?? on virginia predators

bhw · 06-10-2008, 09:22 AM

Gang,

Perhaps someone can shed some light for me. I'm curious about the predator populations in the state of Virginia.

How is the balance of red vs gray fox? Are they each spread throughout the state?

Are coyotes distributed throughout the state?

Thanks in advance

bhw

fishguts · 06-13-2008, 02:34 PM

We've got all three, but reds and grays use distinctly different habitats, although they do cross paths now and then and you'll find reds in typical gray country and vice-versa. As a general rule, reds prefermore openland like rolling pastures with some trees and fencelines mixed in while grays prefer thicker brush typical of southern Virginia.(Thinkreplanted pines, overgrown cut-overs and the like.) Grays are more likely to be in deep woods, although there isn't much for them to eat in big stands of mature hardwoods.
We've got coyotes all over the state, but I don't think they are nearly as abundant as many would have you believe. I've lived and hunted in Virginia for over 25 years and I've yet to see one alive in the woods. I've seen one or two dead on an Interstate here and there and I haven't heard any howling at night. Some will tell you my area (south-central VA) is "infested with them," but it's really not. We have a bounty on them in my county and I believe there are a half-dozen or so turned in each year,mostly by deer hunters. They are more abundant in southwestern Virginia.

Ridge Runner · 06-13-2008, 08:55 PM

well I live just over the wv line about 2 miles, my mom-n-law has a 400 acre farm that is right on the line between pendleton county wv and rockingham county va, it spills into both states.
last year there was one coyote sighting on the property, a gov. trapper came in the last week of febuary and has since taken 29 coyotes off that 400 acres.
I hunt alot, hunt coyotes alot and have saw 6 in my life, foxes are easy, if you start seeing coyotes you have a coyote problem.
RR

coolbrze0 · 06-18-2008, 08:33 PM

Fishguts hit the nail on the head. I live in Northern VA and we have more reds than grays here. Coyotes are moving in, but are not real prevalent, yet...

SwampCollie · 06-21-2008, 01:05 PM

I see a lot of reds down on the beaches and so forth... raiding trash cans like racoons. Most of the foxes I shoot out in Sussex are greys... only ever seen one red one and it was in a different part of the county.

As to coyotes.. they have been here for a while. I remember as a kid in Bath County a big time trapper catching one and it made news. We had a yote get hit across the street from my middle school several years ago and in 2003 my godfather shot one in goochland. Now, down here in tidewater, Isle of Wight, Suffolk etc I have people telling me that they are just flat out everywhere. Plenty of cover for them to hide in for sure.