Fox encounter

[Jo&Tex]

I took Loki out early this morning to help feed the farm critters and later he headed off towards the pond and hayfields. About an hour later, he was barking up a storm from far away. It's unusual for him to bark while running free. I knew that there was a new bull in that field with the momma cows so I grabbed a leash and headed off to find my Loki and figure out what the problem was. He is kind of scared of cows, since they dont all run and get into a bunch the way his flock of sheep does, and he generally ignores them.

 

When I got down to the hayfield, I could see Loki doing the herdy slink towards something red-brown in the grass. My first thought was that he had found a fawn. Instead, he had a red fox pinned in the grass. When he saw me, he wiggled and when I made the hand sign for 'come here' he ran right to me and sat to have his leash put on (gooddog!). The fox never moved, just made a huffing sound at us. Nell was with me and I threw a few rocks gently at it. Two dogs, rocks and a hollaring human weren't enough to convince it to leave so we left instead. We don't have rabies here, and it wasn't acting odd, it just wasn't going to give up whatever lovely prey it had hidden in the pile of mowed hay. I could have flicked it with the leash, we were that close.

 

My dogs behaved very well and I'm pleased. Strange that a fox would stand its ground like that, tho.

[kelpiegirl]

That's just it. They make lots of noise, and wouldn't stand. Could have distemper, anything.... I would be on the look out (as in with rifle in hand) for it, when I was out. It may be fine, but that's just not normal fox behaviour.

[Tranquilis]

Well, in the fox's position, running could easily have been fatal. Not saying your dogs would've chased and killed, but many will, and a fox's survival instincts are wired with that information. On the other hand, a good bluff often works - Most preditors won't risk serious injuries for a meal, and if the fox can convince larger preditors that its just not worth the fight, well, the fox wins.

 

Or maybe it was something completely different. *shrug*

[silhouettestable]

Are you absolutely certain that there are no strains of rabies in your area of Ontario? I recall hearing that one strain had been eradicated (I think it was the one referred to as "raccoon rabies"), but that's not to say that raccoons and other animals can't still get rabies, just not that particular strain. Luckily with all of the baiting programs we don't hear of rabies much anymore but I don't believe that every type has been wiped out of Ontario. Any time a wild animal that has been a known vector for a disease like that is acting out of character I'd be very careful just in case. As they say, better safe than sorry.