Wolves are predators of coyotes. Coyotes are predators of foxes. Before coyotes came in here we had a plethora of reds and greys. Still got lots of greys because they can climb a tree to escape a coyote, while reds cannot. Reds are all but gone because of this.
We have plenty of fox and coyotes here, just north of Minneapolis/St. Paul. I have been told they are here, but, I have never seen a gray fox. That includes the time from running a trap line a few years before and after school. I did discover that great horned owls have no pride whatsoever, and would happily land next to a skunk in a trap, walk over and kill it, dismember it, and eat most of it on the spot. A healthy red Fox in January was a $50 pelt in that era, a big ‘yote brought $75, and a skunk brought $5. Red foxes were the most successful at stealing the chicken heads I nailed to the tree above the set.
I was never too upset at the owl. Suspect my teachers weren’t, either.
Best,
Ted
