeks back,  I bumped into Vulpes vulpes, an adult red fox.  He or she scampered away from my tent, not in any big hurry and took the time to stop and watch me.  A moment or two later, it continued on in search of a meal I'm sure.  The next day, a ping on my phone from Jeannie told of fox pups outside of the barn using an old wood chuck hole as a den.  Ahh, that's the reason there had been so much activity on this farm-mouths to feed.

It turned out there are 3 pups holed up near the base of the old silo.  They would have born around March 6th, making them about 7 weeks old.  I decided to set a turkey tent up about 50 yards away and try to get some photographs-how can you beat cute fox pups for subject matter?  You can't.

They seemed to be active starting around 6:30 and would be outside the den for an hour or 2.  In another week, they'll venture out further and start getting trained by the parents.  I fumbled with the camera on my first morning, having just settled in as the first pup crawled out.  Locking down the camera on the tripod, I started firing away.  A second and third pup emerged as one of the adults returned with food behind the silo.  They'd return with a mouse or shrew, chew on it, toss it in the air and perform some of the classic fox pounces-which was hilarious.  Already at this young age, they had those hunting instincts.

I returned a couple days to make more pictures and was lucky to have good morning light as well.  They seemed to be coming out earlier and usually I didn't have to sit very long to see them and the adults coming back and heading out to hunt.  The vole, mouse, mole and gopher population would be reduced on the Reed farm-a good thing, as there are no shortages around here.  

I may return in a week to see how they've grown or if they have moved on to another place in the neighborhood.

Gopher for breakfast

Intent on Pigeon

Morning greeting

The Pounce

Anticipation