Female Red laying on top of a large round hay bale

medic joe said:
Her fur is fluffed up. Because the wind is at her back side. Reds are a beautiful critter for sure. I haven't killed one in probably 40 years.
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I've killed one in my life and had a full body mount done. Unless I saw different color phase or something I'll probably never shoot another. At least not where I live. They're pretty rare, the coyotes wreak havoc on them so I'll just do my part to help out the foxes by getting rid of their enemy.
 
OKRattler said:
I've killed one in my life and had a full body mount done. Unless I saw different color phase or something I'll probably never shoot another. At least not where I live. They're pretty rare, the coyotes wreak havoc on them so I'll just do my part to help out the foxes by getting rid of their enemy.
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Back in the 90’s and early 2000’s I was pretty tough on fox. Over time I realized that the challenge of coyotes was more interesting to me and pretty much just stopped shooting fox. I’ve taken a handful in the past five years or so at the request of a taxidermist friend of mine that wanted to work on a mount, but it’s a rare occurrence that I’ll take one. I don’t have an issue with folks that do. Kids and newcomers are encouraged to take them actually, to kind of “set the hook” in the sport. We have no shortage of fox here in NY. I call them fairly often. I’d just rather watch and enjoy the show at this point.
 
We have an abundance of red and gray where I live now, many more than coyotes. I get foxes on camera every night, several but only occasionally a coyote.
 
I shot at a called in Fox with my bow in Colorado. I missed low. It jumped spun around and started chewing on the arrow shaft stuck in the ground.
Made me think of a saying my grandpa used to say. That poor dumb son of a bitch. It had no thoughts of running off. I let it have a pass.
 
I view the Red Fox as different as I do the coyotes. Many Red Fox will dismiss ambient noises when a hunter draws near. Specifically deep base noises. However, they are greatly tuned into high pitched noises. Never say never; However, some Red Fox will pay attention to most area noises & will go into alert mode, like a Coyote. Speaking of coyotes to many hunters. I believe they believe coyotes are not all that wary to area noises. Those hunters are foolhardy to believe that. Coyotes imo have some of the most keen senses & remember those distant or close noises. Which puts them into alert mode. Whether I stalk one that is bedded down or sneak into a call area. I do my best to remain hidden from their view & silent like a cat stalking a bird. As I draw near them. Both canines use the up wind areas. As a primary area to get from one down wind area to the next. Whether it be flat or hilly terrain.
 
I've only shot 1 fox. It kept killing my chickens. After about 5 I set out a call and called it right in in about 10 seconds. He came in so fast that I didn't have my shooting sticks and rifle ready. I rushed the shot and missed and he took off.
I waited about 5 mins and called again and he came right back. He didn't get to leave that time.
That winter we had a really hard freeze. 2 foxes came and got the rest of my chickens. Everything likes chicken. I won't raise any more.
 
medic joe said:
Both canines use the up wind areas. As a primary area to get from one down wind area to the next. Whether it be flat or hilly terrain.
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Im trying to picture this and Im not sure if I understand correctly. Let say the canine is near the top of a hill with the wind coming down the hill. Would the canine walk back up the hill to the top and then across the ridge to eventually cut down to the next down wind spot? Rather than walking over to the next downwind spot directly from his initial spot staying downwind?
And if so, why do they do this in your opinion?
 
Newpond0 said:
Im trying to picture this and Im not sure if I understand correctly. Let say the canine is near the top of a hill with the wind coming down the hill. Would the canine walk back up the hill to the top and then across the ridge to eventually cut down to the next down wind spot? Rather than walking over to the next downwind spot directly from his initial spot staying downwind?
And if so, why do they do this in your opinion?
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Well it varies on what they want to do. Some will travel across a wind on the down wind side of a hill. To get to another spot to bed down, on the down wind side. Otherwise it may go over a hill. Meandering/zig zagging its way "across & into a wind". Until it reaches another down wind area. There are 2 sides to most any structure, building, hill ,ect. There is what is called the "Wind ward" side. Which is the side of any structure that a wind blows on. Then there is the "Leeward" side of any structure, which is the down wind side. Some people including myself. Will also call it a wind brake area. Neither canine likes to bed down out in a wind. If/when they do. They will have their backside towards that wind. Thus, they will face an angled down wind direction.
 
medic joe said:
Well it varies on what they want to do. Some will travel across a wind on the down wind side of a hill. To get to another spot to bed down, on the down wind side. Otherwise it may go over a hill. Meandering/zig zagging its way "across & into a wind". Until it reaches another down wind area. There are 2 sides to most any structure, building, hill ,ect. There is what is called the "Wind ward" side. Which is the side of any structure that a wind blows on. Then there is the "Leeward" side of any structure, which is the down wind side. Some people including myself. Will also call it a wind brake area. Neither canine likes to bed down out in a wind. If/when they do. They will have their backside towards that wind. Thus, they will face an angled down wind direction.
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Thank you Joe! If the coyote decides to get up to go to another downwind spot there’s probably a good reason for that then like a change in wind, which may require him to go over to the other side of the hill. Simply moving side to side on the original hill isn’t a solution
 
How coyote and fox move about depends on the weather and why they are moving. In low temp and blowing snow(rain), I often see them move with the wind. Low winds often see them pop-up and peek over the upwind hill behind them, as if checking(looking) what they can't smell well. Tracking (can't begin to guess how many) revealed to me a great tendency to travel downwind before laying down, there is a very pronounced "hook" or turn as they get their track upwind of the bedding area. Something(downwind to bed) I watch for if the weather gives me a good clue to the age of a track. Pretty regularly if hunting with someone and we see a traveling coyote(moving into or quartering the wind) dropping off a hunter on the track(without coyote seeing) and than getting ahead of the coyote, either the coyote seeing the vehicle or another person will start the coyote back on his track. The track watcher just needs to pick a good shooting position(coyote is in range before possibly seeing the stationary hunter). And of course the shooter needs to be able to hit a moving coyote(possibly running).
 
spotstalkshoot said:
How coyote and fox move about depends on the weather and why they are moving. In low temp and blowing snow(rain), I often see them move with the wind. Low winds often see them pop-up and peek over the upwind hill behind them, as if checking(looking) what they can't smell well. Tracking (can't begin to guess how many) revealed to me a great tendency to travel downwind before laying down, there is a very pronounced "hook" or turn as they get their track upwind of the bedding area. Something(downwind to bed) I watch for if the weather gives me a good clue to the age of a track. Pretty regularly if hunting with someone and we see a traveling coyote(moving into or quartering the wind) dropping off a hunter on the track(without coyote seeing) and than getting ahead of the coyote, either the coyote seeing the vehicle or another person will start the coyote back on his track. The track watcher just needs to pick a good shooting position(coyote is in range before possibly seeing the stationary hunter). And of course the shooter needs to be able to hit a moving coyote(possibly running).
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Thank you! That hook...do you think it's to lead whatever might be following it down a path that it can smell from the eventual bedding ground? And the moving into or quartering the wind do you think thats a clue that it's in the process of making its hook? How wide would this hook be on average?
 
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