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Posted: 11/7/2022 11:54:09 PM EDT
[Last Edit: SWIRE]
[#1]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: I thought y'all had had more rain than we have. We are still so very dry. We've had some the past two weeks, but not nearly enough. Here is a chart of the water level of the creek. From mid-August on we have been well below the level we saw last year.  |
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Posted: 11/8/2022 8:56:54 AM EDT
[#2]
Cold weather will be here starting Friday. I need to dig up my elephant ear bulbs. I'm going to dry store them this year since it doesn't seem to make a difference once they start to grow other than there is about a month delay before the first ear is visible but that is worth not having to deal with keeping the plant alive all winter.
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Posted: 11/21/2022 12:12:58 AM EDT
[#3]
A final update on the elephant ears for this year. The frost killed off the leaves and I dug up the root balls. The one on the left is the bulb that I put in dirt and kept growing all winter while the bulb on the right I let dry out in the basement. The bulb I over wintered had multiple shoots right from the start but the bulb really didn't grow much. The other bulb I trimmed down to a single bulb. It took about a month for it to grow its first leaf. You can tell the roots on the single bulb spread out almost as wide as the over wintered multi-bulb and the single bulb roots look healthier. I've decided to let both dry out this winter. If anything I may plant them in dirt in my basement April 1st so they have a single leaf by the time the threat of frost is over. The multi-bulb rootball really needs to split and reduced.
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Posted: 11/21/2022 12:16:17 AM EDT
[#4]
Small fox update. I'm down to just 2 foxes now. The mom and one of the kits which I assume is a female. The other kit that acted like a male would decided he was finally going to head off and do his own thing. In other news there is a possum that I am now able to occasionally hand feed. He is slow and not the brightest animal but he usually is not concerned with my presence or when I approach him. The rest of the possums and occasional raccoon don't want anything to do with me and will run off.
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Posted: 11/22/2022 12:51:57 AM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: Small fox update. I'm down to just 2 foxes now. The mom and one of the kits which I assume is a female. The other kit that acted like a male would decided he was finally going to head off and do his own thing. In other news there is a possum that I am now able to occasionally hand feed. He is slow and not the brightest animal but he usually is not concerned with my presence or when I approach him. The rest of the possums and occasional raccoon don't want anything to do with me and will run off.  I missed the part where the foxes had taken their leave! I need to go back and read, obviously. |
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Posted: 11/22/2022 11:01:14 AM EDT
[Last Edit: SWIRE]
[#6]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: I missed the part where the foxes had taken their leave! I need to go back and read, obviously. The first cold snap we got in October is when they started to go their own way but would still occasionally come back. Then it was down to just 3 kits, 2 from the mom and the 1 extra. I assume the mom was successful in chasing off the extra one and then it was just her 2. One would always hang back and never got comfortable being closer then 20 feet away. I assume that one was a male just by the behavior and one day about 2 weeks ago he just stopped showing up. The remaining kit behaves likes a female. The mom tolerates her but doesn't want her getting within 5 feet of her but at times she will chase her off as well. That mom's winter coat has filled in really well, she looks like a chunky fox now but I'm pretty sure it is just all fluffed up fur. I thought I had posted this picture I guess not. One evening I was delayed getting out and the mom came up toward the house to make sure I didn't forget about her. Once I threw her a hotdog the 2 kits and extra came running up to the house as well. I believe extra is on the right. The one in the back is the assumed male that stopped showing up recently. This was taken shortly before extra was chased off.  |
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Posted: 11/23/2022 10:17:53 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Kitties-with-Sigs]
[#7]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: The first cold snap we got in October is when they started to go their own way but would still occasionally come back. Then it was down to just 3 kits, 2 from the mom and the 1 extra. I assume the mom was successful in chasing off the extra one and then it was just her 2. One would always hang back and never got comfortable being closer then 20 feet away. I assume that one was a male just by the behavior and one day about 2 weeks ago he just stopped showing up. The remaining kit behaves likes a female. The mom tolerates her but doesn't want her getting within 5 feet of her but at times she will chase her off as well. That mom's winter coat has filled in really well, she looks like a chunky fox now but I'm pretty sure it is just all fluffed up fur. I thought I had posted this picture I guess not. One evening I was delayed getting out and the mom came up toward the house to make sure I didn't forget about her. Once I threw her a hotdog the 2 kits and extra came running up to the house as well. I believe extra is on the right. The one in the back is the assumed male that stopped showing up recently. This was taken shortly before extra was chased off. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/680/hungry_fox_JPG-2609868.jpg Interesting to see their behavior. I'm guessing the kits can have litters their first season out on their own, and that would make sense...mom would want to have her new litter without all that activity around. I admit that I've never read a whole lot about Fox growth and development and don't know their lives. |
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Posted: 12/7/2022 2:58:31 PM EDT
[Last Edit: SWIRE]
[#8]
Picture of the well fed mother fox. I'm not sure what else she is eating besides what I put out.
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Posted: 12/7/2022 7:36:02 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: Picture of the well fed mother fox. I'm not sure what else she is eating besides what I put out. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/680/fox_wellfed_JPG-2627223.jpg Wow. I mean, the fur is at its best right now, but still...she is not suffering from malnutrition. 
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Posted: 12/7/2022 9:43:14 PM EDT
[#10]
Here is a picture of her and the kit that has remained. A month ago they looked about the same size. Her fur really fluffed up but it also looks like she has fat rolls when she moves.
Ignore the ladder on the ground, the wind blew it over that day. Normally the ladder is standing next to the tree and is used to fill the deer feeder with cat food.  |
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Posted: 12/7/2022 10:00:47 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: Here is a picture of her and the kit that has remained. A month ago they looked about the same size. Her fur really fluffed up but it also looks like she has fat rolls when she moves. Ignore the ladder on the ground, the wind blew it over that day. Normally the ladder is standing next to the tree and is used to fill the deer feeder with cat food. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/680/fox_wellfed3_JPG-2627690.jpg OMG. You made a fat fox!  Well..she will not be cold this winter, and will have extra stores for her new kits. |
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Posted: 12/8/2022 12:49:37 AM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: OMG. You made a fat fox! Well..she will not be cold this winter, and will have extra stores for her new kits. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: Originally Posted By SWIRE: Here is a picture of her and the kit that has remained. A month ago they looked about the same size. Her fur really fluffed up but it also looks like she has fat rolls when she moves. Ignore the ladder on the ground, the wind blew it over that day. Normally the ladder is standing next to the tree and is used to fill the deer feeder with cat food. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/680/fox_wellfed3_JPG-2627690.jpg OMG. You made a fat fox! Well..she will not be cold this winter, and will have extra stores for her new kits. I haven't fed her any more than I was feeding her all year. I chalk it up to experience, she knows winter is coming and that I visit as often when it is cold, so she put on as much weight as she could while she can. Where she is getting all the other food is a mystery to me. I have noticed very few rabbits this year. However, there is one rabbit that keeps moving closer and closer to where they eat. That rabbit's days are numbers. Also the number of cats roaming the property declined. Earlier this year I one of the cameras caught one of the males chasing after one. Now if they would just learn to take out the remaining ground hogs. They have no interest in them at all. |
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Posted: 12/8/2022 1:12:33 AM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: I haven't fed her any more than I was feeding her all year. I chalk it up to experience, she knows winter is coming and that I visit as often when it is cold, so she put on as much weight as she could while she can. Where she is getting all the other food is a mystery to me. I have noticed very few rabbits this year. However, there is one rabbit that keeps moving closer and closer to where they eat. That rabbit's days are numbers. Also the number of cats roaming the property declined. Earlier this year I one of the cameras caught one of the males chasing after one. Now if they would just learn to take out the remaining ground hogs. They have no interest in them at all. That's because they taste like ground hog. |
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Posted: 12/8/2022 3:31:55 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By MoBigAl: That's because they taste like ground hog. Hahahahahahahaha! YEP! |
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Posted: 12/8/2022 11:15:14 PM EDT
[Last Edit: SWIRE]
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By MoBigAl: That's because they taste like ground hog. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By MoBigAl: Originally Posted By SWIRE: I haven't fed her any more than I was feeding her all year. I chalk it up to experience, she knows winter is coming and that I visit as often when it is cold, so she put on as much weight as she could while she can. Where she is getting all the other food is a mystery to me. I have noticed very few rabbits this year. However, there is one rabbit that keeps moving closer and closer to where they eat. That rabbit's days are numbers. Also the number of cats roaming the property declined. Earlier this year I one of the cameras caught one of the males chasing after one. Now if they would just learn to take out the remaining ground hogs. They have no interest in them at all. That's because they taste like ground hog. They certainly do have a stink to them even when they are alive and much worse if they have been dead 24 hours. The smaller ones didn't smell as a bad as the older ones though but still no interest. |
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Posted: 12/9/2022 6:49:09 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By MoBigAl: That's because they taste like ground hog. I've eaten ground hog. Didn't think it was too bad. Much rather survive on that, than be forced to eat possum or coon. 
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Posted: 1/1/2023 7:34:09 PM EDT
[Last Edit: SWIRE]
[#17]
From a trail cam in the upper back yard. I haven't seen any signs that deer have been around but maybe the snow and cold pushed them further than they usually go for food. They were looking in the area where the gardens were during the summer.
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Posted: 1/7/2023 12:20:50 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: From a trail cam in the upper back yard. I haven't seen any signs that deer have been around but maybe the snow and cold pushed them further than they usually go for food. They were looking in the area where the gardens were during the summer. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/680/deer_JPG-2657075.jpg Awww. Pretty. |
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Posted: 1/8/2023 9:33:16 PM EDT
[Last Edit: SWIRE]
[#19]
Apparently I have a squirrel that can rival Hundi when it comes to escaping. The food kept disappearing but the trap was empty. This is a Squirrelinator trap which has previously caught over 50 squirrels.
 Here is an example of high tight the wires are. I need to check the trap for see if there are several broken wires.  |
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Posted: 1/8/2023 11:03:30 PM EDT
[#20]
Houdini?
He probably has a Skill - Trap Evasion. I like to read your adventures. Although I'm often going, "Better you than me".
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Posted: 1/9/2023 1:37:56 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Mak_380: I like to read your adventures. Although I'm often going, "Better you than me". I haven't even gotten to the really "fun" stuff yet inside the house. I've been using the outside stuff as a distraction to avoid the inside. I'm fine being sweaty and covered head to toe in dirt. Being being sweaty, while being confined into a small space, rodent/raccoon feces around, fiberglass insulation everywhere, and either choking while trying to breath through a mask or or breathing in all the dust from the items I just described is one of the layers of hell I believe. |
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Posted: 1/14/2023 12:25:05 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: Apparently I have a squirrel that can rival Hundi when it comes to escaping. The food kept disappearing but the trap was empty. This is a Squirrelinator trap which has previously caught over 50 squirrels. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/680/hudini_squirrel_JPG-2665741.jpg Here is an example of high tight the wires are. I need to check the trap for see if there are several broken wires. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/680/squirrelinator_JPG-2665746.jpg That squirrel is meant to be alive. Let him be. 
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Posted: 1/14/2023 12:27:19 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: I haven't even gotten to the really "fun" stuff yet inside the house. I've been using the outside stuff as a distraction to avoid the inside. I'm fine being sweaty and covered head to toe in dirt. Being being sweaty, while being confined into a small space, rodent/raccoon feces around, fiberglass insulation everywhere, and either choking while trying to breath through a mask or or breathing in all the dust from the items I just described is one of the layers of hell I believe. Get yourself a really good respirator and a tyvek suit. Do it. We had to do it with this olde house. It is part of the olde house initiation. You have to do it. If you will tell me when you are doing it, I will drive up and help. It's WAY better with somebody else helping, if for no other reason than to make jokes and shoot the shit with you while you are doing the worst job you have ever done. Seriously. Body Doubling is a thing. Use it. I will come up and help. I love old houses. |
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Posted: 2/1/2023 3:13:45 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: Get yourself a really good respirator and a tyvek suit. Any idea on how long the bad bacteria can stay viable in raccoon feces? Months or years? That is really my biggest concern when it comes to accessing spaces and any demo work. I'm considering getting one of the filtered and powered air hoods for working in some of the spaces. I also need thick rubber gloves that are flexible enough to still do work. Accessing the attic spaces, even for a few minutes, leaves me feeling nasty and contaminated. |
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Posted: 2/1/2023 4:04:44 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: Any idea on how long the bad bacteria can stay viable in raccoon feces? Months or years? That is really my biggest concern when it comes to accessing spaces and any demo work. I'm considering getting one of the filtered and powered air hoods for working in some of the spaces. I also need thick rubber gloves that are flexible enough to still do work. Accessing the attic spaces, even for a few minutes, leaves me feeling nasty and contaminated. I'd assume the worst - and yeah - a quality powered hood is exactly what I'd be looking for. That's a lot of prolonged exposure and a standard mask wouldn't cut it - or at least not for my personal degree of hypochondria ! |
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Posted: 2/1/2023 4:30:42 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By kallnojoy: That's a lot of prolonged exposure and a standard mask wouldn't cut it - or at least not for my personal degree of hypochondria ! Even if the mask held I would be worried that I would use the back of gloved hand to wipe my face/eyes and still end up coming into contact with it. On normal things I don't have any level of hypochondria. Spraying chemicals for the lawn or bugs I will take some minor precautions. The attic spaces I'm full on hypochondriac. An example. The left is the a wood shake roof, under the current roof, of the original 2 room 1789 structure. It isn't the original roof as you can see the same wood shakes on the right side which was added on later. The layer of dust is impressive.  In the same area is a modern addition, 2005 or so. Look at all the dirt and dander on the new wood, the dirty areas are the same color as the 150 year old wood. All that is from raccoons, squirrels, and possums but mostly raccoons. If the areas they walk on are that dirty imagine how bad the real dirty areas are. I feel like  just crawling around in there. |
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Posted: 2/1/2023 6:52:23 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: I will come up and help. I love old houses. @Kitties-with-Sigs Tons of history and pieces make up this property. Here is a drawing of the different parts of the house and when they were built. This is only viewing it from the front. The backside had many additions as well but there is no drawing for it. 1789 was the first 2 room structure. The 1813 piece was a completely separate house located about 15 ft way from the 1789 house. The 1835 addition on the left was a quick add on, shorter than 1789 part by about 8 inches, and has no trap door or access under the floor but is solid. The 1870 pieces are gap fillers and add ons. The middle section is what combined the 1789 house with the 1813 house. Then the front wall of the 1813 house was knocked out and extended by about 8 feet with that 1870 section, then the front porch was put on. The 1813 house used to look north and I believe the 1789 house looked west. When the houses were combined the 1813 house front door was removed and turned into a window, the stair case to the second floor was also removed and a grand staircase added in the 1870 middle section.  |
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Posted: 2/3/2023 11:43:45 AM EDT
[#28]
For the last couple of months the foxes had not been coming around as much, at least not right at dark when I am out there. Last night the usual two, mom and daughter, did show up. The mom does not let the daughter near her now. Mom is up front and the daughter the blur in the background trying to keep her distance.
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Posted: 2/4/2023 11:16:44 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: @Kitties-with-Sigs Tons of history and pieces make up this property. Here is a drawing of the different parts of the house and when they were built. This is only viewing it from the front. The backside had many additions as well but there is no drawing for it. 1789 was the first 2 room structure. The 1813 piece was a completely separate house located about 15 ft way from the 1789 house. The 1835 addition on the left was a quick add on, shorter than 1789 part by about 8 inches, and has no trap door or access under the floor but is solid. The 1870 pieces are gap fillers and add ons. The middle section is what combined the 1789 house with the 1813 house. Then the front wall of the 1813 house was knocked out and extended by about 8 feet with that 1870 section, then the front porch was put on. The 1813 house used to look north and I believe the 1789 house looked west. When the houses were combined the 1813 house front door was removed and turned into a window, the stair case to the second floor was also removed and a grand staircase added in the 1870 middle section. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/680/millspring_house_age-2694116.png This is awesome! I need to spend a little time to figure this out. Very cool. |
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Posted: 2/4/2023 11:18:17 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: For the last couple of months the foxes had not been coming around as much, at least not right at dark when I am out there. Last night the usual two, mom and daughter, did show up. The mom does not let the daughter near her now. Mom is up front and the daughter the blur in the background trying to keep her distance. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/680/fox_2023_2_2_JPG-2696157.jpg Mom is probably pregnant again. |
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Posted: 2/25/2023 3:50:46 PM EDT
[#31]
Was able to see both foxes last night. Mom on the right and last years kit on the left. The kit keeps her distance from the mom and from me. What's interesting is when mom is around the kit will come about 2/3 closer to me. Not sure if it is a comfort thing with having mom around or if mom is seen as competition for food and the kit knows she needs to come closer if she wants food before the mom eats it all. If mom was not in the picture the kit would be 2x--3x further away.
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Posted: 3/4/2023 12:02:05 AM EDT
[#32]
I'm a little east of you here in KY and I have a ditch that runs through my property that becomes a river when it rains. The river is cutting into my hillside below the house. Are you aware of any state programs that help reinforce creek banks and prevent erosion or am I on my own here?
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Posted: 3/4/2023 8:27:42 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Miles_Urbanus]
[#33]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ENGCPT: I'm a little east of you here in KY and I have a ditch that runs through my property that becomes a river when it rains. The river is cutting into my hillside below the house. Are you aware of any state programs that help reinforce creek banks and prevent erosion or am I on my own here? Ask your county extension office. UK runs some Kentucky State others. Another resource: https://eec.ky.gov/Natural-Resources/Conservation/Pages/Soil-and-Water-Conservation-Commission.aspx USDA has a program too that I can’t remember the name. But it’s more agricultural oriented. |
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Posted: 3/4/2023 11:34:11 PM EDT
[Last Edit: SWIRE]
[#34]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ENGCPT: I'm a little east of you here in KY and I have a ditch that runs through my property that becomes a river when it rains. The river is cutting into my hillside below the house. Are you aware of any state programs that help reinforce creek banks and prevent erosion or am I on my own here? The only program that I'm aware of requires it to be a flowing creek. Not sure if that is what you have. The program requires you give a 50' permanent easement to the state on each side and then they will come in and stabilize everything. If it a dry ditch that floods then I'm not sure if would qualify. I think Fish and Wildlife handle that program. Other air/programs would be under the EEC (Environmental) cabinet. I've been reinforcing my banks. From what I can tell the city added a storm drain to creek above me and increased water flow over the last 5 years has been eating away at everything. They are getting ready to turn 10 lots into a huge office complex. If they push all that run off into the creek then I will have even bigger problems. |
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Posted: 3/15/2023 1:35:56 AM EDT
[Last Edit: SWIRE]
[#35]
Expanding my technical skills. Below should be an animated image of Feonia the gray fox mother from a few nights ago.
In other news the little one, her kit, showed up the other night with a very bad limp and could not put any weight on her front left paw. She showed the following night not limping as bad but I have not seen her for the past 3 nights. Also Feonia started taking food back to her den. It is too early for her to feed any kits so I'm assuming she is starting to stock pile food for when she does have them and doesn't want to go far for food.  |
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Posted: 3/17/2023 1:01:53 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Kitties-with-Sigs]
[#36]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: Expanding my technical skills. Below should be an animated image of Feonia the gray fox mother from a few nights ago. In other news the little one, her kit, showed up the other night with a very bad limp and could not put any weight on her front left paw. She showed the following night not limping as bad but I have not seen her for the past 3 nights. Also Feonia started taking food back to her den. It is too early for her to feed any kits so I'm assuming she is starting to stock pile food for when she does have them and doesn't want to go far for food. https://www.afterhourtechs.com/misc/fox_animated_1.png Your animation works great! There is a fox in the background. Is that the year-old kit? I am worried about the baby girl now. Some people will call me stupid, but saying a prayer for her. I'm guessing mom has already given birth, but you see her in person, so maybe not? ETA: I mean she looked heavier in your recent photos than she does in that animation. (Not sure when that was taken.) I would guess she would have delivered by now, based on normal timing down here. But that doesn't mean she fits that time schedule. I would not expect her to put food anywhere near her den, because that would attract predators. Maybe she's feeding her injured mate? That's just a guess...I have no idea. |
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Posted: 3/17/2023 3:22:03 PM EDT
[Last Edit: SWIRE]
[#37]
The fox in the background is the 1 year old kit. I have not seen her in several nights and I'm starting to get concerned. Well, it fox that showed up last night came close but was acting skittish. I think it may have been the kit and Fiona didn't show when I was there. Also the fox that showed last night took a hot dog and set it by the garden before coming back for more. That isn't something Fiona does but the kit usually runs off the opposite direction with food. So I'm really not sure which one I saw.
Fiona has not given birth from what I can tell. That is part of the reason I put the camera down low, to see if I could get a good clear shot at her belly. Her shape changes depend on camera angle and lighting. Two nights ago she sat right in front of me with perfect lighting and there is no evidence of nursing. Her fur is full and uniform all down her belly. The mate is one that is supposed to be bringing her food if she gave birth. I've been putting out chicken quarters every other night since I know that if they are pregnant they will be giving birth soon. You can't see her full belly in this one picture but it all looked like the visible fur.  |
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Posted: 3/17/2023 9:13:36 PM EDT
[#38]
@Kitties-with-Sigs
Saw both the mom and the 1 year old tonight. At first it was just the little one and after about 30 minutes I decided to head back in and the mom showed up right as I was leaving. The little one is not limping like it was the other day. The mom got a chicken quarter that she took back to her den which is a good thing since we have 19 degree weather coming this weekend. |
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Posted: 3/17/2023 10:50:01 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: @Kitties-with-Sigs Saw both the mom and the 1 year old tonight. At first it was just the little one and after about 30 minutes I decided to head back in and the mom showed up right as I was leaving. The little one is not limping like it was the other day. The mom got a chicken quarter that she took back to her den which is a good thing since we have 19 degree weather coming this weekend. Great to know they are both okay! Wow. I'm invested in a fox family that lives 3 hours from me.   But yeah. I'm praying for those foxes. 
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Posted: 3/18/2023 1:16:51 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs: I'm praying for those foxes. Same here. The good thing is if they head north they have pretty much undeveloped woods with a creek and almost no way for humans to get back there. To the north is also protected by the elkhorn creek which further limits human access. On top of that, human development is somewhat discouraged because across the elk horn creek is the city waste water/sewer treatment plant. If the wind is blowing the right direction there are days where I get a whiff of it and I'm over 1/2 a mile away. At some point though the area will expand and their buffer zone will be removed. |
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Posted: 4/18/2023 9:40:54 PM EDT
[#41]
I can't confirm the mother fox is nursing any kits but her behavior changed about a month ago. She started taking food back to her den which is what she started doing last spring. One night she was eating, heard a noise and ran to the terrace wall to listen, and then bolted off towards her den with no food. Having kits in the den is only reason I know of for that behavior. The other fox still shows up and her behavior has not changed.
A picture of the mom from a couple days ago.  |
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Posted: 4/19/2023 8:55:37 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: I can't confirm the mother fox is nursing any kits but her behavior changed about a month ago. She started taking food back to her den which is what she started doing last spring. One night she was eating, heard a noise and ran to the terrace wall to listen, and then bolted off towards her den with no food. Having kits in the den is only reason I know of for that behavior. The other fox still shows up and her behavior has not changed. A picture of the mom from a couple days ago. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/680/fox_23_4_13_JPG-2787938.jpg She looks tired. Probably nursing.
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Posted: 4/26/2023 9:58:37 PM EDT
[Last Edit: SWIRE]
[#43]
@Kitties-with-Sigs
Some slightly concerning news: I went to see the foxes tonight and neither showed. As I was waiting I started to hear an animal screaming in the direction the foxes come from. The noise was of an animal either pinned down in a trap or pinned down by another animal. I went to investigate and heard it louder but on the opposite side of the creek from where I was and in the direction of the den the mother had last year. I moved as quick as I could but by the time I got over there the screaming had stopped. I looked all through the brush and could not find any signs of anything that might have happened. I went back to my yard and the young female fox showed up but not the mom. The screaming could have been from a rabbit becoming dinner for something, there are a lot of rabbits around even with the foxes. I'm assuming if something was trying to get to the kits in the den the male fox would have been around as well and helped fight off whatever. But the noise I heard sounded more like a fox screaming than a rabbit. I did not hear any snarling or growling like I've hard the mom do to chase off raccoons. So I'm hoping it was just a rabbit. |
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Posted: 4/27/2023 5:59:21 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: @Kitties-with-Sigs Some slightly concerning news: I went to see the foxes tonight and neither showed. As I was waiting I started to hear an animal screaming in the direction the foxes come from. The noise was of an animal either pinned down in a trap or pinned down by another animal. I went to investigate and heard it louder but on the opposite side of the creek from where I was and in the direction of the den the mother had last year. I moved as quick as I could but by the time I got over there the screaming had stopped. I looked all through the brush and could not find any signs of anything that might have happened. I went back to my yard and the young female fox showed up but not the mom. The screaming could have been from a rabbit becoming dinner for something, there are a lot of rabbits around even with the foxes. I'm assuming if something was trying to get to the kits in the den the male fox would have been around as well and helped fight off whatever. But the noise I heard sounded more like a fox screaming than a rabbit. I did not hear any snarling or growling like I've hard the mom do to chase off raccoons. So I'm hoping it was just a rabbit. Oh, man. Praying for Fionna and her family. 
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Posted: 4/27/2023 9:25:31 PM EDT
[#45]
The one year old fox showed up tonight but Fiona did not.
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Posted: 4/28/2023 1:21:47 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: The one year old fox showed up tonight but Fiona did not. 
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Posted: 4/29/2023 9:19:42 PM EDT
[#47]
Four nights and no sighting of Fiona. The one year old is healthy and has shown up every night.
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Posted: 4/29/2023 10:49:52 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By SWIRE: Four nights and no sighting of Fiona. The one year old is healthy and has shown up every night. Ah, shit.
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Posted: 4/30/2023 9:59:38 PM EDT
[Last Edit: SWIRE]
[#49]
@Kitties-with-Sigs
Fiona is alive and showed up tonight looking noticeably thinner. Perhaps the distress noises were from her delivering this kits. From what I had read kits should be born the end of March or early April, so this seems a bit late. Whatever the noise was, if it was related to her she made it through. I threw out extra food for her. Last year's kit was also there. I fed both and looked further back in the yard and toward close to where the den would be and saw a third fox sitting in the yard keeping an eye on things. It looks like Fred was providing security like he always does. Fiona tonight  |
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Posted: 4/30/2023 10:19:18 PM EDT
[#50]
I have been following this thread closely and I am very happy Fiona is back.
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