Vicki Fox > Guests > PEI Foxes > 2002 Journal 2Q

PEI Foxes - 2002 Journal : April to June

May 8

My neighbor who looked after the foxes for me during the winter by throwing the occarional bone or bread crusts out, has "adopted" Gypsy  - last year's adult.  However, she has been calling her Gypsy all winter as she forgot the name Gypsy.    The snow was so bad up the hill during the winter that Gypsy started coming to their back door for the evening treat.  my neighbor came up to our backyard, called to the fox, and darned if she didn't come running.   Anyway, she and my neighbor have completely bonded.  It's good to see that one made it through the winter.

I was told Gilda (the silver fox) had been spotted a couple of times.  We drove back and left fruit loops on the flat rock before the land slopes down toward the brook tonight  .   Couldn't go any farther as a tree was down across the opening.  It will be interesting to see what transpires.  I also left some fruit loops under the hutka - where the pups played last year.

May 9

This morning I checked the food drops from last night and all was gone.  No scat was left so I don't know if foxes, skunks, raccoons or whatever got the food.  Tonight we had blade potroast bones, biscuits and some carrots to distribute.  As we pulled out of the yard, we could see Gypsy waiting for my neighbor (whose name is Gertrude).  She was interested in us, but wasn't leaving her waiting spot.  Coming down the hill as we returned from our rounds, we could see Gertrude coming out of her house with a pan of food.  Gypsy evidentally saw her at the same time as she ran full tilt toward where our side yard abuts Gertrude's back yard.  She screeched to a halt as Gertrude tossed some bits to her.  She got a mouthful of something and ran into the pine trees.  I've always suspected a den might be in there, but it's too thick to explore.

Ruth, my neighbor across the street, has seen no activity under the old cottage by the shore.  I'm anxious for Tom to get the tree moved that's blocking our lane toward the brook so I can see if there is any activity by the natal den on the loop road. 

May 11

Company last night, so no fox stuff.  Tonight Sheldon (Gertrude's husband) rang the back door bell and said "Want to see your fox?"  I went out on the deck as he walked across our lane to a grassy patch and there Gypsy was waiting for him.  She was circling around as if slightly impatient.  He tossed her some bits which she promptly picked up and went to the middle of the field to eat.  The neighbors on the other side of us had grandchildren visiting and they were whooping and hollering, riding battery cars - none of which seemed to bother Gypsy.  She came back to Sheldon several times for more bits.  When he walked back to our deck she seemed to realize the party was over and trotted off.  I then got my bowl of scraps and drove up the hill to the big rock this side of the field before the brook.  The tree is still across the road and it may be next week before Tom gets it cut.  I am anxious to get back to the natal den on the loop road to see if there is activity - and it's too far for me to walk right now.  I left food at the rock, at the hutka and at Sunset ridge.  The hutka shows much evidence of digging underneath one corner - all fresh dirt outside.  And, the food I leave each night is gone.  However, with no scat as a thank you note, I still don't know who's eating it.  The digging is very foxlike.  Coming back from the hutka I met Gypsy who was carrying two mice in her mouth.  I know it was two because I could see tails drooping on each side.  I spoke to her and she stopped and looked, but then trotted on.  I just feel in my bones that Gypsy really is a Gus and is feeding more than her/himself.  It's just not in the plan of things for a fox to hunt this early in the evening and carry the food around.  They are usually hungry after retreating all day.  In any case, I shall persevere with the myth that it's a Gypsy.

May 12

Out to celebrate Mother's Day and Wedding Anniversary. No fox activity.

OOOOPS - later:  Gypsy returned.  Sheldon had already fed her and it's nearly dark.  She waited patiently in the field by the yard.   I knew Sheldon and Gertrude had company so I went out with some spare rib bones and boiled potato.  Threw them in the driveway.  She wouldn't leave her spot.  Evidently Sheldon had seen her out their kitchen window, and he came with a bone.  She waited for him, took his offering and loped away.  The crows came and took the bits I had put out.  If she is a female I would suspect she would be weaning the pups about now and her teats would be visible on the belly; particularly because of heavy shedding.  Since nothing is visible I am pretty sure of my original thesis that she is he.  I think I'm starting to convince Sheldon. 

May 13

Much joy this morning when we found fox tracks in the bare spots with newly seeded grass around the house.   Also, dirty fox tracks on the deck.

Late getting home tonight from Nova Scotia (grand nephew's university graduation) so grabbed some scraps from the fridge in the mud room and got back in the car and started up the hill behind the house.  Got just a few yards from the house when I pointed to the top of the hill where the road splits to go thru the spruce trees or up the reopened lane and said to Tom "Look - there's a fox".  Sure enough, Gypsy sprang to attention when the car got close and came trotting up toward it.   When we got to the fork in the road, we stopped and Tom threw some scraps out the window.  She had no hesitation and came right up to the car.  We left her and continued on to the flat rock (at the far end of the old raceway) and left a couple of bones and some toast crusts.  As we were driving back toward the hutka, she came racing toward us from Sunset Ridge.  Evidently thought we would be going there next.  We accommodated her and went to Sunset Ridge and threw out pieces of stale biscuit.  She sniffed it and ignored it.  When I threw out some crispy chicken skin, she nodded her head as if to say "now you have the right idea" and deigned to eat it.  We waited - and so did she, still not eating the biscuit.  I tossed her a couple of green beans and some cooked carrot slices and we left, leaving some more biscuit at the hutka. 

Some thoughts here; Gypsy is getting pretty tramplike if she is begging food from Gertrude and Sheldon and then us.  I shall limit my feeding to a couple of fruit loops and a milk bone as long as she is being fed elsewhere.  We don't want her to lose her hunting ability - or habit.  It's supposed to rain and snow tomorrow, but if it's clear in the morning Tom will cut a path thru the tree that's down over the road so I can get back to the natal den to see if there is any activity.

May 15

Sheldon gave Gypsy a bone and some bread last night.  She turned up her nose at the bread and ran off with the bone.

Today Tom moved the tree that had been blocking the lane.  It has been pouring and the field between the flat rock and the brook had recently been plowed, so it was a field of mud.  Tom did take the tractor down (a car would never have made it) and over to the loop road to check the natal den for me.  Absolutely no activity.  Last fall's leaves were still in the "back door" to the den, and there was no scat, bones, etc. around it at all.  Tonight we left food (seafood flavored dry cat food) at the regular places but no sign of Gypsy.  Perhaps she feels if she is only getting bread from us and from Sheldon she'll go elsewhere.  We did drive by the log den, and there's no sign of activity there either.  Of course, it's early for the pups to be out and about, and the weather has been abysmal.

May 16

Tom and I were leaving for the local Chamber of Commerse spring dinner when Gypsy showed up in the yard begging to be fed.  I tossed her 3 pieces of Milk Bone and a handfull of dry cat food, and off we went.  The first person I ran into at the dinner was Gertrude.  I told her Gypsy was pretty desparate for dinner.  Gertrude said "That scamp.  I fed her early tonight.  She had good meat scraps."  I think Gypsy is terribly spoiled.  Now the bad news is that Gertrude and Sheldon will go to their cottage for most of the summer.  Gertrude said she'll leave it to me to get Gypsy straightened out.  :(

May 17

Rain, pouring rain all day.  It stopped this evening, but the clay is so "greasy" the car would never make it up the hill.  Sheldon gave Gypsy a nice bone at 6:30 tonight.  I looked out the window 10 minutes ago (8:00) and there she is, sitting in the field staring at our house and the neighbor's house.  I had a lemon tart that was so old the pudding filling cracked, so took that outside.  I called to her and she came running over.  Broke the tart up in pieces and the crows started circling.  The pie crust edges she ignored, but took the lemonny middle and toor up the field into the spruce trees.  Gertrude came out with a piece of raisin bread and asked me who was spoiling Gypsy now.  I used the excuse I just wanted to get a closer look at her.  Just then she came back and sat and waited to see what Gertrude would offer.  The bread was thrown out, and she took the biggest piece and ran the length of the field again and into the spruce trees.  There is a year 'round spring there, and a den next to it that was used several years ago.  The coyotes enlarged it to fit them, but never used it.  It would appear it might be in use again by foxes.  Gertrude says this is where Gypsy always goes with the food she doesn't eat on the spot.

May 20

Gypsy was waiting in the side yard tonight - looking at our back door and turning her head to look at Sheldon & Gertrude's back door.  She was perfectly positioned to offer herself to the first bidder.  Tommy is visiting and he came out with me as I walked up to her and tossed her some multi-flavored Milk Bone.  She trotted up and sniffed each one, turned her back, and returned to her original position.  I came back in the house and got some very stale angel food cake that I had in the "fox bucket" and tossed pieces of that to her.  She thoroughly enjoyed that, and when the few pieces were gone she looked at me expectantly waiting for me.  I said good night to her and walked back into the house.  When I got to the deck I looked back, and there she was at my heels.  It took discipline, but I said good night once more and entered the house without any additional treats given out.  I leave for Chicago early tomorrow morning and won't be back for a couple of weeks.  I hope I can look for some fox pups then.

June 5

Drove over most of the land and see no sign of any known dens in use.  Strangely, there's no scat in the roads; either coyote or fox.  However, Gypsy showed up tonight - 4 times!   Sheldon tossed her a bone with some meat on it the first time, which she promptly took into the pine trees.  The second time he tossed her a bone with no meat.  She trotted into the middle of the field and cached it very carefully.  She may be the only fox in evidence, but obviously she's not taking chances of a "foreign" critter finding it.  Her third trip back, 30 minutes later, brought no response from Sheldon or Gertrude for a while.  They waited her out - they thought!  She patiently sat and stared at their back door until they couldn't take it any more and came out with another bone.  She gnawed this one for a while and then took off up the field with it in her mouth.  Tom and I had been in town all day and stayed for dinner.  As we were driving up the lane about 8:00 she came running down the hill toward us and sat by the edge of the yard.  I thought perhaps she hadn't been fed, so took a half of a too-soft banana out and tossed pieces to her.  She galloped over, smelled the first piece, passed it up, went to the second piece, turned up her nose, and went back to the field and sat staring at Gertrude's door.  Sheldon had seen me toss the banana so he didn't come out again.

June 6

Sheldon was out feeding Gypsy some chicken skin and I came out to take some photos.  Got some good ones of her.  Her coat has completely shed out so she looks much smaller without all the fur.  At first she didn't like the camera - or perhaps it was my choice of clothes - as she was shy about coming up.  However, Sheldon dropped a bone at his feet (about 5 feet from mine) and up she came.  Then she spent some time posing.  My new digital still camera takes good pictures; just one problem - my computer at the farm doesn't have an USB port so I'll have to wait until I go back to Chicago to download them.  My next trip back is in a couple of weeks, so I should have some photos ready soon.  Tonight I'm charging the video battery so I can take either pictures tomorrow.

June 7

Gypsy had done her usual "here I am and don't I look pathetic" routine and was fed only once by Gertrude and not at all by me. Earlier in the day Tom had driven into town and got a "burn" permit (which one needs on the Island in order to burn brush).  He had a pile of brush in the back yard; wind fall, pruning, dead branches he had clipped, etc.  Our next door neighbor (on the other side of us from Sheldon and Gertrude) is a volunteer fireman so he was available to supervise the burning.  It ended up a male campfire with Donnie, Tom, and Sheldon all standing around watching the blaze.  I'm sure a few beer bottles were emptied too.  Tom looked over, and just about 10 feet away from the fire on the other side sat Gypsy.  Usually foxes are afraid of fire, but she was thoroughly enjoying the warmth and the distant male companionship.  Tom said she remained watching the fire after he had banked it and came into the house for the night.

June 8

Well now we know for sure.  Gypsy really is last year's Gypsy.  As her coat is coming in I could see all the markings that Gypsy had.  And, the fact that she stays so close to the house is similar to what Gypsy did last year after Gum Drop ran her off the lane by the log den.  Gertrude said today that she knew is was Gypsy, but couldn't remember her name and the only one that came to mind was Gussie.  So - those of you who followed last year's story . . . Gus is still a male (tho not yet in evidence this year) and Gypsy from last year is Gypsy and there is no Gussie.  

June 9

Rain, rain all day.  Looked out the window about 8:00 in the evening and there was Gypsy sitting in the field looking ever so forlorn.  Sheldon and Gertrude were gone for the evening so I took a pie tin of table scraps (yellow beans, baked potato skin, beets, fat from the meat) and set it at the edge of the driveway.  She waited until I came inside and then made a dash for the dish.  This is good to know . . . she'll eat from a dish.  She ate one potato skin by the dish, took the second one into the field to eat, and then filled her mouth with I don't know what and trotted up the hill.  Morning of June 10th - the yellow beans are still in the dish.  Sheldon said he and Gertrude fed the fox before they went out for the evening.  However, now that we know it's Gypsy, we know that she was the omega from last year and was chased out of the range by Gum Drop and Gilda.  Which means Gypsy's range is the field by the house and what begging she can do. 

June 18

Nothing new. Gypsy keeps coming each day and stays around for a couple of hours.  Got some good photos tonight.  No one, and I mean no one has seen any pups anywhere this year.  It's really strange to have such a dearth of young - apparently across the island.  There must be some somewhere, but perhaps the unusually cold weather has kept them from coming out.  Our resident partride is in full motherhood.  Her chicks were crossing the loop road today and I came upon her suddenldy in the car.  She flew at the car and actually attacked it.  Most disconcerting.  And she didn't stop until I left.  Took visitors on a tour of the island today and saw several adult foxes out, but no young.