For the last two years, I have searched my local area, trying to work out where my fox family are sleeping during the day and possibly where they are raising their families. I have checked out lots of potential den holes by setting the Bushnells there, mostly to be disappointed by views of rabbits… or no captures at all. With my neighbours away and me feeding their animals, I had a chance to check out there garden and surrounding area .
They have one den-type hole in their garden that I set a Bushnell on last year, with no luck. This year, it looks more used although there was not much of a scent around… usually a good sign that a hole is occupied by foxes. Just to be sure though, I set the Bushnell HD Max up facing it tonight. I am using a new little clamp which a friend gave to me … it was perfect to screw onto an old pallet (the circular pads on the unit are the attachments for my close-up kit).
It is the second hole I found that I am more excited about. All the heavy rain recently has meant that a steep bank near my house has slipped a little, meaning a holly tree was leaning dangerously out over the lane. Today we took it out, so I was up clambering around on the bank. Whilst up there, I found a very interesting hole, running under an old wall built into the bank and under lots of tree roots. Now, this hole smelt pretty strongly of fox and it looked well used as the ground and sides were worn smooth.
I can’t believe I have not noticed this before, although it is not visible from the lane or my house… you have to be actually up the bank. I set the Bushnell HD Max up about 3 metres from the hole on a bank pole in a mound of brambles.
The bank continues up into my neighbour’s garden and I have noticed the track up and down there before, knowing that the foxes use it as a quick route from the fields, passing through my neighbour’s garden, down the bank, onto the lane where they can travel up and down to other gardens and fields. I set the NatureView up at the top of this bank, looking down, hoping to capture the foxes using this route.
I will be up early tomorrow to go and retrieve the cards to see if I have captured some evidence that these dens are in use… I so hope so as I would love to capture some early fox cub footage on the Bushnells this year! Fingers crossed!