My Resident Foxes :-)

Disclaimer: this post has nothing to do with farm management!

We have always had occasional fox sightings on the farm, including a wonderful morning of watching a momma fox pounce on mole after mole in the pasture and take them back to her den. This winter, for the first time, two foxes have been hanging around regularly enough that I see them several times a week. I've seen the horses watch them race through the pasture. I've seen them flee from the dry lot when I go out to feed the horses. I've surprised them in my barn aisle a few times coming back from a ride. One even jumped out of the Hay Hut as I approached one cold, rainy day! (I've also found bunny halves in my manure pile, but I can live with that.)

A couple of days ago I walked out to the barn to tack up for a ride and saw a furry red blob in the trees behind the barn. I ran back inside for my camera and crept up again, snapping some pics before going out to the pasture to catch the pony.

Unfortunately I scared him/her away walking out to the pasture, but once there I couldn't believe my eyes...the second fox was also curled up in an adorable red ball, in the pasture with the horses! I felt pretty guilty disturbing their nap time (the pony was lying down too!) but I had a jumping lesson to get to.

They quickly found the cat food in the barn aisle, which led to some evening sightings until I wised up and started putting the cat food away at night.

Basil waits patiently for me to leave the barn so he can eat cat food.

Not realizing I'm in the barn, Basil sneaks in for a snack.

I really love seeing them and hope they stick around. I have no idea if they are a mated pair but I do hope there are cubs in the spring!

End of summer update 9/14: No cubs. :-( I saw our resident fox, Basil, every single day all spring and early summer but then one day he disappeared. I didn't see him at all for 4-6 weeks and was pretty worried he had gotten hit by a car. Then one day he was back in his usual spot by the stream! Then gone again. I know he comes around at night (we have a trail cam) but we don't see him regularly anymore. Maybe next year!