Coyote kill fox?

vin007

vin007

New member
Just wondering if coyotes kill and eat fox? It seems as if our local fox population is in decline and the coyote pop. is on the rise. Do coyotes actively hunt and kill fox or do they try when the y happen to come across a fox? I dont even want to shoot fox because it is nice to see them around when there are so few of them.
 
I suggest using the search feature here. You'll find plenty of discussion about this topic. Silverfox, out of Williston, ND, built a decoy that looks like a red fox - coyotes come charging in to that decoy . . . so I'm guessing the answer to your question is "yes, coyotes kill and eat fox".
Good luck & God bless,
~Scott
 
The search feature has been disabled right now due to an upgrade of the board. However, to answer your question, yes, coyotes will drive the smaller predators out of their territory if they can. The same way wolves did to coyotes when they were reintroduced into the western states. They may not be able to completely eliminate them, but they'll harrass and kill them if possible. Personally, I think the red fox is more susceptable to this than the smaller gray fox.
 
Interesting thing going on in Minnesota.

First off, coyotes kill foxes every chance they get.

In our area, we have about 5% of the foxes that we had 10 years ago. Not good. Coyote numbers haven't increased that much. They stay pretty static.

But, just north of here, the wolves have put the hurt on the coyotes. And, the locals are saying they are seeing more red foxes. So, my plan is to live trap a pile of wolves and relocate them around the area I hunt. Then, in ten years, I'll have more red foxes again.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
So why wouldn't a wolf kill and eat a red fox? It would be easier than doing away with a coyote. I have heard different things, in different articles. Different localities, probably yield differet behavior in all the above mentioned predators. I have heard that in some areas coyotes will only drive off the fox, seeing him as a competitor. They may very well kill them and prey on them where other smaller game is scarce. A good example, in SoCal coyotes are now attacking and preying on small dogs, cats, and even attacking people. The reason, loss of habitat, thus natural prey. Domesticated dogs and cats are also alot easier to catch. I am now in MO,and I don't hear about those things happening. I've even kept my eye on road kill ( cats and deer) that have gone untouched for weeks. I guess the reason is that there is plent of native prey.
 
FWIW, Never seen "it" in person,...eg; Wolf killing-coyote, coyote killing-fox. But seen it on T.V, and noticed "it" in my hunting territory.

They don't eat, each other after killing. They kill each other, IMO because they are territorial & they don't like other predator competition. We use to have a lot of fox & little coyote, with a very rare wolf passing through. Now its the other way around. Very few fox & plenty of coyote.

I do believe coyotes & fox both will kill house cats & eat them. Apparently (cats) are tastey to them. Coyotes will also kill small dogs & coon(competitors). But don't eat them.
 
vin007,
I agree with the other posts, in that coyotes will kill other predators based on a territorial basis.

Gray Fox tend to dive in the first hole they come across, when being chased and that helps them stay alive. Red Fox, on the other hand, prefer to run and that leads to their undoing because a coyote can and will run them down.

Cats...well, they get what they deserve. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I absolutely hate cats, so whatever happens to them is good enough for me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif The best way to view a cat is through a rifle scope. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Good hunting, Bowhunter57
 
I'm guessing that wolves don't kill red foxes the way a coyote does because they simply don't care. somewhere around 80 or so percent of a foxes diet is mice. Somewhere around 50% of a coyote's diet is mice and somewhere around 5% of a wolf's diet is mice. So, maybe wolves don't see foxes as a threat.


Or, maybe they just can't catch the sly little buggers... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Coyotes pretty much decimated the fox population when they "came to town"in the 70's around here.Bow 57,how can you not like cats.Sweet&sour cat,pineapple cat,moo-goo gay cat.Y'all mustn't have any chinese take-outs in OH?mmm,mm cat!The other white meat! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I have had probably 5 or 6 fox eaten in leghold traps before I got there to check them. A couple I have seen coyote track around and I think that they could be the only culprit. I check all of my traps each morning but i guess the coyotes beat me to them. Also, a little further west from where I trap now there are considerably less coyotes and I never had a fox eaten there.
JR
 
Just today I was scouting some of my hunting areas early in the afternoon and came across an area of snow that was entirely flattened by several coyotes. I noticed some bone and salt and pepper looking fur around and just figured it was dinner before sex. Couldn't really identify what the fur came from. I also noticed lots of tracks in an open field right to the east of this area. On my way back by I decided to take a look to see what had been going on in the field. I walked out and found that several coyotes had chased and killed a grey fox in the field. All that was left of that fox were some strips of fur and one leg. I didn't find any other remains anywhere so I guess they ate the whole thing.

Good huntng y'all..Coyote 6974
 
so those pesky yotes must be doing some damage on our fox as no one traps around this area. well im gonna have to do something about that this summer when i get my 223 happening, hopefulyl will be able to get them on video as well.

thanks for info guys!
 
Why do wolves kill coyotes but not fox? Very simple, coyotes are in direct competition with wolves for prey. They occupy the same niche. Wolves will do everything possible to eliminate the competition. Fox, do not occupy the same niche and therefore are not in direct competion with wolves. Some will say, " fox and coyote both eat mice and rabbits". Yes, but when was the last time you saw a fox drag down a deer, elk or moose? Never. Both coyotes and wolves will do so.

Coyotes carry the same vengence down the food chain towards fox and will eliminate them whenever possible.
 
Originally posted by Greenside:
[qb] No possibilty of parvo,distemper or mange knocking down the fox population?

Why the increase in coyote numbers? [/qb]
Click to expand...
I live in the same area as vin007, and he is quite right in his observation of fox decline. So much so that I generally will not shoot fox close to home. Not that I think that they are endangered by any means, but seeing one is increasingly rare. The reasons are varied, ranging from low fur prices, to acreages and small holdings surrounding the city that will never be hunted or trapped. Game laws prohibit shooting within 500 meters of occupied dwellings without permission, so even if you have permission from the landowner, you are still too close to his neighbors.This applies to shotgun and muzzleloader as well. So immediately around town there is a belt of from 15 to 50 miles of safe coyotes. That situation improves immeasureably in Rural areas.
The trapping tradition here is centuries old, but it is a tradition of trapping when it is profitable to do so. Changing regulations in allowable trap types,that made strings of traps obsolete over night and the fact that snares are only allowed in limited circustances don't help. Nor do gasoline prices that would make most Americans blanch.There still are trappers, but they are few, and are doing it because it something they enjoy. Their impact is minimal.
Recreational callers are increasing in numbers, judging by the way equipment is walking off the shelves, but a lot of this is being bought by casual hunters. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but a two Saturday a year deer hunter is not going to become a coyote- killing machine over-night. Once confronted with 30-40 Below temperatures most quit, or just go a couple times a year for something to do. Again there is nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't help control numbers, I really doubt that calling could do it anyway.
Skilled high number callers exist, though you could probably count them on your fingers and toes. The nature of calling is to quickly move through the best areas, skimming if you will. I read somewhere that you have to remove 70% of a coyote population to start reducing numbers,that seems about right.
Successful coyote callers tend to be a closed mouthed bunch. In many cases calling areas and techniques are closely guarded secrets, people just aren't lining up to give up years of experience and scouting/research/access gaining to a beginner. Especially a beginner who will hunt "your" spots. He is hunting for sport himself and the other guys are competitors.
As I see it, only a significant, sustained rise in fur prices will ever have a chance of controlling the numbers. Bounty systems have faults, but it is not worth discussing them when the province could never afford it anyway. Snowmobilers get quite a few, illegal as it is. Mange is not common at the moment,though there are probably pockets here and there. They fill in quickly.
So its a good place to be a coyote hunter, and a lousy place to be a red fox. The little swifts are doomed. Though I am far from being a biologist, wouldn't distemper effect the remaining foxes as much as the coyotes? Sorry for the long post.
Dogleg
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top