Dave Manno's Red Fox

[ccm911]

Dave stated in the closed thread that he has a red fox as a pet.  Could you please post a picture?  I had one in my back yard and the animal control guy told me it would be fine as long as I didn't own a small dog or cat!  Instead of eggs, Dave should feed him a rabbit, as I think that is what they eat in the wild.

[APXD 30]

Red fox eats eggs but not dogs or cats (that's Aunt Esther).

[nplenzick]

Red Fox's eat just about anything, mostly rodents and small birds. I really don't know why anyone would want one as a pet or if it's even legal to do so without a permit from the Pa State Game Commission. As for the one in your backyard I would just enjoy a wild animal for what it is, wild. They also could be a carrier of rabies, so if you see one acting peculiar I would call the authorities ASAP.   

 

[dmano]

They are wild, a family pair. I just toss out some eggs into the back woods on my property for them to enjoy. Ever here of the old story Fox in the hen house. They not only eat the hens but they love eggs. The Fox's are wild and I have no interest in changing them.  My property is registered with the Audubon Society as a Sanctuary. And it will stay that way. I have counted over 65 types of birds and 10 wild animals on the propety so far.

[dmano]

Nplenzik I never said they were pets. Where did you get that from?

[dmano]

But I do have a Teal Fox and a Black Fox as pets.

[ccm911]

Dave, I said it was a pet.  I thought that is what you implied when you mentioned feeding them.

How about the screams when they catch a rabbit?  First time I heard it I thought someone was being murdered in my back yard.

[dmano]

HI Chris,

No biggy, they are just friends not pets. Yes the noises they make are kind of "wild" when the kids play they have the strangest screech's I have ever heard.

[cjbcpa]

I live out in the "country" as well and it's remarkable to watch the ebb and flow of wild life. Our property used to be home to dozens of rabbits, until red fox moved back in. We catch  occasional glimpses of them although more often as traffic casualties. Ring neck pheasants, wild and farm raised, are now harder to spot.

Over the last few years I've also observed numerous deer move in, then move out, then back in. This transition coincided with a rumored mountain lion sighting that was quickly refuted by our local wild life officer. Conspiracy theory anyone?

CB

[nplenzick]

cjbcpa wrote:

Over the last few years I've also observed numerous deer move in, then move out, then back in. This transition coincided with a rumored mountain lion sighting that was quickly refuted by our local wild life officer. Conspiracy theory anyone?

CB

A few years ago when I was in Yellowstone I had the privilege of seeing a Mountain Lion. While we were watching a mule deer doe and fawn at dusk a Mountain Lion came out of no where after the fawn, the doe charge the ML and he disappeared into no where. This was in the northern part of the park, that area had nothing more then some small boulders and some sage. I'm telling you that cat disappeared right before my eyes. We told a park ranger about this and filled out a report the following day, he told us of how lucky we were to see this as he has had rangers who work full time in the park for ten years and never saw a ML. I've talked to other officials when I've been out west, they've said while tourists are always worried about bears they really need to be worried about ML's as their the only animal that will track a human. I have a customer of mine who lives in northern NJ, he's a outdoorsmen , he swears he's caught a glimpse of a Lion on he's property at night. Maybe, it escape from somewhere or maybe their really here, there's enough of deer in this state to support a population of ML's that's for sure.