foxes

Mari
- March 21, 2003

Dan:I always try to read your "column" and was hoping to see something about foxes this spring. I live on 5 wooded acres on the edge of a Milwaukee suburb, right on a rails to trails path, and have seen and heard a number of red fox this winter/pre-spring on the trail, in my woods, in my back yard. I'd like to know more about them, especially this: what do all these strange noises they have been making mean? I hear them at night, any time after 9 and after, and also some mornings, around 5, pre-dawn. They can be kind of eerie until you get used to them and last night it was right outside our bedroom window! We shone a flashlight on it, and it was a fox alright! He/she appeared to be agitated or whatever by our male cat who was pressed up against the house, behind the storm drainpipe. It took off when we hit it w/the light. We find them very fascinating, a little spooky sometimes especially when i encounter one on the Bugline with my dogs (border collies) always right around 5AM, but this noise is something I'd like to know about. Can you give me some info? Anything you can tell me will be very much appreciated by both my husband and me.Thank you and keep up the wonderful writings!Mari