Suburban foxes

[ness]

I've lived in this neighborhood on the west edge of the Kansas City suburbs for seventeen years. Every few years we have a pair of foxes show up for a while, then they disappear for a year or more. I can't remember for sure, but I think it's generally in the spring. They always hang out in one particular storm drain about three houses down from me. 

A couple weeks ago I noticed a neighbor driving really slowly and looking at something in a yard one evening, and I wondered if they were back. Within a couple days I saw two of them hanging out at the storm drain early one morning. They dove inside when I stopped my car, but I could see them peeking out at me. Pretty cool. 

A couple days later I looked out the window and saw one across the street. I was going to let my dogs out, and figured he would run off at the sight of the dogs. I've got an Invisible Fence, so I wasn't too worried about my dogs running off. Well, when I opened the front door, the other one darted out of the courtyard and on up the street the opposite direction from the other fox. I wouldn't have let the dogs out if I knew there was one just outside the door. The fence worked and my dogs stopped, but it was a little worrisome. Then the first fox came across the street towards my dogs, and they went bonkers. I was really surprised he didn't hightail it, but I could tell he was wondering about his partner. He stayed just outside the yard pacing back and forth, barking an odd little bark. I called the dogs in and watched from the window. He came right up into the yard searching around the courtyard. He stared right at me watching him. I tried to get a pic but it didn't come out very good. 

One morning I let the dogs out back. I've got a fenced yard, but also Invisible Fence to keep the dogs out of the gardens. The dogs were going berserk barking at this one area with a large spruce tree. They often do that, because there are rabbits around. But, they were more animated than usual so I called them in. A fox scampered across the yard to a gap in the fence. So, I fixed the gap in the fence. 😄

One morning I saw one of them laying on the curb by the drain, licking himself like a cat. Another evening I saw one run across the street with a small animal in its mouth. I've found the guts of a couple birds in the yard, and a big ball of rabbit fur. The neighbor kid said they've found a bunch of carnage in their yard too. 

Over the last few weeks, these guys have gotten a lot less jumpy. Last night I stopped the car and just watched one snoozing at the curb for a few minutes. I kept making noise trying to get him to look up so I could get a better picture, but he was surprisingly calm. 

Anyhoo, it's been kinda fun having them around. No idea how long they'll stay. They've been kinda hard to photograph. A few pics, all from the car:

Theyre not always at the drain, but they're comfortable there and easier to photograph. I may get my camera out one of these night and try to get some better shots. 

[MOPanfisher]

That's cool.  Hope a big rain doesn't flush them and or their pups away.

[snagged in outlet 3]

I live in the burbs and we have them too.  Guy down the street has them living under his front porch.  They run all over and I almost hit one on my bike around noon one day.  

I put out a game camera a few months ago and my backyard is a deer beding area about once  a week.  Had 6 in one picture.  They are hard on our flowers.  Opossum, fox, coons, dogs cats deer rabbits squirrels and kids cutting through at night.  Had a coyote out there the other night howling it up at the neighbors two little lap dogs.  Could not run the thing off and it kept it up for 3 hours.

[BilletHead]

  That is really neat John,

   If we had not been visiting about this by text the other day I would of thought you were talking about the pretty girls in the neighborhood. Get yourself a predator mouth blown call, hide in your bushes and give it  squeal. Have camera ready. I bet they will literally run you over. Better yet have your g-friend the school marm take the pictures for us all to enjoy  

  IT WOULD BE EPIC 

   Better yet catch one in a dip net  DOUBLE EPIC

  BilletHead

[snagged in outlet 3]

I saw this show where guys brought house dogs on predator hunts and the fox and totes went nuts for them.  They would literally shoot and miss and the totes would just circle back in again.   

[MOPanfisher]

Coyotes love little dogs and puppies.  Foxes love kittens too.  Which is another good reason to have them around.

[MoCarp]

I had a friend with a paper route and we had plans to go fishing one morning so we could get on the lake before light, I helped him roll and toss papers that morning, I was amazed at what I saw, foxes, huge coons, even a coyote...since I trapped I was like ........he said that the old ladies put out cat food on the porches and drew them in....he saw a owl get a cat on his route......where there is an easy meal critters will be there to get it

 

[ness]

I haven't seen both foxes at the same time for a few weeks. Don't know if we're down to one or what. Haven't had any carrion in the yard lately. Hadn't  seen either for about a week, and was beginning to wonder if they had move on to greener subdivisions, but saw one tonight. 

[Gavin]

Plenty of wildlife inside the 270 loop in STL County. Ladue is stinking with deer and turkey. Don't see many deer in Webster, but a couple times a year. Foxes, coons, possums, owls, and hawks are common. See lots of bats when we have the pool lit up at night. Used to have a den of foxes in my backyard in Crestwood. Neighborhood Association jackwagon's were all worried about the foxes and wanted them gone,but I really enjoyed watching them in the back. They liked to hang around the storm sewer 2 houses down for some reason, but the den was in/under a 60' spruce tree in my yard.

[Stein]

Up at the resort that we go to in Canada one year there was a fox hanging around.  One night after a few barley pops I said I was going to go feed the fox.  Everyone gathered around on the deck to watch the drunk guy.  I took some lunchmeat from the fridge with me.  He was tentative but did come up and take it right out of my hand.  Probably not the smartest thing I have ever done but it was cool at the time.  Pics aren't very good because it was pitch dark so the cameraman couldn't see it well and the auto-focus had trouble in the dark on a flash pic.