Foxes

[awh]

I have read alot on how all the predators learn the sounds and are schooled on them. Me and Lilman have been pondering the idea of going to one of our favorite places to check the fox dens out and sorta get a head count on the kittens before they make a new home somewhere else. If we call around the dens this time of year do you think it will hurt that location come time to throw lead?
I know there has been a few coyotes move in to the area and I'm really wanting to see if they have hurt the fox population and want Cam to see & get some pics of the lilttle guys. Any thoughts?

[ohiobob]

awh
I dont know if it would bother them or not BUT here is a story that happened to me a few years ago:
A few years ago me and a friend were ground hog hunting and we were well away from the main road maybe 200 to 300 yards,well the friend turned and looked at the road and said LOOK,i turned and there was 1 grown red fox and about 4-5 little kits and they played right at the den in the field,,we couldnt believe they had a den that close to the road ,well when we was leaving they dove into the hole,,a few days later i drove by and they were out playing again 150 yards from the road,,me and the friend went hunting there 3 days later and we walked over to the den,,i DIDNT want to but he was going to so i went,,when we got there all we could see was little prints with some big prints mixed in,,i just figured the mother would move the whole family after we were that close to their home
3 days later i drove down the road and there were the fox out playing again! i was surprised to say the least!
So if any fox experts could tell us do the fox stay put if the den is bothered or are they like coyotes and move to a new den if you get within 50 yards of the coyotes den?
Thank you

Bob

[FinsnFur]

If your gonna call THOSE fox and the bitch sees you, my opinion is it MAY effect you calling those fox in later.

My theory is, if your out there wailing away and she busts you, she's going to do what ever it takes to prevent her kits from responding to you, knowing full well that it's danger, but the kits may not...what measures will she take to tell them "NO"...and what will they learn from it. 

[FinsnFur]

Buker could probably shed a brighter light on this since he's the Foxman 

[awh]

This farm is owned by several of us. One of the guys is building a barn right now and his wife has saw the kits several times in two locations. Which tells me theres more than one den this year as she said they were very small. I would like to call, but I don't want to mess that area up as it's the best place me and Cam has to hunt. Heck, most of last year it was the only place we had to hunt.
It has been 2-3 weeks since she saw the kits and I want to see if the yotes have found them. There was a huge male that was seen on the last few hunting trips but never gave either one of us a shot. And as soon as the cows started dropping he was seen by several of the gang I run around with. Still....no one got a shot. I don't like killing them this time of year as the spots I hunt don't hold that many, but I don't want the foxes drove out either as they are plentiful and fun to call. The more I think about it I do believe I will hang a tree stand in Cams little honey hole and see if I can snipe him out verses calling him. That way I will still get to find out if the foxes are still there and might get lucky on the already educated yote.??

[canine]

To just tinker around with the pups shouldn't hurt. Fox disperse much differently than Coyotes. Fox  pups, come October will disperse out of the area up to 100 miles away from there den. Now, not all of them will go that far, females tend to disperse a shorter distance but males have been recorded to travel that far to claim a new home. So more than likely those pups won't even be in your area come calling season, they will become someone elses headache The adults,6 or 7 months from now they'll never remember.

Foxes here Den extremely close to dwellings, I figure that is from the pressure from Coyotes. I know of several dens right now in peoples back yards within 75 yards of the house 



JD

[FinsnFur]

That makes sense JD. 
There's a few around here that are real close to farm and roads too.

In fact we busted one last year doggin coyotes that had a sunbed next to a round bale everyday at the end of a buddies driveway....and another that holed up inside a brush pile along side the road for many months.