Coyote tracking a fox?

[F224]

Never saw this before. Two days ago, right before I took the twins to school, I saw a red fox moving pretty quickly through the hills behind my property. He was out of range before I could get a shot at him. Good news is I kept the rifle out (a Ruger American Ranch in 223 with a Leupold/Premier 6x42mm mil-dot scope on it). Not three minutes later, a coyote emerged from my creek bed, following the foxes trail. Of course, I shot that mangie coyote, 260 yards away.

I have never seen a coyote tracking a fox, there was blood on the foxes tracks, he may have been injured or carrying parts of a kill the coyote wanted. Any of you guys ever see this?

 

[westcliffe01]

Coyotes and foxes do not get along well. Similar to wolves vs coyotes. The coyotes will kill the foxes if they get a chance. On the sheep farm I have never seen a fox in 5 years, day or night, but a pretty large and active coyote population divided into at least 3 different clans on surrounding property.

 

[DougsCamo]

Coyotes and foxes do not get along well. Similar to wolves vs coyotes. The coyotes will kill the foxes if they get a chance. On the sheep farm I have never seen a fox in 5 years, day or night, but a pretty large and active coyote population divided into at least 3 different clans on surrounding property.

I agree 100% Westcliffe01. In my part of the world (Southwestern Virginia), the areas where there are a lot of coyotes there are practically no red foxes. I used to use red fox urine as a cover scent while hunting whitetails from the ground but got tired of being stalked by coyotes!
The grey foxes seem to persist. I would assume that their tree climbing ability has something to do with this.
I have gone to other areas in the Shenandoah Valley where the coyote population is low and the red fox population is still alive and prospering.
Whether coyotes kill red foxes for food (which I suspect) or to eliminate competition, they definitely have an effect on reds.lightbulb

 

[GTOHunter]

As stated....seems Coyotes don't like Foxes and will kill them off,very seldom did We see any Foxes around here and a sighting was pretty rare,since more Hunters around here are targeting Coyotes as well as myself We've been seeing much more Foxes.

I have Red Fox Distress on my Caller and it has brought in a charging Coyote several Times so it seems Coyotes will take advantage of a hurt/distressed Fox and consider them as competition or an easy meal?