a few more of the fox kits
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Rocky, these are great, and I don't think anyone is saying "OK, you've posted 6 photos, enough already, make 'em stop!"
They're wonderful shots, thanks for sharing.
i didn't really think so either, Bob... that was my poor attempt at self-deprecating humor...
actually, from what i've heard, it's pretty rare for anyone to see foxes around here - i'd never seen one in the wild in my entire life! -much less get good pictures. i was insanely lucky to be able to get close enough to get decent images with a 135!
I knew that, I saw the smiley too, just in case I missed it. But I wanted to let you know we were enjoying them.
Of course what the web really needs is more cat photos. Not sure why, but they're in short supply. You can hardly find any of them on the web. I don't understand it... </end extreme sarcasm>
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got through a few more of the shots of those adorable little foxes from Friday... these are the last, i promise!
Rocky, these are great, and I don't think anyone is saying "OK, you've posted 6 photos, enough already, make 'em stop!"
They're wonderful shots, thanks for sharing.
JDueckPhoto
New Member
I second Bobs response. Its pretty rare for me to see a fox and even more rare to see some good photos of the young ones. Thanks for posting.
i didn't really think so either, Bob... that was my poor attempt at self-deprecating humor...
actually, from what i've heard, it's pretty rare for anyone to see foxes around here - i'd never seen one in the wild in my entire life! -much less get good pictures. i was insanely lucky to be able to get close enough to get decent images with a 135!
Sadly, it's becoming quite common to see them in Mt Rainier National Park.
View attachment 7102
Why is that sad? They're learning to mooch from the tourists. During a recent visit, we saw at least two foxes, both near parking areas and obviously looking for scraps, and during a previous visit, I pulled into the parking lot at Paradise to see a fox in the parking lot. We quickly rolled down the car window to get a shot before he ran away. Well, he saw that and started to run... right up to the car door! He sat there begging like a puppy. I felt bad, since it was cold and snowy, he was wet and ratty looking, but we didn't feed him. (I think the choice may have been made easier by not having anything we could have fed him anyway.)
OK, so having foxes around where they're easy to see is cool, right? Of course! But the problem is that they learn to feed themselves by begging and picking up scraps in the parking lot. Then winter comes, the snow falls, most tourists go away, especially during the week, and now Mr. Fox, what do you do for food? If the road is closed, begging from the tourists isn't going to work... Meanwhile, mooching off of tourists is a lot easier than catching birds and mice and whatever else foxes normally eat. But if you haven't practiced catching wild prey, doing it during the difficult winter months will be very tough, and not doing it could mean not surviving. (Keep that in mind the next time one of these fellows does the cute "feed the puppy" routine on you, it may make it easier to resist.)
So that's why it's sort of a bad thing. I will agree that outside of the park fox sitings are a rare thing.
View attachment 7102
Why is that sad? They're learning to mooch from the tourists. During a recent visit, we saw at least two foxes, both near parking areas and obviously looking for scraps, and during a previous visit, I pulled into the parking lot at Paradise to see a fox in the parking lot. We quickly rolled down the car window to get a shot before he ran away. Well, he saw that and started to run... right up to the car door! He sat there begging like a puppy. I felt bad, since it was cold and snowy, he was wet and ratty looking, but we didn't feed him. (I think the choice may have been made easier by not having anything we could have fed him anyway.)
OK, so having foxes around where they're easy to see is cool, right? Of course! But the problem is that they learn to feed themselves by begging and picking up scraps in the parking lot. Then winter comes, the snow falls, most tourists go away, especially during the week, and now Mr. Fox, what do you do for food? If the road is closed, begging from the tourists isn't going to work... Meanwhile, mooching off of tourists is a lot easier than catching birds and mice and whatever else foxes normally eat. But if you haven't practiced catching wild prey, doing it during the difficult winter months will be very tough, and not doing it could mean not surviving. (Keep that in mind the next time one of these fellows does the cute "feed the puppy" routine on you, it may make it easier to resist.)
So that's why it's sort of a bad thing. I will agree that outside of the park fox sitings are a rare thing.
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i didn't really think so either, Bob... that was my poor attempt at self-deprecating humor...
I knew that, I saw the smiley too, just in case I missed it. But I wanted to let you know we were enjoying them.
Of course what the web really needs is more cat photos. Not sure why, but they're in short supply. You can hardly find any of them on the web. I don't understand it...
</end extreme sarcasm>
you're absolutely right, Bob... that's the real problem with wild animals getting too accustomed to humans. they start coming around looking for food, and tourists who don't know any better think they're cute and feed them. it's not good for them to eat the processed crap most people take in their lunches, and as you pointed out, it also makes them far too dependent on humans for food. they never learn - or forget - how to hunt their natural food, and many do in fact starve when winter comes. those little kits were just outside their den, which was almost UNDER the back road down from Paradise. at 6,000 feet elevation, they'll be in dire straits when the snow comes and the tourists stop this winter if they haven't learned how to find prey. that's the downside... those little kits were obviously not afraid of people, and i'm afraid they may be casualties of people violating the "please don't feed the wildlife" rules... or get hit by a car, since their den is so close to the road!
Cover Story in Today's Tacoma News Tribune (The print version was complete with a photo of several photographers)
High on Rainier and Adams, rare red foxes are getting too comfortable around human visitors
Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/...ier-and-adams-rare-cascade.html#ixzz1UDb2DcGp
This part is especially interesting:
High on Rainier and Adams, rare red foxes are getting too comfortable around human visitors
Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/...ier-and-adams-rare-cascade.html#ixzz1UDb2DcGp
This part is especially interesting:
Janice, this stuff is always hard. Let's be honest, I want the foxes to be wild and free and live like they should, but part of me wants the Ranger to say "Those adorable fox kits? Yeah, they show up over there, every hour on the hour for a photo opp. Bring your zoom lens and you're all set!"
How do you balance both?
How do you balance both?
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Rocky PLEASE keep posting them!!! I love them. 
As far as feeding wild foxes or such, I won't. We had the same problem at Joshua Tree National Park (my old playground for which I had the annual pass yearly). People fed the coyotes. They ran up to cars. Cars ran over coyotes. Cars clipped and injured coyotes.
Most of the coyotes that come up to cars there had gashes, limps etc from the product of their strong desire to get to the free food. Bodies were too often around the 'hot spots'.
Once I got out and CHASED a coyote away and shoo'ed it off. A van pulled up and whistled and started tossing food out. That thing ran PAST me. Ever see a coyote run past a human? That is not normal behavior at all.
Sure would hate to see those beautiful foxes get that brave.
As far as feeding wild foxes or such, I won't. We had the same problem at Joshua Tree National Park (my old playground for which I had the annual pass yearly). People fed the coyotes. They ran up to cars. Cars ran over coyotes. Cars clipped and injured coyotes.
Most of the coyotes that come up to cars there had gashes, limps etc from the product of their strong desire to get to the free food. Bodies were too often around the 'hot spots'.
Once I got out and CHASED a coyote away and shoo'ed it off. A van pulled up and whistled and started tossing food out. That thing ran PAST me. Ever see a coyote run past a human? That is not normal behavior at all.
Sure would hate to see those beautiful foxes get that brave.
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