The Tale of the Fox.....

- The cunning of the fox is well documented in many parts of Tennessee. And since I have been asked several fox questions recently, and have actually seen two specimens the last few days, it is time to pay tribute to the fox. Actually two foxes....the Red Fox and the Gray Fox.

- Both the Red and the Gray Fox are found in our part of Tennessee, though not commonly seen. Both are primarily nocturnal, though on occasion they are seen around dusk or dawn.

- Foxes are being seen more this time of year because the males are seeking out the females for breeding, thus more travel and exposure. Same is true for Woodchucks, Skunks, and many of the smaller mammals. No doubt, for this reason, February leads all the months for road kill. Gestation is generally 50-55 days in the foxes with the young being born in late March to early May. Foxes are lithe and graceful, with adults ranging from 8-15 lbs. They stand approximately 13-16" at the shoulder, and range from 35"-41" in length.

- The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes), top two photos, is a strikingly beautiful animal, especially in winter, when the coat is full. Regardless of where they are found, they most always are reddish above, have a white tipped tail, black 'stockings' and feet, pointed ears, and a long, bushy tail. Black phases and 'cross' phases are known. Red Foxes, like the Gray, often den on a slope, creek bank, or near rocks, many times in 'remodeled' woodchuck holes. They will have a main den entrance and 1-3 inconspicuous 'escape' holes. The main entrance is often littered with the remains of small prey animals and feathers. Foxes typically have 3-8 kits. The den is abandoned by August, when families disperse. Until the next breeding season, males/females pay little, if any attention to each other. When about 1 month old kits begin to play above ground. The mother at first digests, then regurgitates meat, but soon live prey is brought to the den, so the young can begin to practice the craft of killing. Kits leave the den at about 4 months. Males may wander up to 100+ miles, females not so much. Other than the breeding/parenting period, foxes are solitary, nervous and shy. They are omnivorous, feeding heavily on vegetation in summer, especially berries, corn, apples, even grapes and later in autumn, acorns. Invertebrates such as crickets, beetles and crayfish are also eaten. In winter birds and small mammals are the mainstays of the fox diet.

- The Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), is similar to the Red in size, but with distinct differences. This species is grizzled gray above, with a white throat and a black 'mane' on top of the tail. The tail typically has a black tip. They are reddish below the dominant gray and usually have some red on the back of the head. This species eats more berries in summer than does the Red, otherwise hunting habits/food are similar. As the photo shows, the Gray, unlike the Red, can climb trees (the only American canid capable of doing so), and often does so when chasing squirrels or evading threat. Interestingly, the male of this species helps with the rearing of the young, but does not reside in the same den (males of the Red Fox also help with the young). Dens are often near/among rocks and they, unlike the Red, will use the den all winter for safety and shelter. Bobcats and domestic dogs are the chief predators of the foxes, if they can catch them. Reds especially are hard to catch, as they seem to have greater speed and endurance than the Gray, but the Red does not have the option of the trees.

- Locally, the foxes seem to be holding their own, with the Gray somewhat more common than the Red. Influx of the Coyote has most likely reduced their numbers in some locations. Considering their habits and lifestyle, seeing either of these species in the wild is a treat. They are masters of escape. Many are endeared to the fox due to the unusual habit of both parents caring for the young. My experience with the foxes is that you see them when you least expect to, and almost always they disappear quickly. Once feared as a carrier of rabies, this is now rare, though possible. Other than this, the foxes pose no threat to humans.

Another Short Story - From Life in the Wild

In the life of the deer.......

- Early this morning, the buck in the bottom two photos came out of the woods several minutes after the group of does and yearlings (12 deer in this group) had appeared in the edge of a field........

- Periodically his nose went to the ground and he would begin to trail toward the does....and eventually all disappeared into the forest....

- The does and yearlings were moving deliberately at first....checking the ground for left over White Oak acorns, the underbrush for bits of browse, and the young trees for a few buds.....

- This all changed when the male appeared. They began to act nervous and unsettled.....

- While the does and yearlings were hanging out together and searching for food, the buck had other things on his mind......

- Chances are most of these does, other than the yearlings, have already been bred, with the estrus cycle ending at conception.....

- While it is not uncommon for a doe in estrus to breed with more than one buck, this pattern of behavior only lasts so long, and then the chemical stimulation lessens and finally stops....

- Most likely one or more of the does in this group was in her 2nd or even 3rd estrus cycle and the buck had picked up the scent......and a comparatively late fertilization could have taken place in the woods soon after these photos were taken.

- Typically in our area, the first estrus cycle begins in November and varies a bit from year to year. There is much debate as to what exactly stimulates the rut in the male deer, and the estrus cycle in the females. A long discussion for another time. For obvious reasons, the two are intertwined and for the most part simultaneous.

- Does in estrus leave scent...from a gland between the hooves, and it is this stimulant, when placed in the 'scrape' of the buck, that often begins the trailing process of the buck toward the doe, which may be a few hundred feet, or even a mile or more. It is the doe's way of telling the buck that she has entered the breeding stage...and that if he can find her without becoming distracted by another doe in heat, possibilities exist for the continuation of the species.
- Does not bred during the first estrus cycle will come into a 2nd cycle 28 days later....the reason that all fawns are not born at the same time in late spring.

- Gestation in the whitetail deer is around 180 days, with most fawns born from late May through June. Usually twins are the rule, with the sex ratio, by years of statistics, slightly above 1:1, favoring the males. Think nature is aware of statistics and life spans?

- Bucks do not live long. By TWRA statistics, most bucks seen at the checking stations in the autumn are in their second fall, approximately 18 months old. If the buck survives this second fall, he becomes a different creature....more wary and distrusting, seldom hanging out with other deer, until the next rut the following year. A buck of three and a half years and older is uncommon at the checking stations, but it is these older deer that often have the most impressive set of antlers. Locally, a buck of 5 1/2 and older is basically unheard of, comprising less than 1% of statistics. A male deer in the second fall can be an 8-point or a spike...it all depends on genetics and nutrition. In the later years, if the buck is fortunate to live that long, the antler mass/size may decline.

- All things being considered, notwithstanding the size of the antlers, the pattern of a buck's antlers will be similar year after year. For example, if a buck has a non-typical pattern to his antlers (one or more tines growing asymmetrically), this pattern will most likely continue through the life of this deer. Similarly, if an 8-point buck survives his second fall, the following year he may be a larger 8-point, or even a 10-point or more, but the general pattern of the antlers will be similar to the previous year. Annually, bucks usually shed their antlers in late January or February and the re-growth process starts soon afterward, in March.

- Older male deer are extremely cautious......spending most all of their time alone. Only during the rut do they become more vulnerable to forces that can do them harm. Active, mature bucks eat little during the rut and may lose 25%-40% of their body weight during this time. I have seen big bucks in rut in the middle of town, crossing freeways, and in general, acting crazy. Recently a cousin e-mailed a photo of a buck he had killed in a northern Middle Tennessee county. The buck was huge....and after the mandatory drying period, may very well make the Boone and Crockett Record Book. Green, the buck scored 173 1/2 by the B/C method of scoring. This buck was taken on the farm of my cousin, and in checking with other local farmers and people who lived in the area, NO ONE had ever seen this buck prior to his death! Bucks may service multiple does during the rut, and typically the strongest males are the ones to replenish the species.

- Enough for now. Thanks to Frank and Joann Kahoun for supplying these great photos. Enjoy the great outdoors.