Look who is living under our deck! Remember the photos of the fox? Well, she has a baby and I saw it for the first time yesterday. Way too cute but I really don't want them living under the deck!

We suspected there was something under there but we just thought we had another woodchuck like we did a few years ago. The dogs have lately been very interested in the hole, sniffing and inspecting it very closely. Now I know why. 

I'm not sure what to do about the situation as this is within the confines of our fenced yard. Do I just let them be and hope the dogs don't get to them? Call animal control and have them set a safe trap? I am thinking as the young kit gets older they will leave their cozy under-the-deck-den and go somewhere else. Suggestions?

We enjoyed our weekend at the shore and that update will be coming soon!

As cute as the baby is, I would call animal control and have them take care of the situation. You never know about rabies and mange (sp?)or anything else that could happen.

Looking forward to a shore update!

Bigsis, yes I know well about the mange! I will probably call animal control but I don’t want the dogs getting caught or springing the trap either! Yikes.

OMG.. SO cute.  Surprises me that with big dogs around all the time Mrs. Fox was brave enough to set up home so close.

Maggie, I know! It looks stuffed. Mrs. Fox is pretty brave I think. She’s obviously kept this a secret for some weeks now as the kit looks about 8 weeks old at least. She is right by the fence though, so can escape easily if they need to.

Interesting situation.  I was reading that foxes will leave a den during a mange outbreak to help control the disease, so you may be right in thinking that this is temporary.  They mark their territories with urine just like dogs mainly because they are in the dog family so your kids are probably smelling some interesting odors!  They hunt mainly in the early morning and late evening so it might not be an issue with the dogs??  I think you should let them be, but then you knew I’d say that! 

P.S.  They hunt woodchucks which is probably why you haven’t seen them around!

The dogs roll around in the yard alot, so probably rolling on fox pee which we always thought it was possum pee. Only trouble is, the foxes were sighted mid-day when I took this photo. So far, so good. It may also be that because it was late winter/early spring and we don’t use that side of the house much it was quieter than it’s going to be now. So I am hoping that they move on.

As far as the woodchucks, well, it’s been three years and we’ve only recently started seeing fox. I think after the dogs took out the woodchuck babies they figured it was not a good environment in which to raise kids in, so they moved on too.

I tend to side with Carolyn—I think you could probably let them be without too much danger. I’d worry that trapping would inadvertently separate the mother from the kit, or harm them in some way. You could ask animal control for advice, I suppose. But I’d just leave them alone.

Steve, unless they start interfering with the dogs and causing issues I will leave them be. Like I said to begin with, I am pretty sure that now there is more activity in that part of the yard they well decide to leave on their own and the baby is certainly old enough now.

So adorable! Do they usually only have one cub? (Pup? Kit? Baby?)

I’m with the leave it alone camp.  Of course it’s easy to give my two cents when I’m not really involved!

Susan, I have no idea if they usually have one or more!