Vicki Fox > Guests > PEI Foxes > 1999 Journal 3Q

PEI Foxes - 1999 Journal : July to September

Jul 1

Cleaned out the freezer of all the "fox food" to make room for strawberries. Took a huge roast (10 lbs?) back to the woods (from Lloyd's freezer-burned beef of 3 years ago) and left it by the Anniversary Road. Took leftover turkey for the top of the hill. Also left a T bone steak (part of Lloyd's contribution) on the other side of the spruce trees at the top of the hill. Clayton and Tom went out "shining" (with the search light) about 2 hours later and discovered FOX SCAT at the top of the hill.

Jul 2

Went out early in the morning to check sites. Big roast gone, and the steak is gone. Very tidy fox scat at the top of the hill, just where Clayton said it was. The rabbit (by the brook) was out with his wife and children - or at least two of them. Have named them Roger and Reba Rabbit. Rabbit offspring unamed as yet.

Jul 3

Insult of all insults. My early morning check discovered coyote scat dropped next to the fox scat at the top of the hill. My handy dandy trowel dispatched the coyote mark as far as it could be flung. Cutting hay all day today. One of the men said that a black coyote watched him for about an hour from the top of the hill and a red coyote along the hedgerow. This is one of the men who cut last year and he swears it's the same black coyote. And this at 10:00 in the morning! There should be lots of activity tonight in the freshly cut fields. Will take the 1 million candlewatt search lite to watch.

Roger and Reba Rabbit were out eating grass in the lane at the bottom of the back fields by the brook. Reba ran off when we got about 30 feet away, but Roger stayed and stared at us until we got 10 feet from him. I stopped the golf cart and he just stared. I finally started again and he went slightly into the brush (I could still see him).

Fox, fox, fox. Was returning from leaving some dry food at the feeding sites (very little as tonight will be good mousing) when I saw an adult (gorgeous) fox at the top of the hill. I called 'kit kit' and it looked up - but moved away as I got closer. It stopped, turned and watched me throw some milk bone, and melted into the darkness under the spruce trees. I'm think it's one of mine because of the white hip/stifle marking (goes all the way back to White Hips) but not sure because couldn't study it long enough. I almost thought it was Darlin but hesitate to say for sure. Oh Happy Day.

Jul 4

Last night just before dusk G'son Clayton and I saw the big black coyote at the top of the hill. He wouldn't move - just stood his ground and stared at us - until we got about 15 feet from him. He loped off then, but when I tried to run him down with the car, headed into the hedge rows. He is HUGE - at least 70 - 80 lbs. He wasn't the least bit afraid of us. I had to kind of admire him. He ran with a bit of a limp. I thought he was rather grand, but Clayton thought he was mangy and evil. Have named him Dark Thunder. Very mixed emotions about the critter.

Clayton went back with the car this afternoon to see which field was being cut. On the way back he crossed paths with a grey coyote. A big one, but not as big as Dark Thunder. I remember the grey one from last year - ran into him twice by my hutka. I wonder if the "raceway" lane between my hutka and the other field is the range border. Left food tonight at the usual feeding sites. Roger Rabbit was waiting for us. Left a little lettuce for him, Reba and the kids. No sign of foxes - doggone it.

Maybe I should find a Rabbit newsgroup - I'm having much better luck with Roger et al.

Jul 6

A fox was waiting at the top of the hill as Clayton and I started off in the golf cart. (My new [used] cart makes a very distinctive put put put sound which is quite different from last year's golf cart that Tom has now appropriated) When we got to the top of the hill we could see the end of a fox tail disappearing into the spruce trees. I left steak bones, steak pieces with fat, and some baked potato at both feeding areas at the top of the hill, and stale bread at the sitting rock. Clayton and I then cut across to the center of the field to watch. Seconds later the fox came out. Dumb me - didn't have the binoculars with me so can't tell if it's Darlin or Dufus, but I'm fairly sure it's one of them. S/he cleaned both spots, cut thru the spruce trees to the reopened lane and started up to the sitting rock. Clayton was describing something waving his hands and that scared her/him back to the trees. We waited for 10 minutes and the fox kept stepping out to see if we were still there. Didn't want to hurt a burgeoning relationship so we left. A rabbit scurried into the woods by the anniversary road. As we came to the spot at the end of the back field by the brook, Roger and Reba Rabbit were waiting. Got up to within 4 or 5 feet tonight and I just kept talking to them. Reba seemed interested in the vocal sounds and Roger seemed more interested in the golf cart. (must be a male thing) Another rabbit came out of the brush about 15 feet away - saw us, grabbed some of last night's lettuce drop, and disappeared. We left all of them some carrots that had been thinned and left. Reba jumped away from us and Roger jumped toward us, but then changed his mind. Last night coming back from the feeding rounds there was a skunk eating the food at the hill top. I drove close and clapped my hands and it disappeared. Saw a flash of him by the spruce trees tonight. He might be in luck since the fox ate all the meat but left the baked potato. Of course, the skunk has been named Pepe le Pieuw.

Jul 11

A lovely big fox (not Darlin nor Dufus) was waiting for the 7:00 feed. Was a little nervous so ducked into the trees while we were there. However, on the return trip, all the meat was gone. This fox wouldn't let us close enough to see who it was - but it could have been the gorgeous creature I surprised in the woods a couple of weeks ago. We thought the coyotes had gone - but they cut the last field Friday and sure enough, Dark Thunder was following right behind them. He really is huge and surely represents his grandparents interbreeding with the Quebec wolves as they travelled to Atlantic Canada. This fella is definitely wolf size.

Jul 12

Roger Rabbit came out to greet the put put of the golf cart, but he was the only bit of wild life I saw tonight. That is, unless you count Bertie Bluejay who follows me up the reopened lane (and always gets a piece of bread for his faithfulness). We must may have to count this year as foxless - as least as far as bonding with pups and watching them grow up. I'm not losing heart yet . . . but I am getting a little sad.

Jul 16

Isolated and scattered fox scat but nothing that shows a pattern. The coyotes are still with us. Scott MacDonald (an excellent tracker/naturalist/biologist) came for dinner last night and did a thorough tour of the property. He noticed that the fox scat is not formed; a manifistation he has seen throughout the county. He suspects (tho can't prove) that some disease has spread through the fox population dimininishing its numbers. He also noted there has been a dearth of raccoon, skunk, and fox road kill this year. As soon as he mentioned that I knew it was our observation also. Tom wonders if perhaps distemper has worked its way through the animal world. In any case, Scott assures me this lack of foxes is not permanent and they will recover.

Roger and Reba seem to be doing well. Left them some apples. Hope they get to them before the coyotes do. Scott gave us the information that rabbits on PEI do not cycle as they do elsewhere (7 years for Nova Scotia, 10 years for New Brunswick, etc.) In fact, he said most species on PEI don't have a cycle (unless a disease comes through) because the food sources are so good. At least we are seeing evidence that there are sufficient foxes to "carry on" next year. And, who knows . . . we may see more and more by the end of summer.

Jul 17

Left food late last night after returning from a dinner party. Toured the areas this morning and found all the food gone, lots and lots of fox scat in many different areas PLUS new fox tracks at the first turnaround AND at the brook. At the brook it looked as if two foxes were walking together . . . unless one passed that way twice last night. This is most encouraging. On my way to Chicago for 4 days and then will be back on PEI looking for foxes.

Bertie Bluejay came to a bad end a fear. Found lots of Bluejay feathers at the fork where the road separates to go between the spruce trees and the reopened lane, and I haven't seen Bertie for the past two days.

He noticed that the fox scat is not formed.

Does this mean the scat doesn't have the twist tapered appearance ? I've been seeing scat here that is quite round. I thought it may be coyote ?

Coyote scat usually falls in 2 or three pieces because of its size and can up up to 3/4" in diameter (Dark Thunder's is nearly an inch). It often has one tapered end but not like the fox twist. I would have trouble telling coyote scat from German Shepard scat (they look identical) - except there are no German Shepards (Alsations to those of you in the UK) running around in the woods. The fox scat seen today (July 17) is filled with Pin Cherry pips. Some was formed, but one was a "splat". Hope no one is reading this post just before dinner. :)

Jul 29

We have a house full of family gathering for the family reunion next week. Every available surface has someone sleeping on it each night. Won't be stopping in until this is all over; however, here is what's happening lately on the fox front.

Roger and Reba come out nearly every night, sometimes accompnied by a friend whom we have named Rapid. They often come out in the morning, too. Reba is usually found in the midst of a clover patch with a silly grin on her face. She's either drunk on the honey or just exceedingly happy. Roger insists on being in the middle of the lane and will not move. He'll watch me for a while and then continue to eat grass/clover/whatever from the lane. I let the golf cart creep closer and pause, creep and pause and when it gets to about 36" away he'll hop into the woods. This morning's tour of the property shows lots of new fox scat; most of it well formed. It's even appearing on the loop road where the 1994 & 1995 natal den was. Someone is eating the food each night but no sightings.

Jul 30

Checked last night's sites and found new fox scat at every food drop. Activity is really picking up, but still not seeing anything.

Jul 31

Skytech writes <<I'm trying to remember past tales but do the same foxes show up year after year or are they a continuous stream of new faces? I remember the discussion of yearly naming for the turn over. It is odd that *all* the old timers, who do know you, seem to have vanished.>>

We usually have the same family here year after year. In fact you can see the family resemblance in the new kits' markings, etc. Scott thinks some disease has gone thru the fox population which has probably wiped out our "family" and we are seeing new 'loners' checking the area out. There have been 20 cases of parvovirus this summer in pet dogs in Summerside (city about 30 minutes away). Parvovirus is a disease in dogs similar to feline leukemia in cats. I don't know if it's in the foxes, but it stands to reason it could transmit to another canid species.

Aug 12

Well it's confirmed with two sightings now. I have foxes back on PEI. From the fox scat and tracks over the past two weeks I have been fairly confident that sooner or later I'd spot "the varmint". For the past two nights a light colored fox has been at the mound by the brook waiting for the golf cart. My golf cart Emmy (the one that went putt putt putt) just had too many problems so I traded it in on an EZ-Go golf cart - the Cadillac of them all. This is so quiet that I get much closer and have surprised it twice. I'm still not close enough to tell much about the features, markings or whatever. However, it does have white hips. I'm hoping that when things stablize it will let me near enough to see if it's a descendant of our original fox mother White Hips. At the top of the hill behind the house a dark red fox has been spotted. We have had non-stop company for 6 weeks. At times 13 people sleeping here at the house. I have spent the summer cooking and changing beds. The last of our family reunion company leaves on Saturday and then I can spend a little more time 'fox hunting.'

Aug 14

Jonis writes <<I've received words about a coyote population completely out of hand on PEI - any more on this ?>>

The coyotes are crowding each other off the island. There are more here than the experts thought the island could support. However, the food source seems to be sufficient for both coyote and fox. We have tracks on the road to the brook of coyote and fox side by side. I hardlyh think they were walking together, but both were made in the same night. We have 3 coyotes I see frequently here. Dark Thunder, (black and HUGE), a red and a grey. This is way too little land to support 3 coyotes plus foxes . . . but it seems to be doing so. Haven't seen Roger nor Reba Rabbit in a week so that may be helping sustain the other wild life.

Aug 17

Scott, our former local expert, was here yesterday before he leaves to return to Alberta where he's teaching now. We combed the woods with a fine tooth comb and he agrees with my premise that we have 3 different fox ranges. One is behind the house, another on the new Anniversary Road and Loop Road, and the third is back in the woods overlapping the clear cut area. We also find the coyotes are still here but obviously not bothering the foxes. We think I'm probably at the edge of these three areas which is why my sightings are minimal. Of course, I haven't had to time to sit and wait either. Saw the fox by the mound at the brook again last night but s/he melted into the brush as I got close.

No sign of Roger or Reba Rabbit for a week now. Hope they just moved and weren't someone's dinner. All the scat I've examined is clear of rabbit hair. I think we have Bertie Bluejay's sister Betty cadging bread treats now. She is much smaller than Bertie was but is every bit as curious.

Aug 20

Sorry there have been no postings. All I've been able to do is leave food and come back home. I am really exhausted from all the company. Glad my heart held up and didn't repeat the attacks of 3 years ago when we had half this much company. Anyway, by the end of the day I'm too tired to hang around and observe. Maybe next week I'll catch my breath. For the first time I feel my age.

Sep 25

Haven't been leaving food because I was afraid it was bringing more coyotes than foxes. However, it's been 6 weeks since I made a food drop and left some corn on the sitting rock and steak fat and bones at the top of the hill. This morning there is fox scat in both places. This *has* to be one of my previous foxes since it's so well trained to leave a thank-you note.