Chip Minemyer: Watch your pets: Red foxes make themselves at home

Oct. 15—Brownstown Borough recreation officer Ray Peel began seeing red foxes near the community's ballfields about three years ago.

He located a den in a rocky area at the Brownstown Recreation Park, which is under his care. He walks his dogs there and said the foxes disappear quickly if he comes by.

"When they started, it was just like three of them with that little den they had," he said. "And they just multiplied."

This summer and into the fall, foxes have become more prominent in the borough — to the point where Peel warns residents to keep their small pets locked up for safety.

One person reported seeing a fox carrying a small cat, Peel said.

"You can see them crossing the streets, and you'll see them running through the neighborhoods," he said.

The presence of the foxes was brought to the attention of the local state game officer.

"I've personally seen them right in Brownstown," said warden April Whitsell, a Harrisburg-area native who graduated from Wildlife Conservation Officer training in early 2022 and moved to Cambria County.

She said the Johnstown region — urban areas adjacent to forests and fields — provides prime turf for the typically elusive animals.

Foxes have litters of four to 10 pups, six on average, she said.

Late summer and early fall is when the pups wander away from the den to start their own lives.

"Foxes generally try to keep to themselves," Whitsell said.

"They prefer a more rural habitat. But if their preferred food source is available, they'll be around. If they have food sources, and if they have adequate shelter, they'll stay — and some of those buildings in that area are a perfect habitat."

A prime fox den might be under an empty structure or beneath your back porch.

The creatures are most likely to be out of their dens and moving about in the early morning or late even- ing.

"They are naturally curious animals," Whitsell said.

"Sometimes they will show themselves if they see a dog or something else that they think is interesting."

The game warden has received reports of possible rabid foxes but has not logged a positive rabies case this year.

One shabby-looking gray fox was tested for rabies and was negative, Whitsell said.

The more likely culprit, the warden said, is mange — which can cause hair loss.

"We've gotten a couple of calls from people who said they saw foxes that were mangy-looking," she said, noting that mange is caused by a skin mite.

Peel said one particular fox that residents have seen frequently would be characterized as "mangy."

The animal has an injured leg or foot, causing it to limp, he said.

"That one sometimes has people concerned," Peel said.

So what might attract a family of foxes to your neighborhood?

Bird seed draws in more than feathered creatures, the warden warned. Chipmunks, mice and squirrels are lured to the feeders, and the foxes will follow.

"It's kind of a buffet for the fox population," Whitsell said.

Pennsylvania allows unlimited fox hunting and trapping from late October through February, in non-residential areas.

The state game commission's website describes foxes as "small, agile carnivores belonging to the same family (Canidae) as the dog, coyote and wolf."

Red foxes grow to about two feet in length, with 14- to 16-inch tails, and weigh 8 to 12 pounds, the game commission said. "Both red and gray foxes are found throughout Pennsylvania." the game commission reported.

"They are intelligent predators with extremely sharp senses of sight, smell and hearing (a fox can hear a mouse squeal from about 150 feet)."

The state said fox populations "fluctuate and shift, often as a result of human activities such as logging, farming or development."

Foxes do not hibernate, and remain active during the winter.

The state offers this fox history lesson:

"Foxes weathered decades upon decades of persecution through bounties in Pennsylvania. People were paid a fee for each fox they killed. Bounties were abolished in 1966 after it was determined the money used to pay them was better spent on habitat enhancements. ...

"More and more people are accepting predators as valuable members of our natural world. Foxes are no exception. Their presence in Pennsylvania provides recreation and wildlife diversity, two important facets of any wildlife management program."

Johnstown's neighborhoods are full of "wild" animals — deer, raccoons, skunks and yes, bears.

"I've been kept pretty busy this summer, moving (bear) traps from one place to another," Whitsell said.

Like foxes, other animals are drawn to trash and bird feeder sites.

Whitwell advises residents to:

—Keep garbage cans in the garage or indoors until collection day.

—Take bird feeders inside at night, when flying creatures are less active but when many furry wanderers are on the move.

And she reminds folks in southern Cambria County that they are in a disease management area — designated as such due to levels of Chronic Wasting Disease in deer populations. In those areas, feeding deer is against the law, Whitsell said.

Those with questions about local wildlife can contact Whitsell and the game commission by calling 833-PGC-hunt, or 833-PGC-wild.

Peel said the biggest concern from the Brownstown fox surge is the risk for smaller animals, including cats and dogs.

"Nobody's said they feel threatened by them," Peel said.

"Just keep an eye on your little pets."

Chip Minemyer is the editor and general manager of The Tribune-Democrat and TribDem.com, GM of The Times-News of Cumberland, Md., and CNHI regional editor for Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina. He can be reached at 814-532-5091. Follow him on Twitter @MinemyerChip.