I've had a fox in my hunting area barking non stop for the last 5 days and haven't seen any deer since. He does this ALL day long in a large circle around me. I was seeing deer before this activity, now nothing. Could he be spooking the deer? I can't shoot him on this state land.[:@]

I've had the same thing happen to me on two occasions...
It was two gray fox with their 3 kits, I also never saw deer after the fact!

Probably similar to a beaver splashing it's tail when you get in it's territory or the famous Blue Jay squawk.

Apply the 3 S's. Shoot, Shovel and Shut-up.

what they dont know wont hurt them

hey right now its the fox's version of the "rut" the males are getting territorial and chasing females and the females are in heat. they were doing that around me and it didnt effect the deer situation, good luck

last year in bow season I had a squirrel problem while hunting with my cousin. I got in my stand before light and after the sun had been up for a while the squirrels come out and start to run around like normal. I didn't know it at the time, but one was climbing down the tree I was sitting in.

Once it got close enough it noticed I was there. So it started barking or whatever you call it. After a little bit it hopped onto a tree to my left. Probably only about 8 or 10 feet away from me at eye level. And the thing wouldn't stop barking at me.

I'd say all of this lasted 7 or 8 minutes. but I had enough of the noise. I drew back my bow and the squirrel, not liking the slight movement, climbed up the tree a little ways onto a branch and started barking again. I tapped the release and the last I heard from him was his body hitting the leaves on the ground. The thing about ripped its head off from aiming at its shoulder area. haha

I never found my arrow tho. That kinda sucked.

And people wonder why it is hard to get land owners to allow hunting on their land. I grew up on a farm, and mostland owners HATE it when hunters have a disrespect for animals. If you are not going to be ethical, please don'tcall yourselfa hunter.

Are you sure it is a fox?
Coyotes will bark also and they will bark if they smell you.
Coyotes are hard on the deer in my area. We are now in the night time coyote season.
Still waiting for my 1st score. Jersey is a shotgun only for yotes @ night.

Man that pic makes me not like coyotes even more!

that short raspy bark is the grunt call of the fox world.