Gray Foxes on Condor Peak trail (trailcam)

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:37 pm

I'm not getting a lot of animals lately. I don't know if it's the weather, or if I'm picking bad locations. Anyway, these two are cute, and I hope they are a mating pair - if they are, I can get video of the pups in a couple months.

Post by **HikeUp** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:58 pm

Fute lil' cuckers. They sure marked that spot well!

Are Gray foxes the only kind around the San Gabriels?

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:12 pm

HikeUp wrote: Are Gray foxes the only kind around the San Gabriels?

Yep. California has Kit Foxes, but only in desert regions. There used to be a San Gabriel Kit Fox, but they have been extinct since 1903 apparently.

Gray foxes climb trees! They have semi-retractable claws. It's pretty cool. Here's a good link.

http://www.bear-tracker.com/grayfox.html

Rumpled · Post by **Rumpled** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:43 am

Man, did you have your dog pee in that spot or something?

Nice sequences there and a good info link.

A gray should be all to be seen in the San G's.
Along the coast, one may also see introduced red foxes; I haven't.
Or farther north, native reds.

The Channel Islands also have their own grays.

Here's a CA Mammal list I just found
http://sibr.com/mammals/mammalFamilySort.html

And a picture of a tree fox

from
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/grey_fox.htm

Terry Morse · Post by **Terry Morse** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 11:35 am

Question for CougerMagic:

Yesterday, I was doing a bushwhack through some brush near Oat Mountain, above Chatsworth. I came upon a pipe coming out of a spring filling four metal barrels. I went down to look at it and when I turned around, I saw a remote camera in a little box-like shelter aimed at the barrels.

Could this be one of your cameras? Or are there a lot of these placed around for wildlife studies?

Considering the remote watering place it was located, it must record a lot of activity. I saw three deer and the remains of another, including one half of it's antlers, so mountain lions are present also.

Rumpled · Post by **Rumpled** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 1:11 pm

There are a lot of game/remote cameras around now.
Often, if a an agency has a camera; it will have ID on it. All camera users should do the same.
There are many agencies using them (USGS, USFS, CA DF&G, USFWS etc) as well as hunters and hobbyists.
The drinker you found is a great place to spot a camera, every animal has to drink.
Notice that cougarmagic's cameras are often near water as well.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 5:49 pm

Terry Morse wrote:Question for CougerMagic:
Could this be one of your cameras? Or are there a lot of these placed around for wildlife studies?

There is currently a study going on for lions in the Santa Monicas and Simi Hills - I would bet it was one of theirs. I think it's being done by the National Park Service. It's not mine - though I've been thinking about putting one out there. Mine are all in the Angeles right now. I would love to see the pics they're getting!

The deer remains - how "fresh" were they do you think? I don't know if they have a lions collared there right now, but a couple of years ago there were two that they knew of. Was this north of the 118, or south of it?

I bet they'll be surprised to see a hiker on the cam! Very cool. Thanks for the report.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 5:53 pm

Rumpled wrote:Man, did you have your dog pee in that spot or something?

There's a tiny bit of beaver castoreum there - it's a scent lure. Just makes them pause for a second so I can get a better picture, and it doesn't create bad habits in them like food bait would.

The funny thing is, my dog does the exact same face rubbing thing - and she's not one to roll in anything stinky, but this stuff is apparently wonderful to canines...

Terry Morse · Post by **Terry Morse** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:16 pm

The deer remains - how "fresh" were they do you think?
Was this north of the 118, or south of it?
I bet they'll be surprised to see a hiker on the cam! Very cool. Thanks for the report. [/quote]

The remains were old. There was no flesh or hair, just bleached bones & the half antler. I am surprised that no small animals had gnawed on the antler for the minerals.

The location was north of the 118, but the recent fires hadn't reached this area. Actually, it looked like no fire had ever reached there. It was one of most unspoiled and remote places I have ever been to. Massive Laurel & Oak trees, and beautiful grasslands. I'm pretty sure I'm the first hiker they've gotten on the camera.