[Bensmom]

Or perhaps it isn't a fox sound, but based on the behavior of both my cats and dogs, I think that is what I've heard this morning.

We have a new red fox family in the woods/swampy area behind my barn. I've had coyotes for years, way off in the woods behind the field behind my barn, but this is my first family of foxes. So far, we've seen a really large red, a smaller red, and a group of babies.

This morning, the dogs have been barking off and on for several hours. They have a full door of window that looks out on the cat food area for the cats that live outside and sometimes a stray cat comes by at night or a stray dog from the neighborhood, and cleans up the leftovers. The dogs will bark a little at this, but for the last hour and a half, they've basically had periods of raising hell.

As I was preparing to walk them I heard this sound, in my yard and then moving away:

http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/thefoxden/call.wav

Ok, when I clicked on that link, I couldn't get it to work. So, here is the master site of sounds and it is the "call" up near the top.

http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/thefoxden/sounds.html

This sound has moved all around the house/close by in the neighborhood -- almost along a perimeter of sorts. My farm sits right at the edge of "town" (500 people and a blinking light hardly seems like a town!) and this sound has traveled all long the edge of the street/front perimeter of the field.

It sounds EXACTLY like that call in the wav file - so much so that as soon as she heard the computer, the rottweiler has gone to guard the door, listening to hear it again.

If that was a fox call -- is it a territory call, or a distress call?

I've never heard anything like it.

Started about 3:55 and went on for about 20 mins, as the sound moved around the edge of the field and along the street.

Ideas?

Thanks!

libby

[Thomas_1]

I can't get the clips to work for me at all.

But I can tell you that they're noisey !!!! They make a heck of a racket and particularly at mating time to attract and or deter as appropriate and for territory.

[Elghund2]

Right click on the link and save it locally.

That is pretty common fox call. We usually hear that at night during mating season. It does drive the dogs nuts.

If you have screach owls in the area, they are similar but louder and longer.

[florida foxhunter]

Hey, Bens Mom!!! Kitty and I have Red Fox all over our farms...........they don't bother a thing, and we hollar "Tally Ho" when we see them.............haha!! My fox don't even run from the horses or the truck!!

[pony grandma]

We have a female red fox denned in the ravine up next to our house. She'll make that sound at 2a.m. right up next to the bedroom window! I am so glad that the deed has been done and it's quiet now.

There was a post a little while back, probably in Off Course about foxes on your property. A lot of info there about putting wormer in some dog food, etc for them. A mangy fox is quite an awful sight. They never bother our small dogs/cats. She is really pretty in full coat and the kits are cute.

[BarbB]

When I was living in a more rural area I heard my first fox social gathering.
I asked my neighbor what that racket was the night before. He asked what it sounded like and I said the closest I could describe it was a bunch of peacocks in a bar room brawl.
He said, oh that's the foxes.

[Bensmom]

Funny, I haven't heard it again, though the cat food is completely gone every morning and the dogs have been barking a great deal at night (they have a view of the place where the cat food is put out through a big french door) so I think that the fox family is coming up to polish off the cat food at night.

I got to watch the kits play at dusk on Saturday. Right out in front of the barn they played chase and tag and turned somersaults -- one of the cutest things I've ever watched!

I've always had coyotes, but these are the first reds I have ever had -- I am really enjoying them! But that noise was um, really something!

libby

[DLee]

Ummm.... are you getting photos??? For moi??

[Bensmom]

I tried, I tried, but they took off as soon as I opened the back door of the house.

My bathroom window is a perfect viewing spot for them, but I can't shoot pics there.

This morning I stood and watched as one of them trotted around all outside the barn, almost between the horses legs and then trotted into the barn -- cleaning up dropped feed, I guess?

I LOVE having them here -- it is so cool to watch them so closely! I'll try to get pics, I promise!

libby

[JeanM]

Darn, I was hoping to be able to identify a strange sound at night -- sounds rather like an owl hooting, but it's definitely on the ground. Loud! I suspected fox, but thanks to that excellent set of sounds it's not on there.

does anyone know of websites that offer sounds of other animals? I'm wondering about raccoons and fishers at this point. Coyote, skunks too perhaps...

[AKB]

Does anyone have any ideas about how to get rabies vaccine for the local foxes? We love our family of foxes that stops by every day, but I worry they will eventually get rabies. We live in a rabies endemic area.

[wateryglen]

Bensmom!! You lucky duck! Don't you love it!!
And not that I'm actually suggesting this but...... You could, maybe, perhaps, only if you want to......feed them! Scraps, elcheapo dog kibble or something. I can't resist a hungry animal. (ok no wise comments about my fat pets!! ) They can be easily tamed ie: won't run away all the time but will sit and watch you. Just put it on the ground in an area you want (not near the barn but maybe within view near some woods or cover. Put it there the same time of day (evenings good) and you'll find them there every evening! Eventually they will disperse as they get bigger anyway.
There are some threads on this so research and have fun.!!