Foxes are one of the most difficult animals for me to find in Yellowstone. So, when this female fox, called a vixen, literally crossed the road in front of me a couple of evenings ago, I was in shock. Not only because if going faster I could have hit her, but because she was a fox.
Furthermore, instead of immediately disappearing into the forest, the fox stayed in view and decided to hunt.
Fearing I wouldn’t have much time before the fox disappeared, I grabbed the camera, without a tripod and angled myself to get some of the evening light on her. She took a second from her hunting and peered in my direction, right before scoring a ground squirrel.
Once she had the squirrel, the fox looked around for a minute before heading directly towards me – I think she was going to bring me the prize. I attempted to move out of her way, which startled her and so she headed up the hill. Some times I worry about the rules more than what is best for the animal. Standing still and letting her pass would have been less disturbing, since she chose her path.
But, the fox stopped not terribly far away and looked around for minute before deciding to rest.
She posed with the squirrel in her mouth and then unexpectedly rose and came straight towards me again. There were several people by this time, but not that many. I again stepped out of her way and she went and stood next to a nearby tree.
All in all, it was a wonderful encounter. The only animal that I photographed that day but she was enough. This is the vixen of the Yellowstone Picnic pair and I had not seen her in quite some time.
Beautiful shots