Is this an abnormally large fox den or is it a coyote den that is inactive?
I'm going to keep the location of this den a secret but I can assure you that it is located in Loudoun County, Virginia.
The hole, as you can see is bigger in diameter than my backpack is in width. The smell of carrion meat and carnivore urine bleeds out of this den.
I hope to have some answers as to what really lives in here, in a few weeks. I already wasn't thinking when I put my backpack around it as I left some of my scent there. As I have learned with coyotes, any human scent left at the scene is too much scent. Way too much scent. But here's to wishful thinking that this site will bring some good results.I'll leave you with a picture of week old, rained on, smushed coyote scat that I found near this location.
My muddy boot for size reference as I forgot to bring a tape measure.
Try to leave the den alone -don't go back to check the camera for at least a month...if you can wait. I had a camera set on a red fox den with 3 kits one spring. It was AWESOME...then I was too frequently checking the camera because I was dying to see those babies and what they were up to. Very quickly they disappeared, mom must've moved them to a new site. Maybe your absence will give the coyotes a sense of comfort.
ReplyDeleteYeah that was my thinking exactly. I wont be back to this den for a very long time. It would be awesome to get fox pups playing around on camera come spring-time. We'll see.
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