Posted by Jeff Loomis on February 10, 2011 at 9:47 AM
Most of my photography is of the avian variety, but I love all kinds of wildlife. In browsing the Fauna/Wildlife gallery on NPN, I have seen some amazing images and one species that stands out to me is the Red Fox. So I'm looking for some tips on how to find them and get close enough for some quality images.
Since this is new to me, I invite all comments on technique, camouflage or blinds, ethics, using calls, etc. The last thing I want to do is stress the animals for the sake of a photo op. Any tips you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by Luke Ormand on February 10, 2011 at 11:38 AM
I think one of the best things to do is ask around...farmers, hunters, bird watchers etc. Anyone who spends a lot of time outside. You will do yourself a favor by asking friends/family and co-workers. One of my co-workers has a family of fox on the estate she cares for and a family friend had them visiting their back yard daily. Would have never known without asking!
Of course when you are in the field, you can look for their dens but that's not always surefire. Somtimes the dens are abondoned and they can be very difficult to tell apart from groundhog dens.
Posted by Jeff Loomis on February 11, 2011 at 9:00 AM
Thanks Luke. I actually have two areas where I have seen fox on several occasions. But I know they can cover quite a bit of territory, so I guess my question is geared toward getting in position for a decent shot.
How do you predict where a fox may roam? Are there any tricks other than trial and error?
Behavior varies with the location, but up here you can virtually set your watch by their routines. They cover their large terrain on a routine schedule, generally arriving at the same place at the same time each day with seasonal adjustments unless they're delayed by a score somewhere else. If you've seen them before in a location, be there again at the same time. We have them around the house, and they habituate to people really well once they get to know you a little. In asking folks about sightings, I'd ask for times of day, too.
Another great time to locate them is in spring during the breeding season. Both genders call actively, and the males avidly mark anything they can reach as they move through an area. The call doesn't sound like anything you've heard before, neither dog nor wolf nor coyote. It's hard to describe or compare with another yet quite distinctive.
I've thought more about the sound, and if anything it sounds more or less like a human baby crying loudly and sharply. Once you hear it, you'll recognize it forever because it's so distinctive, even if you can't describe it any better than I can!
If you hear a weird sound somewhere along those lines in the spring, move quietly toward it. Females tend to station themselves on a prominence to call males, while the males wander slowly and try to hear answers to their own calls.... All the while avidly marking. Neither gender is particularly afraid of humans at such times, and I've had males walk over and mark the tires of my truck when I stopped to watch them alongside a road.
How close does your lens focus, BTW?
Posted by Joseph Jupin on February 20, 2011 at 11:44 AM
Jeff...I cannot offer techniques, but I do have a story. In May, 2009, I stumbled across a Red Fox den at the "Brig" in NJ. There were two young ones about the age ready to leave the nest. I saw no adults anywhere nearby. The den and the foxes were so well hidden in the grass that every car I saw drove by even though the den was about 25 feet from the road. I noticed a slight movement in the weeds and, being a farm-boy, surmised what i would find. I stopped my truck and began talking to them as one might talk to a baby. Soon both foxes emerged from the weeds. I befriended them quickly and they played and romped at my feet for two hours. They were so curious that they came up to smell my shoes and even tried to jump into my truck and I had to close the door quickly. When they finally disappeared into the den for a nap, I left. I returned two days with a video camera and only found one of the foxes in the den which I did film for half an hour. I never saw them again. In 2010, I found a different den, but I saw no foxes. Since then, I have seen adult Red Fox running through the woods at that location, but I got no further pictures. If I see or hear of any additional Rex Fox, I will notify you. I spoke to a ranger who informed me of additional Red Fox dens in the past. If you call the Ranger office they will share this information too. Best of luck to you. Joe
Posted by Joseph Jupin on February 20, 2011 at 12:00 PM
This is better.
Posted by Jeff Loomis on February 21, 2011 at 9:15 AM
Thanks Hank. That's good information on there habits. With breeding season approaching, I should be able to zero in on them.
Joseph - That sounds like a great experience. I know of one spot I have seen fox several times. I'm sure they have a den nearby. The challenge is spending enough time over there to locate it. If I can find it by the time the pups are active, that would be great. Thanks.
Joseph's timing for seeing the pups is an important clue for you, especially with his proximity to you. This far north our foxes don't actually breed till late April and early May, pushing the comparable age of the pups back to late July or early August. In my experience too, the way mom usually breaks free from the cubs is to stop returning to the den as seen by Joseph. Once that happens the cubs may stay in the vicinity for a little while, but pretty quickly they depart too. Watch for south-facing entrances for dens.
I've been contemplating putting an ad in the local paper, explaining that I was a nature photography enthusiast without hours of free time to scout for subjects. Has anyone tried this approach?
Jeff, you may want to think if you really want to get very close to wildlife for the purpose of a nice picture.
Not all humans are nice to windlife, it's healthy for animals to stay alert and diffident toward our species. I took the picture below last week in the desert around here. Had I waited longer, I could have probably have the pup come all the way to us and get some great portraits. Instead I stopped when he was still very far (the picture is taken with a 400mm zoom), and then got up abruptly and left. He ran away, and I was happy.
Discussion
10 repliesSince this is new to me, I invite all comments on technique, camouflage or blinds, ethics, using calls, etc. The last thing I want to do is stress the animals for the sake of a photo op. Any tips you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Of course when you are in the field, you can look for their dens but that's not always surefire. Somtimes the dens are abondoned and they can be very difficult to tell apart from groundhog dens.
How do you predict where a fox may roam? Are there any tricks other than trial and error?
Another great time to locate them is in spring during the breeding season. Both genders call actively, and the males avidly mark anything they can reach as they move through an area. The call doesn't sound like anything you've heard before, neither dog nor wolf nor coyote. It's hard to describe or compare with another yet quite distinctive.
If you hear a weird sound somewhere along those lines in the spring, move quietly toward it. Females tend to station themselves on a prominence to call males, while the males wander slowly and try to hear answers to their own calls.... All the while avidly marking. Neither gender is particularly afraid of humans at such times, and I've had males walk over and mark the tires of my truck when I stopped to watch them alongside a road.
How close does your lens focus, BTW?
Joseph - That sounds like a great experience. I know of one spot I have seen fox several times. I'm sure they have a den nearby. The challenge is spending enough time over there to locate it. If I can find it by the time the pups are active, that would be great. Thanks.
Joseph's timing for seeing the pups is an important clue for you, especially with his proximity to you. This far north our foxes don't actually breed till late April and early May, pushing the comparable age of the pups back to late July or early August. In my experience too, the way mom usually breaks free from the cubs is to stop returning to the den as seen by Joseph. Once that happens the cubs may stay in the vicinity for a little while, but pretty quickly they depart too. Watch for south-facing entrances for dens.
Not all humans are nice to windlife, it's healthy for animals to stay alert and diffident toward our species. I took the picture below last week in the desert around here. Had I waited longer, I could have probably have the pup come all the way to us and get some great portraits. Instead I stopped when he was still very far (the picture is taken with a 400mm zoom), and then got up abruptly and left. He ran away, and I was happy.