September 17, 2012 Why am I the "foxy lady?"

This is a young fox I met on one of my travels with a camera who was very curious and posed for me for 35 pictures worth.  All different and charming poses, which a red fox is good at.
I can't remember when I didn't like foxes.  I always wanted one as a pet when I was young.  For about 5 plus years, ending late winter, early spring of 2012, I worked with an adult pair of foxes as they raised several litters in and around my yard.  I was able to hand feed them and interact with them.  I had them....or did they have me....on a schedule.  Twice a day, morning and evening, they showed up for a meal or a treat.  Sometimes, they came more often.  They played around the yard and learned how to hunt.  I watched "mom" kill a mouse and then teach the kit how to hunt a mouse.  Pretty funny.  I, on the other hand, taught them how to hunt "sandwiches."  I will post more photos as I go along of some of these experiences.  Needless to say, I could tell fox stories all day.
One of my first interactions with a young fox was in September when I was a teen.  I was out grouse hunting and happened on to one along the back road.  It didn't seem scared, so I got out of the vehicle and started to squeak at it.  It was curious.  Soon, I was wriggling long grasses and tossing pebbles for it to catch and play with.  What a fun experience.
One of the next serious close up encounters was when I was about 20 years old.  I was bow hunting for deer in an old hay field with a rock pile in it that had long grass to hide me.  Towards evening, I saw a fox coming along the ditch bank.  Well.....getting a bit late to get a deer, I thought.....so, let's play with the fox.  I did.  I squeaked and called it right in to me.  Just when it was going to pounce on me, I slowly sat up from my crouched position.  It realized something was up and tail was flying as it ran off a few feet.  But, I still hadn't had enough experience with them to know how excited it would have gotten had it leaped in there and there I was.  I didn't want to get scratched up! 
So, these were a couple of the experiences that got my interest going even more.  Once I started working with the one pictured above, in a place I would never see him in again, they had me going.  I wanted to work with the foxes some more.  So, when some started coming around the yard, I had to try to see if I could get them more interested in coming around.  It worked.  I have so enjoyed it.

This is a photo of some of my early "trying to tame" the young foxes.  They are still tentative about this.  However, food is food.  It usually will win a youngster over.  It wasn't long and they all were eating out of my hand....all 6 of them. 
This is just the start of fox photos and "foxy lady" stories.  :)