Vicki Fox > Guests > PEI Foxes > 1999 Journal 2Q

PEI Foxes - 1999 Journal : April to June

Apr 27

Tom is on the Island opening the house. He wanted to put in his garden, but it snowed 4" after he arrived last Thursday. Not much gardening going on, but lots of time for observations. The good news is that there is much activity around the shed by the shore. No kits seen playing yet, but much food gathering/bringing activity by 3 adults. A coyote was spotted hanging around the shed last week. I'm going up to the Island the day after tomorrow (Thursday) so hope to have something to report in several days.

Apr 28

early tomorrow morning. Neighbor w/ telescope says fox kits were out to play yesterday. Bad weather today so mama fox kept them inside. Hope I get to see them tomorrow afternoon.

Apr 30

Please let the NG know I am on PEI. My local ISP here is down so am using AOL's verrrrrrrry expensive Canadian 800 number. Going to look for signs of foxes tomorrow. The sun is out today and melting most of the snow so by tomorrow I should be able to get up the hill behind the house. (The clay here gets very greasy when it's when and you can't drive on it nor walk on it.)

May 1

Still having trouble connectin thru the local ISP so using AOL's Canadian 800 number at $15 an hour. Don't want to take the time to go to the newsgroup until I get it all set up to download posts and I can read them offline. Please let the NG know that the score card under the shed by the shore is: 2 adults, 2 kits Thanks

I am helpless for the next 2 weeks. Sympatico can do nothing to help me get online. Now they tell me they don't support Macs (tho they have for the past 3 years.) Anyway, Mike if you would continue to be my postmaster to the NG and Ellen to the senior group, I sure would appreciate it.

I left food near the den under the shed by the shore this morning and it was gone when I checked back at 10:00. Don't know if the foxes got it or the crow that kept circling. Took the golf cart all thru the woods. Coyote prints as big as the palm of my 11 yr old grandson's hand at the brook. More prints thru the woods and an adequate amount of coyote scat to warn any interlopers off. All of it old, however. The old natal den on the loop road has no use at all. Not even coyote it looks like. The old log den looks like it has had some traffic, but not much. Last year Brad thought perhaps skunks had moved into it.

Took some left over baked potato from dinner to the top of the hill. Much, much fox scat - about every 6" to 9" all over the crest and ridge of the hill. Suffice it to say, the territory is well marked. One piece of scat is probably anywhere from 1 - 3 weeks old. The rest is either old or so bound up in white hair (hare?) that it's impossible to tell. Covered the baked potato with grass so the crows won't find it. No sighting today, but I'm making myself known. One of the adult foxes by the shore is grey - but thru a telescope it's hard to say who it is. Or, if I even know it (tho I'm sure I must since they're using that den again.) The old natal den on the loop road has no use at all. Not even coyote it looks like.

May 3

Mike and Ellen - the computer problems will be with me until I leave May 14. If I could please ask you to relay my posts for me I would be so grateful.

Yesterday took some food down to the shed, covered it with grass, called kit kit, talked a bit to the ether, then left. Want to get the fox household used to the sound of the golf cart and to my voice. Ruth, watching through her telescope said that about an hour after I left, mama fox came out and plopped herself down by the side of the shed where 3 old wagon wheels are leaning against it. That area is usually out of the wind. Two little pups came scampering out and clamped on for a busy nursing session. Ruth said all she could see were two little tails spining around like a whirling dervish. Went down at noon with some bread and as I parked the golf cart and called "kit kit" was astonished to see a darling little pup come out of the "main entrance" from the under shed. S/he came trotting along the side of the shed (where the wagon wheels are) and stopped and looked at me. I just kept talking and talking and nattering away so it would get used to the sound of my voice. It still has its baby grey undercoat - but since the mother is a taupe/grey that could be its eventual color. (Still haven't identified the mother.) I moved away to leave some food on the door step of the old cottage which put me out of sight of the pup. When I moved back, the pup had gone. I tossed some bread in that direction and left. Don't want to hang around too long and spook it.

Wouldn't you know, we left the video camera in Chicago. Too much to pack and never dreamed we'd be lucky this soon.

May 4

It seems as if our foxes and coyotes live in relative harmony. Lots of fresh coyote scat back in the woods, new coyote tracks, and new fox tracks crossing them. Fox scat at the top of the hill and by the old log den, with some coyote tracks. It would appear that each has marked their territory, but will permit the other to pass through. At least I hope. Food left at all places last night is gone. A big tuft of fox fur at the bottom of the spruce trees - almost as if a fox had chewed a mat out. Visiting Ruth this morning on my way to the shore. She had me look thru her telescope and there was the mother fox watching the two pups play. I immediately went down to the area and the mother fox and the pups disappeared. I checked and last night's food was gone. I called "kit kit" as I was leaving dry cat food. One little pup came running out from under the cottage and I talked to it for about 30 seconds. The cute little thing nosed away the grass covering the cat food as if inspecting what was left today. If they are still nursing I doubt they can manage the cat food; but I was leaving that for the mother anyway. A dead mouse lay at the entrance to the den under the shed. It looks as if they have a pretty decent secondary home under the old cottage. The pup went between the shed and the wagon wheel and sat, watching me get into the golf cart to leave. A darling pose as it looked out. Wouldnt you know - no camera.

May 5

Oh happy day! Went down to the shore this morning and as I got closer could see an adult fox sitting by the wagon wheels leaning against the shed. S/he watched me until I was about 50 feet away, and then disappeared under the cottage. It was if s/he heard the golf cart start down the lane and came out to watch. I got out of the cart with some of last night's roast beef and boiled potato and started talking and calling "kit kit". BOTH little pups came out and tumbled over each other in their haste to see this strange two-legged creature. I left food in the usual two places. The old pump (one of the food sites) was about 20 feet from the pups. I kept talking as I aimed the 35 mm camera and got off a couple of still shots. They were both behind the wagon wheels by this time, looking out. I decided I didn't want to press my luck, so started back to the cart. I looked behind me and the bold one was trotting after me, but didn't go farther than the old pump. As I went up the lane and got near Ruth's, I could see the adult was out nosing around for tid bits where I had left them. One adult is kind of a taupe color, and the other is a washed out red/orange. One of the pups (the bold one) is grey (birth undercoat I'm assuming) and the other is more of a taupe. I have names in mind for the youngsters, but need to see a little more of their personality before deciding for sure.

Went back at 5:00 but no sign of fox life. This has been the case for the past 3 days; they are there in the morning, but gone by late afternoon. They must have a 'morning den' and an 'afternoon/evening den'.

May 6

The washed out red adult watched me as I came down the lane to the shed by the shore. S/he loped to behind the cottage when I got about 50 feet away. One of the little pups watched from the safety of behind the wagon wheel. Got to about 20 feet away and took another photo. I put ham/beef/potato (about 2 tablespoons full) at the pump and old cottage front door site. As I moved from one to the other, the little pup dashed under the shed. I threw out some honey nut cheerios as I left. I didn't get more than half way up the lane toward Ruth's when a big old crow came and ate most of the cheerios. Glad the "good stuff" was covered with dry grass. Dug some fresh clay and spread it around the top of the hill before leaving some cheerios there. Covered it with grass. Foot prints in the fresh dirt ought to tell me who is enjoying the treats in that location. As long as I had the shovel with me, I scooped up all the scat (the top of the hill truly looked like a dung heap, complete with horse droppings from someone who enjoyed riding thru our land while we were gone) and buried it. This way we can start fresh.

May 7

No fox sightings today. I felt the pups' interest in solid food a couple of days ago might mean the mother was weaning them. When that was complete, she would need to move them to a den close to fresh water. I mentioned this to Ruth who said that she had noticed (thru her telescope) the mother was pulling away when they tried to nurse. A careful examination of the woods today tells me the coyotes own everything between the brook and the river (about 250 acres). At the bottom of the loop road were piles and piles and piles of coyote scat that was nothing but reddish hair and hide. About three of Tom's handsfull. You could tell from the twists it had gone thru a coyote's system. Ginger colored cats are very common on the Island; I surely hope this wasn't one of them. Tom is puzzled because the fur and hide had 'gone through'. He feels that normally a dog (and perhaps all canids) would not eat the hide and hair unless the animal was famished. Checked food sites - all food gone. No footprints in my site surrounded by fresh dirt. Will re-spread it tomorrow.

May 8

Food gone by the shore, but no sightings. Left baked potato at the top of the hill and sitting rock before going out for dinner. Upon our return I went to check, and the food in these sites was gone. Strangely, however, there were 3 dead mice at the top of the hill right in the spot where I leave food. Did I disturb the fox family hunter and he dropped his "load of groceries" to run and hide? Not likely; he would, I'd think, hasten to the den site or at least go under the trees. Did he leave the mice for me in return for the food tidbits? Sweet and generous, but I'll risk hurting the fox's feelings and not partake.

Obviously the family has moved to this side of the road to the den in the middle of the spruce trees. The year round spring is running profusely (checked it 4 days ago) and there is a nice cleared area for the pups to play in. It will take another few weeks before they venture as far as the top of the hill or the lane between the trees. The three dead mice puzzle me. (And no, this farmer's wife WILL NOT cut off their tails with a butcher's knife. Oh, that was three BLIND mice, wasn't it?)

May 12

A 30 minute encounter with an adult fox at the top of the hill behind the house tonight. Both Tom and I think it was a female; poor thing looked pretty shabby as she was doing some serious shedding. She had a dark saddle with dark patches on the shoulders where the guard hairs had shed. A very narrow face. I'll have to check my video tape from last year . . . it could have been Smokie (the one that had an injured her foot for a few weeks last summer.) This fox didn't seem to have Smokie's "chihuahua ears" tho. We had been in the woods to drive the new road that was built (named the Anniversary Road in honor of our anniversary today) and coming back I left food at the sitting rock and the top of the hill. Instead of coming down the lane I asked Tom to drive along the top of the spruce trees so I could show him this huge ant hill that has grown about 18 inches since last summer. Coming back I gasped and yelled "stop" for a fox had been eating at the food site at the top of the hill. The fox spotted the car (we were only 30 feet away) and dashed into the trees.

We stopped at the site and left more food (corn casserole) and backed up to the sitting rock to see if the fox would come out again. It did about 3 minutes later. She looked at us, ate some, checked to see if we had moved, ate some more, etc. After eating it all, she went to the hillock on the other side of the lane and sat and watched us. She licked herself clean, put her front paws out and did a big stretch and trotted half way up the lane toward us. She stopped and watched for a while. We were almost afraid to blink. Once again she put her front paws way out in front and did a big stretch and trotted up to the sitting rock. She climbed all over it and found the food. We were right next to her - about 5 feet away. She was cautious, but not afraid. We didnt move a muscle. Finally she finished and loped back down the lane, checked the top of the hill once more, and went into the spruce trees in the direction of the den that is there. It was obviously a fox that new the green Toyota and certainly was comfortable with it being parked so close. She also had no hesitation about where the food sites were.

We haven't seen the pups by the shore for a few days so I assumed they had been moved to this side of the road where the den is by a year round spring. However on Monday, Ruth saw an adult with one pup by the shed at the shore at 9:30 a.m. and when she looked at 12:30 there were two pups. There's been no activity by the shore since then. I told Ruth I didn't like the mother fox taking them back and forth across the road. Ruth's comment was "Then tell her!"

May 12

A 30 minute encounter with an adult fox at the top of the hill behind the house tonight. Both Tom and I think it was a female; poor thing looked pretty shabby as she was doing some serious shedding. She had a dark saddle with dark patches on the shoulders where the guard hairs had shed. A very narrow face. I'll have to check my video tape from last year . . . it could have been Smokie (the one that had an injured her foot for a few weeks last summer.) This fox didn't seem to have Smokie's "chihuahua ears" tho. We had been in the woods to drive the new road that was built (named the Anniversary Road in honor of our anniversary today) and coming back I left food at the sitting rock and the top of the hill. Instead of coming down the lane I asked Tom to drive along the top of the spruce trees so I could show him this huge ant hill that has grown about 18 inches since last summer. Coming back I gasped and yelled "stop" for a fox had been eating at the food site at the top of the hill. The fox spotted the car (we were only 30 feet away) and dashed into the trees.

We stopped at the site and left more food (corn casserole) and backed up to the sitting rock to see if the fox would come out again. It did about 3 minutes later. She looked at us, ate some, checked to see if we had moved, ate some more, etc. After eating it all, she went to the hillock on the other side of the lane and sat and watched us. She licked herself clean, put her front paws out and did a big stretch and trotted half way up the lane toward us. She stopped and watched for a while. We were almost afraid to blink. Once again she put her front paws way out in front and did a big stretch and trotted up to the sitting rock. She climbed all over it and found the food. We were right next to her - about 5 feet away. She was cautious, but not afraid. We didnt move a muscle. Finally she finished and loped back down the lane, checked the top of the hill once more, and went into the spruce trees in the direction of the den that is there. It was obviously a fox that new the green Toyota and certainly was comfortable with it being parked so close. She also had no hesitation about where the food sites were.

We haven't seen the pups by the shore for a few days so I assumed they had been moved to this side of the road where the den is by a year round spring. However on Monday, Ruth saw an adult with one pup by the shed at the shore at 9:30 a.m. and when she looked at 12:30 there were two pups. There's been no activity by the shore since then. I told Ruth I didn't like the mother fox taking them back and forth across the road. Ruth's comment was "Then tell her!"

May 14

Left good roast turkey and crispy turkey skin and waited for 40 minutes with camera and binoculars. No foxes, but a bevey (gaggle? whole bunch) of crows came. Covering with grass doesn't seem to fool them anymore. They just walked around the hill top kicking or scuffing the grass until they uncovered the food. I chased them off 3 times with the car - which prbably put any fox off too.

Leaving tomorrow for a meeting in Montreal and then back to Chicago. Tom will be back in PEI next week and will periodically leave food at the hill top until I come back in June.

May 17

My neighbor, Ruth, sent me the following email (I got back to Chicago last night)

Fox Report:

This morning (May 16) I had an opportunity to watch your little shoreside family at breakfast. Most of the action took place in 1999's 'family' cum 'dining' area in front of the wagon wheels...

It began when the somewhat ratty-looking, dullish red aunt (uncle?) appeared with a HUGE mouthful of limp, dangling stuff and dropped it in the grass. The bolder of the two pups (who I frequently see leaping and jumping into the tree crotch) grabbed something that looked like either a small rabbit or a VERY large field mouse and ran off (staggered is more like it, head high, trying to keep from tripping over this huge 'thing' in his mouth) to a spot a few feet away. Pup Two stayed with Mother and they sort of hunkered down, like you see a pride of lions on a nature show and began tearing at their breakfast. The bold pup (caught a glimpse of his derriere and I'm SURE he's a boy) evidently got lonesome, for he lugged his prize back to within a couple of feet of his mother and sibling. Only the top half of them was visible above the grass, but for the several minutes I watched it was a wonderfully peaceful and bucolic scene, absolutely heavenly!

May 23

My neighbor reports that the adult brings the pups back to the shed while s/he sleeps under the spruce tree. Makes sense - allows the young to play close to the protection of a den and yet the adult can get some zzzzz's after a night's hunting. Ruth let a corner of her expansive yard grow wild, hoping to get some wild flowers. All she got was a metropolis of voles. She has noticed much digging around here and little tiny scat. It appears that the pups are learning to hunt.

Jun 2

I have much delayed news from this end of the Island. First, a huge "Thank You" to Foxvulpes ! I emailed Janet a few weeks ago in a total panic. I was convinced that my female Kit had mange. I had not seen her for 2 days and when she did appear she looked terrible. Huge gaps in her fur and a beet red belly with no hair on it whatsoever. Janet, you told me that mange would not appear so suddenly and you suggested that the red belly indicated she was nursing. You were right ! Janet, you certainly have earned your name !

I was absolutely certain that Kit had not mated. Her behavior was not like any other mothers that I have observed a few years ago. Also I had no sightings of any mate and I missed only 2 storm days throughout the winter, where I walked the lane to the dens. Then on May 16 th, my husband who had just driven in our lane, walked in the house and said "I just saw Kit with one of her babies." Wouldn't you know it that he'd be the first to see her ! And here's the kicker : She had the den right down by the main highway. I shudder just thinking about that location ! I was tempted to run right down there but I didn't want to spook her. So I bided my time, meeting her as usual each evening, down by the old den. She was caching most of the bits I gave her and she never went straight down the road with food to the new den. I waited ...and I waited....and finally on the evening of May 21st when I wandered down to the old den, there she was with her ONE little baby ! She has since moved into the den closest to the house and tonight the little guy (?) came out to me. Not close but but close enough to let me know I passed the test. There is only the one but it's a beauty ! I believe something may have happened to her mate and she did not have the help that she needed when she gave birth and probably lost some of her litter. What a grand little mother my Kit is !

Jun 7

Arrived back on the Island yesterday afternoon. Tom says none of the neighbors have seen any fox activity for over a week. The day before yesterday a young fox pup was killed on the highway just a few doors away from us. 'Twas thrown to the side of the road right in front of the cemetary (appropriately enough) and was about the same age as the pups by the shore should be. They tell me this is the second one killed in that area. It's just close enough to be part of our fox range - and yet far enough that I doubt that it is. Spent today looking for signs of foxes and have seen none. No scat of any kind - not even coyote. Tom gave up feeding last week because the crows would come out as soon as he left the house and circle over it until he left. I went up right after dinner - too early to see any foxes, but also earlier than the crows are used to. Left the rest of our strawberry shortcake and steak bones and fat for the foxes (I hope). Covered it all with crass. Nary a crow in sight, so hoping for the best.

Jun 7

Pia - have been gone on show site, hence my tardy reply. Just got to PEI yesterday and what welcome news your post is. Hooray for you. Can we call you "Grandma" now? Please keep us posted on what is transpiring. Any name picked out yet?

Jun 11

No foxes, no coyotes, no scat . . . but crows were sitting at the hilltop waiting for tonight's handout. Drove right past them and spent some time in the hutka. On my way out the crows were gone so left food. Some animal is taking it - dunno who tho.

Jun 12

Checked the food left at the hill top this morning - and it was gone; however, in it's place, was coyote scat. A thank you from an unwelcome visitor. Tom has been grading the road that was Pepper's raceway (from the hutka to the T Junction). After leaving the hill top I drove along the 'raceway' and there were distinctive coyote tracks in the sandy soil. I'd guess a medium sized one - about 35 lbs or so.

The BIG NEWS is that as I was driving back into the woods to pick Tom up for lunch (he had been working with the brush cutter on the back roads) I saw a most gorgeous fox; the prettiest one I've ever seen. It was sitting in the road before the first turnaround. A big auburn beauty with a hugh brush. From its size and the fact it hadn't shed much fur I'd guess it to be a male. It jumped into the bush when I got close. My heart be still! I picked Tom up on the Upper Spring Road and as we drove out I was telling him about my "view" when he yelled "there he is". This gorgeous creature was crossing the road on a section that's between the first turnaround and the short road. Fortunately I always travel with milk bone so threw one out. When I took Tom back after lunch I left lots of cat food at the first turn around and where we saw the fox crossing the road.

I am presuming that is was just passing through or exploring. However for a fox to be out at high noon one would guess he had a family to help feed. Another thought is a neighbor owns a bit of land (woodlot) that abuts ours at that point and he has just clear cut it. The fox could have been checking things out. Went back tonight and the food left earlier is untouched. I left a cookie at the hill top and nothing at the sitting rock. A crow was sitting on it waiting for me to arrive so I just whizzed right on by. The crow flew up and followed for a few yards and then settled onto a tree top.

Jun 16

I have the crows well trained - they come as soon as they hear the car. However, I have seen both coyote and fox tracks at the brook . . . so I'm not completely suicidal yet. Going back to Chicago, then Calgary, then Chicago for a week or 10 days. Maybe when I return the foxes will show themselves.

Jun 25

Finally got back to PEI an hour ago after bopping all over North America for the past week. Am really bushed. Too much for an old lady. :) Made a quick drive around the farm and found coyote scat at top of the hill and coyote tracks at the brook. Our neighbors all around have loads of foxes; it looks like ours moved to their land and have given our property to coyotes. I can't bear to think of a summer without my fox friends, so I'm asking everyone to think very positive for me.

Jun 29

Tom and I were back in the woods on my golf cart looking for foxes - or signs of foxes - and our 17 yr old grandsonClayton was on Tom's golf cart looking for us. He went down the brand new road (Anniversary Road) crossing the brook at the other end of the property and a fox ran across right in front of him. Oh joy, oh joy.

Jun 30

Lots of new coyote scat (which I keep tossing into the field or the woods) but no sign of foxes. However we are seeing more squirrels and chipmunks than ever before, Seeing at least 2 or 3 of each every day, where previously we went 3 or 4 years without seeing one. Also, a huge rabbit is living at the bottom of the field near the loop road. The past two nights it has come out to see what I'm doing. There must be plenty of coyote food for that one to still be alive.

Later: Went out with Clayton and our 1M candlewatt search light looking for coyotes. Found one in a 'draw' but he scurried into the brush. Saw a raccoon at my hutka - and joy of all joy - a fox at the top of the hill looking for food where I left it. Don't know if the coyote or raccoon had already taken the food, but at least the fox knows it's there - sometimes.