We were surrounded – a herd of does and fawns on one side, and a pack of foxes on the other, all of them hungry. They were discontent, one step away from an angry mob – my only advantage being that they didn’t actually have pitchforks or fiery torches. I did the only thing I could do in such a situation: I walked outside armed only with a red plastic coffee can in each hand – one filled with corn for the deer and one filled with whole roasted chicken pieces for the foxes, chicken that my step-mother had bought and roasted especially for the yard pets.
After I poured out the corn, I did as my step-mother the fox tamer instructed and sat in the grass with my arm extended, offering a drum stick. As much as the first fox to approach wanted that chicken, he wasn’t quite sure about me. He got close enough to me that I could hear his little feet in the grass and the snort from his nose as he assessed the situation. When he decided that I looked like a bad risk, he danced away a short distance watching me. He still wanted that chicken. I admit a certain amount of relief. I stood up slowly and walked over to the little knoll they like and left the chicken pieces there.
They seemed to enjoy their dinner, as they didn’t immediately disperse after. It seemed they knew that their regular chef wasn’t home and they were in the mood to put on a show for her understudy. Kind of like school children do when they have a substitute teacher! The deer eventually chased several of the foxes on to the roof of the shed up the driveway and shortly after they all left.
The next morning I was two hours later than they all would have preferred for breakfast as well, and lucky for me there was only one hungry fox out there still loitering and hoping. We were both in luck: I only had about enough left for one fox anyway and he got it all. My step-mother can tell them all apart. The only thing I could tell is that this fox wasn’t worried about me at all – he just wanted his breakfast. He pretty well stood his ground as I approached the knoll. If I had wanted to sit in the dew-wet grass in my pajamas, he probably would have stuck his head in the bucket and gotten the remaining chicken for himself!
I locked the doors before I went to bed. The way the animals all seemed to know that a newbie was in charge I was a little afraid that the bears might decide to let themselves in for a midnight snack!
We recently moved to the mountains. Deer are prevalent, and the other day, hubster was going to refill the bird feeder when the doe who likes to sleep under our deck sneaked up behind him and sniffed his ear.
However, feeding the wildlife here is against the law. Apparently the former tenants didn’t comply because this doe knew a good thing when she saw it.
Wouldn’t go so far as feed foxes or coyotes though. And wouldn’t want to come face to face with a bear (who would definitely find any food left out.)
by Terry Odell August 9th, 2010 at 9:46 amThe former tenants might not have been feeding the deer. Deer aren’t stupid – they know what generally goes into bird feeders. One of the bucks that used to hang around my at my dad’s would bump the bird feeders with his antlers to get the seeds to fall on the ground – that was before he learned how to tip the feeder and just eat them directly!
And believe me – NO ONE is feeding the bears around here!
by Jenyfer Matthews August 9th, 2010 at 3:28 pmYou done good, Substitute Animal Feeder! How cool to see the foxes. It must have been a thrill for you to be so close to them when feeding. Your daughter did good as a photographer, too!
by Mama Pea August 9th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
by Sandy Updyke August 10th, 2010 at 10:02 amgood job!