A month ago my son saw a fox in the backyard. It's always exciting to have a visit from wildlife. Just this month we've had deer, osprey, and foxes visit us. Two weeks ago the foxes moved in.
Where does the fox live? The whole family, two adults and four kits have established themselves under our garden shed. The first week they moved in was rather exciting. We enjoyed catching glimpses of them as they crossed the yard. One evening we stood on our front porch and watched the kits play on the lawn. While they are still elusive, they have grown accustomed to our coming and going. Our foxes are not red, but have mottled coloring. The state fish and game officer told us they are not indigenous to Oregon, but were brought here by someone hoping to raise them for their fur. They escaped and are now growing in population. There is a concern that cross breeding with the native fox population will damage the indigenous bloodline.
It's a growing family...and the kits have to eat. The field in front of the shed is scattered with abandoned carcasses and feathers. This morning I was on my hands and knees weeding the flower beds in front of the house, I glanced through the split rail fence and three feet in front of me was the carcass of a dead pheasant, the rib cage picked clean and glinting in the sun. Last week there was a dead possum in front of the shed. Every day there is at least one dead chicken and their feathers are everywhere. We've asked our close neighbors if they are missing chickens, but apparently our foxes are hunting outside the neighborhood.
What started as an interesting sighting, isn't so much fun now...what with all the dead bodies and all. The spouse filled in the holes to their den with dirt and concrete. The state fish and game officer told us that would encourage them to move on. It didn't. They came home and dug new holes under the shed and brought more dead animals with them.
I worry about the quail that are nesting in the back garden. I haven't seen the newly hatched chicks for several days. They may have become appetizers for the foxes. I hope we can encourage the foxes to leave before all our birds are gone.
I now know what the fox says...they bark like a dog, but only one short bark.
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I do hope you can find some way to discourage them being so close by. I can understand your hesitation to having them around, even if they are cute. They are still a growing carnivorous family. I hope this turns out well for everybody.
ReplyDeleteI watched a family of fox one summer; they lived over the hill at work and the kits came up to play on the warm asphalt every morning. I hadn't considered the amount of groceries required to keep them going. The family dispersed, over the course of the summer, and I've not seen a family from "over the hill" since. I hope yours just naturally move on, too.
ReplyDeleteA true dilemma wildlife killing wildlife. If only they would just eat the ugly birds or rodents.
ReplyDeleteVery cool animals, but it is probably time for your sake for them to move on. Still I'd like to watch a family grow up, I just wouldn't like the clean up either.
observing wildlife can be fun and interesting, but I'm with you on the dead animal remains--wouldn't want those littering my yard. It's a fox eat bird world out there and I'm kind of partial to the birds.
ReplyDeleteLee
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You do have a dilemma. Perhaps bunnies might be cuter to observe. :)
ReplyDeleteCuteness becomes ugly reality. Predators are important in the natural cycle of life, but not so much fun to watch up close and personal. Hopefully they will move on.
ReplyDeleteFoxes are cool to watch but I now know I wouldn't want them taking up residence in my yard. For the sake of the quail and other birds I hope they move on soon.
ReplyDeleteI don't have foxes where I am. I can see how their hunting habits can change a neighborhood, community, and wildlife.
ReplyDeleteDear Jann, I hope this dilemma resolves itself to the good of all of you. Peace.
ReplyDeleteGood luck. And Happy Blitz Day.
ReplyDeleteFoxes can be little jerks, it seems - but they look so cute!
ReplyDeleteI hope your other wildlife doesn't suffer because of them.
The food chain is an everyday reality for wild animals. It's too bad that the quail and foxes can't coexist in the same area.
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