kits

snafu · May 15, 2014, 10:45:42 PM

7wks old. Female laying, male standing.

snafu · May 15, 2014, 10:49:09 PM

May not be etched in stone. But I have observed many little Reds. The females have a tapered, slender forehead. The male's have a more abrupt/steeper forehead. Which is probably where the term "block head" came from?

FinsnFur · May 16, 2014, 05:41:16 AM

Awesome picture

FOsteology · May 16, 2014, 02:14:45 PM

Nice. How close were able to get for the picture?

snafu · May 16, 2014, 03:25:17 PM

Quote from: FOsteology on May 16, 2014, 02:14:45 PM
Nice. How close were able to get for the picture?

Less than 20' away.

snafu · May 16, 2014, 03:26:54 PM

Another red den I've been keeping an eye on. Watched this den on/off for 3yrs. Never seen a soul, but adult Winter tracks going in/out. Not until this am anyway.

snafu · May 16, 2014, 03:30:50 PM

Coyotes moved in during the last 60's. Prior to that the Reds denned way out off the roadways. Once the coyotes got established. The Reds started to den in the road ditches & close to towns/acreages. When a Red has a young litter. They seem to prey a lot of domestic cats & raccoon. Cats must taste like chicken? I dunno lol.

FinsnFur · May 16, 2014, 07:59:48 PM

Awesome pics, thats for sure. I would love to get some pics like those. Thanks for sharing em Snafu.

snafu · May 29, 2014, 01:11:08 PM

Your welcome Jim.

possumal · May 29, 2014, 01:26:31 PM

As always, great pictures from Snafu. The description you gave of how they change their habits due to coyotes is spot on in central Ky.. I see some red fox tracks in snow on some of the farms we hunt, but they seem to be avoiding where you see the most coyote activity. Some of the farms we hunt used to have a lot of red foxes, but there was one year there where we came across a lot of dead foxes, disemboweled but not eaten. I haven't seen a lot of red foxes since that year.

snafu · May 29, 2014, 10:54:24 PM

It is interesting to me. When coyotes just kill & don't eat. I've found quite a few dead coon killed by coyote. Most all were just killed & not eaten. One that was eat was during the brutal part of a Winter. A few other eaten coon/remnants were found at coyote dens. The coon that were only killed & not eaten. Were mauled/crunched from bow to stern. Like they went through a wringer washer. Apparently coyotes don't like coon

possumal · May 30, 2014, 07:27:08 AM

After seeing what I described earlier on dead red foxes, I had to conclude that coyotes were posting notice that red fox would not be allowed in their hunting grounds. If times were tough enough, I feel sure they would have eaten them. If I have learned one lesson well it is that you can never say never where a coyote is concerned.

Coulter · May 30, 2014, 09:09:18 AM

Very cool photos Snafu! Good looking little fellas for sure.

Steve

Okanagan · May 30, 2014, 11:27:59 AM

FWIW

1. In the area where I live, there were lots of red foxes in the 60's according to a farmer who lived here his whole life. There were no coyotes in this coastal area. Then coyotes began to show up and the foxes were totally gone within a few years. I have lived in this area most of the time since 1989 and have never seen a fox (and I tend to look for animals and notice them.) The farmer was convinced that the coyotes killed and ran off the foxes.

2. Re Coyotes killing stuff that they don't eat: a government trapper I got to know in Oregon sheep country told me that a coyote or coyotes will kill a whole pasture full of sheep in one night and not eat any of them or perhaps eat the liver from one or two. They do it apparently for the fun of catching and killing them. So much for killing only what they eat. It's a fallen world...

snafu · May 30, 2014, 12:04:53 PM

Thanks Coulter, enjoy.

snafu · May 30, 2014, 12:18:27 PM

Quote from: Okanagan on May 30, 2014, 11:27:59 AM
FWIW

1. In the area where I live, there were lots of red foxes in the 60's according to a farmer who lived here his whole life. There were no coyotes in this coastal area. Then coyotes began to show up and the foxes were totally gone within a few years. I have lived in this area most of the time since 1989 and have never seen a fox (and I tend to look for animals and notice them.) The farmer was convinced that the coyotes killed and ran off the foxes.

2. Re Coyotes killing stuff that they don't eat: a government trapper I got to know in Oregon sheep country told me that a coyote or coyotes will kill a whole pasture full of sheep in one night and not eat any of them or perhaps eat the liver from one or two. They do it apparently for the fun of catching and killing them. So much for killing only what they eat. It's a fallen world...

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Things may very. As for coyotes going on a killing spree & not eating. No doubt there are some that will do that. Flipside depending on the time of yr. It may be a safe bet. The parent sheep killers are teaching their young to kill. The eating part doesn't require teaching.

I killed a female sheep killer in the dead of Winter. Her mate left the area the following Spring time. Apparently hooking up with another female a few miles away. That farmer started to have his sheep killed. I believe the old male got his new famale mate into sheep killing.

A slight difference between Red Fox & coyote parents is. The female Red Fox is the primary teacher/caretaker of her litter. Whereas the coyotes it may be either parent that teaches their young to hunt/kill. Coyotes being a family group canine. Red Fox are not, as they are non-grouping but singular.

I've seen this only once. So it isn't etched in stone for me. But one day a nursing female Red got tagged on a nearby highway. Her pups were mostly weaned @ around 5wks old. The male then stepped in & reared his litter. Taking them out in short jaunts in the late pm, hunting/exploring/learning.