Iowa/Midwest Grey Fox?

Chris_Brice

Chris_Brice

New member
Question is.......... is there any? Years ago I thought of the grey fox as the red headed step child of the canine family. I thought that Red Fox was so much nicer to as not even look twice at the Grey. Well as time has gone by I've come to appreciate the Grey. I like it's looks and it sounds like it has ten times the personality of the Red. I'd like to call one.

But in 30 years of chasing furbearers I've only ever seen one get caught. Heck, I can't even recall seeing any hanging at the fur buyers. I can't imagine with all the conibears and snares being strung around the state that more wouldn't be being taken but who knows.

Anyone else around the midwest and Iowa seeing any populations of Greys?

If so........WHERE!!??
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CB
 
We had them in the woods, like in town I know. But, that was before mange epidemic, distemper is hard on them also, I haven't heard of anyone seeing any lately. I caught one east of Webster City, 23 yrs ago, there was another with it, but it didn't get caught, on the end of a brushy weedy fenceline.
There used to be a lot of them just across the border in MN, Lanesboro. It is north of Decorah.
 
We got them up here. Get them with the terriers and curs, calling and trapping. They will go to tree like a coon or cat. We also find them in brushpiles and old houses/farms. Tough little SOB's. Some are very aggressive. I've always liked them and at times they bring a good price.

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Tim
 
When I lived near Columbia, Mo, I called one in (my first predator called)....missed it though. Anyway, that was the only one I've ever seen....must be a few. I wonder if the coyotes run them out???
 
I used to trap a few years ago. They live mostly in the most dense growth and they don't stray far from this "home" country. I read once that a red takes several days to cover its territory and a grey covers his every inch of his territory every day. So if you know where they are, it doesn't take long to have them find a trap set. I have also heard they hunt in family groups like beagles after rabbits and prey. I don't know if I ever saw too many in daylight, did once when we did a drive for fox with friends in this dense area and saw them running around in there like rabbits and couldn't get a shot at them. They are beautiful , with red, dark red , white ,grey ,black all on the same animal. I remember seeing the caucuses side by side by my shop after skinning them , red and grey , and the only difference was length of legs and size of feet,length of snout, body were the same which surprised me. My son has one on a trail cam by his house, near a river in old timber . I knew a guy that hunted these dense areas during late fall and stalked them and shot them from trees as the slept on limbs. Jim
 
Many yrs ago, my old school friend. Trapped many in the timbered creek areas on the edge of town. He caught a fair share of them. On leaning trees useing a 220 connibear. The rest he caught on trails & sets at the base of a tree in the timber. They tend to hug cover pretty tight. Et don't often venture[in Iowa anyway] into the open areas.
 
About 10-12yrs ago maybe a little more. The timber that my dad bowhunted in had a pair of them. Got to watch them a couple of times. One time watched one climb a tree about 20yds in front of me. Dad also got to see them a couple of times. They disapeared for a few years and finally this year my dad got to see a pair a couple of times. They are really cool to watch.
 
I live in a neighborhood with a lot of ravines and bits of timber and have seen a few over the years in peoples yards. Looking for rabbits, I guess. Dave
 
Originally Posted By: SSRacing11c"They" say yotes will but never seen it happen

Are you saying that you dont think Coyotes will run fox out of a area?
 
We used to have a lot of greys and reds here in this part of Illinois, but when the coyotes started moving in we saw fewer and fewer foxes. Very seldom see a red fox here now and very, very rarely do we ever see a grey. The coyotes have killed and ran them out of the country.
 
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