by Julie Gowel ·
Friday, June 26, 2026
A dog checks out a spotted salamander. (Photo by Thomas Killian)
At this time of year, the sounds of nature are a beautiful soundtrack for emerging from slumber … for most people. For others, like me, the sound of their dog barking furiously as she darts from one window to another so she doesn’t lose sight of the red fur trotting across the backyard is more bothersome than beautiful.
Despite her barking, watching the morning stroll of the red fox is a cherished routine for me and my dog. “I thought they were nocturnal” and “It must be rabid” are common responses to my telling this tale of the red fox so the canid became the focus of this month’s column.
As it turns out, this time of year is what Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Community Engagement Biologist Meghan Crawford (and others “in the know”) refer to as “summer school” for young foxes. Increased sightings of the red fox are common in the late spring and throughout the summer. Parents are busy teaching their young, known as kits, pups, or cubs, how to hunt so that when fall arrives, they can leave the family and become independent members of the forest.
According to MassWildlife, red foxes can be found throughout the entire northern hemisphere, earning them the distinction of being the most widespread carnivore. They belong to the canidae, or dog, species, even though they have many feline qualities, including vertical pupils that give them night vision for hunting. Foxes mate during the winter, typically between January and February, and give birth on average 52 days later. Crawford said foxes are “really good at living alongside people” and often make their dens beneath sheds, decks, brush piles, and other sheltered locations in yards.
“People will suddenly notice a litter of playful fox pups in their backyard and wonder what they should do about it,” Crawford said. “The good news is the foxes move on really quickly. They’re only there for a few weeks, and then they’ll start summer school, and use their whole home range.”
While foxes are common throughout Massachusetts, many misconceptions still surround them. According to Crawford, one of the most persistent errors is people attributing foxes’ eerie screams heard at night to fisher cats (which are actually weasels, and not cats at all).
“We’ll get calls from people saying they’re hearing a woman in distress or a baby crying in the woods,” she said. “Fishers actually don’t make that type of sound.”
Crawford said foxes are surprisingly vocal animals, especially during breeding season. Females, known as vixens, produce a variety of screams, barks, howls, whines, and other vocalizations that can sound startlingly human.
Although foxes generally avoid people, they are opportunistic hunters and will take advantage of easy food sources. Backyard chickens are a particular temptation. “It’s like free chicken nuggets out there for them,” Crawford joked. She recommends chicken enthusiasts invest in sturdy coops and electric fencing to prevent predators from gaining access.
Another thing to avoid, according to Crawford, is intentionally feeding foxes or any other wild animals, including birds.
“Bird feeders unintentionally feed rats and mice. People then put out rodenticide to try to address their rat and mice issue ... and it causes a cascading effect,” she said. “All these things are connected. The fox consumes those rats and mice, and then [it is] more susceptible to things like mange, because their immune system is compromised by that rodenticide.”
For Crawford, coexistence begins with understanding that wild animals do not need our help nearly as much as they need our restraint. The less we interfere, the more likely we are to witness them behaving exactly as nature intended.
If you are lucky enough to be awakened by your daily “The fox is here” dog alarm, enjoy it while it lasts. Summer school is in session, but come fall, the graduates will move on.
Julie Gowel is a Press reporter and a close observer of animal life in Harvard.