Hi ,
We haven't seen the foxes now for about three days. The trail camera isn't picking anything up, either, so they must have moved on. We certainly enjoyed them while they were here! And again, I've included a link to some of the trail camera scenes, as well as
some filmed with my video camera right in our back yard!
We've learned a few things about foxes in this short time, several of which surprised not only us, but everyone else apparently.
1. The holes they have been living in are several feet apart and have all been dug by groundhogs, this being a former farm. However, we assumed that the
holes had been abandoned by the groundhogs, and that's why the foxes moved in. Not so! They've been sharing the holes! I was amazed as I watch various clips showing groundhogs coming and going, and the foxes doing the same!
2. Foxes, at least these young ones, pee on their food! The remains of the groundhog that had been killed over a week ago was left between the holes. Occasionally, a fox would lie down and chew on it a
while. Then, as they came and went, they would often stop by and pee on it! I guess it's their way of doing what we did as kids to "claim" a piece of food - we'd lick it! That would gross the other kids out so that they'd not want it. I never thought of peeing on the food, though...
3. There seems to be no schedule going on whatsoever. The trail camera picked up activity, on and off, 24/7. They are rated as nocturnal, but you could have fooled
me!...
4. Foxes are omnivores. That might not come as a surprise to you, but it did to us! We thought it actually quite cute that they would bring an apple into our yard and work on it over a two-day
period.
Several nights ago, I heard them barking in the dark, so I walked down to the edge of the woods and recorded the sound with my phone. It's quite clear. That's the last we've heard or seen of them. Maybe they were saying
good-bye...
