The relationship between foxes and coyotes

We see foxes and coyotes inhabiting the same areas frequently. It seems that the foxes are found in greater concentrations in rocky areas and thicker brush. But I have called in foxes and coyotes on the same stands. Foxes and bobcats on the same stand and bobcats and coyotes on the same stand. I have yet to call all 3 on the same stand. Observing their behavior, I have seen foxes get skittish just before coyotes showed up. I also observed a bobcat that appeared to be hanging up on one of my stand when two coyotes showed up.

I have a friend who uses a fox decoy on coyote stands to good success. I have personally gotten coyotes to come in using fox calls then switching into pup calls. The coyotes seem to come in hot and bothered.
 
I think they co-exist as was mentioned, though coyotes probably kill a few fox here and there. I seem to have a population of red fox and a few grays around, and a few coyotes. They all come to my bait site on any given night. Maybe the terrain is the reason with steep hillsides, trees, laurel and thickets.
 
So a few years ago while on the trapping line I had a red in a foot hold. Only all I had left was a leg. A coyote had come and ripped it from the trap leaving just the leg. The trap held tight but the foxes shoulder did not. Torn right out of the socket. They both eat what ever meet they can get.
 
What’s weird for me is that I’ve killed many foxes called in while I was howling for coyotes. Only greys that is. I’ve only seen a bobcat and coyotes come in together while hunting. Bobcat didn’t seem nervous at all.
 
One night while bait hunting coyotes, a bobcat showed up. I watched him through night vision for a while when suddenly he turned and ran. A coyote came down the hill shortly after. Another time my trail camera (set to video) captured a coyote putting a bobcat up a tree. Like was mentioned, sometimes they tolerate a coyote and other times not. I also have a trail camera video of a bobcat in hot pursuit of a gray fox.
 
Don't know where Fox have gone to here in this part of OR. ?, but only thing that points to it, is maybe the huge amount of coyotes we have and Fox just failed in the pressure put to them ?
We had fox all around here in my area NW Oregon when I was a kid 40 years ago, you see them once in while in daytime and my wife even had pet fox . Now all we have is Coyotes . I call and kill coyotes at night for years around here and am pretty good at scanning and watching, Nv & Therm. See coyotes thick all over in all counties and see Bobcat several times a year at night also . Never see Fox .
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So on Sunday I killed a coyote, pretty much in my back yard. Monday night, I was driving within a mile of my house and I saw 2 reds mousing in someone's yard, right off the road. Tonight I went to the same spot that I killed the coyote, and called in a red. So to answer my own question, apparently they CAN live together.
BTW, Fox season is just around the corner
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Reloader326, they seem to live together OK here too. Two nights ago my trail camera got a red and last night a gray. Coyotes are showing up every few days. A few years back I didn't see many fox and figured the coyotes were responsible, but I am seeing more and more fox around now, both red and gray and seeing multiple coyotes too, all on our small farm of 86 acres. Apparently they can co-exist, but like Yellowhammer said, they don't always get along.
 
Originally Posted By: 6mm06
Reloader326, they seem to live together OK here too. Two nights ago my trail camera got a red and last night a gray. Coyotes are showing up every few days. A few years back I didn't see many fox and figured the coyotes were responsible, but I am seeing more and more fox around now, both red and gray and seeing multiple coyotes too, all on our small farm of 86 acres. Apparently they can co-exist, but like Yellowhammer said, they don't always get along.

Out here in Az we see them in the same areas all the time. You just tend to see them concentrated in certain areas. Our rule of thumb is, where there's rocks there's foxes and where there's foxes there are bobcats. So I look for rocky and brushy areas to hold heavier concentrations of fox and bobcats. But we have called coyotes in areas where it didn't look good for them at all.

They compete for food and other resources so I would imagine that when resources are plentiful you're going to see more neutral interactions than during times of scarce resources. Population spikes could also account for increased interactions, like when pups are pushed out of the den.

I don't think that just because you see one means that the other are not there.

As for whether or not they like each other, I have called in many coyotes using a fox distress call and rolling right in on pup distress. I have gotten several females that came in charging and hackled up to that sequence. I also have a friend who makes a fox decoy almost every year. He has to do that because he usually loses it to a coyote during the season. So I think that there are a lot of variables to their interactions.

Sure is fun to observe and collect the information though.
 
We had a lot of reds back in the mid 70's in Illinois , caught some grays then also. Coyotes started coming @ 77-78 and nailed the fox bad . Nowadays the Reds seemed to adjust to the yotes with mange hitting the coyotes hard. Gray fox are pretty much an endangered species in Illinois I think,have t seen one in years . If u see one your supposed to call it in to the state.
 


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