Fox sighting, finally

[altivo]

I missed it, alas, because I was too slow getting my boots on this morning. Gary went out to start feeding critters, and heard barking and that fox "yawp" sound behind the arena so he went back to see. The Brit neighbors have a noisy and stupid little Cairn terrier, and there he was, confronting the vixen over a dead rabbit. Gary's appearance startled the dog and he broke eye contact, upon which the vixen grabbed her prey and ran off toward the pasture. I got out there in time to see just footprints and tufts of rabbit fur scattered about, but this provides reliable visual confirmation that the fox is around, finding prey, and that the "yawp" sound we've heard at night comes from her. Gary saw her open her mouth and utter it.

She's too small to bother even this year's lamb (who probably outweighs her already by 50%) and she certainly won't eat my ponies, so I'm glad to have her around. If she keeps the rabbits and woodchucks out of the vegetable garden I'll be delighted. If she steals the neighbor's errant chickens, I'll be even happier. To bother our remaining ducks she'd have to climb a fence in broad daylight, which I imagine she can do but as long as there are easier pickings, I don't think she'll bother. I wonder if she can take out a mature goose... Or a stupid gobbler of a turkey?

OK, pack up and head off to the guild meeting...

Comments

[alaskawolf.livejournal.com]

foxy has a belly full or rabbit today :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Or her kits do.

[dakhun.livejournal.com]

I wish I had wild fox sightings. I've only seen one in the wild in the past decade. Then again, I've seen plenty of other wildlife, including a close-up bear encounter, just not so many foxes.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Foxes are better at avoiding being spotted than bears are, that's for sure. I've been near black bears a couple of times, and certainly I'd prefer the fox. Last year we saw the foxes probably half a dozen times, but only once was I able to document it on camera. That was the time one was tangled in the fence and couldn't get away until we helped her.

[dakhun.livejournal.com]

Maybe if you had a compact digital camera you could keep with you at all times in your pocket? I've considered getting something like that in the past.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You have to be amazingly quick. Last year when mom and kit were hanging about in the woodpile behind our arena, I spent a morning lying in wait with the camera. Although I should have gotten half a dozen good shots, because they were curious and just had to peer out at me, every one of them missed, either the shutter going off a split second too late or catching just a blur of motion.

[aerofox.livejournal.com]

Well, a full grown rabbit is about the largest prey a fox will go after. Unless the fox is extremely lucky, I really doubt she could bring down a lamb.

Geese are just too aggressive and dangerous, I dunno about a turkey, but chickens are fair game ^_^

Glad to know she is around! Wish i could see more foxes around here.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Newborn lambs are vulnerable enough, but ours is six weeks old now and would take a large dog or wolf to get him. I think you're right about the geese, darn it. Turkeys vary. An adult male can be heavy and pretty nasty, but whether he could focus his limited attention long enough to avoid a clever fox is another matter entirely.

[cozycabbage.livejournal.com]

She dares utter the forbidden 'yawp'!?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I guess the papal bull that forbids "yawp" hasn't reached Illinois yet. ;p

[songcoyote.livejournal.com]

I don't think most foxes are stupid enough to go for an adult goose. Geese will mess you up! They are not to be trifled with.

I know you know this; I'm just pondering out loud :)

I love the moment in the story where eye contact is lost betwixt dog and fox... and that's it. The rabbit's gone. Classic Fox stuff!

Light and laughter,
SongCoyote

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'd like to know the beginning of the story. I'm sure the fox was the hunter who caught the rabbit, rather than the terrier. He's just too slow, noisy, and stupid. So how did the confrontation come about? We'll never know.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

"The Brit neighbors have a noisy and stupid little Cairn terrier..."

Not for long.

Keep the lambs safe while the terrier is barking...

Eventually that noise will stop if the fox is hungry enough.

*ducks*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I don't think the fox would take on that terrier. She might win, but he'd be pretty hard on her and I think she knows that. Now trick him and show him up for the foolish twit he is, that she can do.

The only lamb we have this year already outweighs the fox I'm sure, so no problem there.

Neighbor on the other side has two very stupid and aggressive Yorkshire terriers. They run through the fence and try to bite our ankles all the time. So far I've resisted the temptation to just step on them and put them out of their evident misery at having no gray matter, but if the fox eats them, I'll give her a chicken myself.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Its morning. You step out and turn and put the
key in the lock and turn it to lock the door.
You look down and a small russet dog like vixen
is sitting patiently at your feet, her catlike
eyes and fluffy tail (a bit mottled this time of
year) swishes.

She says, "Cheeeeken?"

XD

The ones around her piss off the golfers and
steal their golfballs. Since I think golfing
is elitist and stupid and a waste of lots of
green space I applaud the local voops.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The only thing to be said for golf is that it keeps at least some acreage out of the hands of the housing tract developers.