# What do coyote and fox eat?



## tracydr (Feb 25, 2011)

We always compare the raw diet to what a wolf would eat but I was just wondering, what do fox and coyote eat? I've fox hunted (we never kill anything, just chase) coyote, fox and jack rabbit for 10 years. Somebody on the fox hunting forum mentioned that the coyotes somewhere down south were huge, supposedly from a diet of catfish. In the Rita Mae Brown books ( these are great mysteries if you're an animal lover) the fox go in her barn for candy and sweet grain.
Anyway, are there any biologists here that know what other canids besides wolves eat in the wild? Since I see them frequently for fun as a hobby and am feeding raw, I would love to know what they eat.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

It is my understanding that coyotes are opportunistic carnivores. They will hunt rabbits, mice, squirrels, small game, etc. When they can catch them they will also eat birds and lizards. If they come across a deer carcass (or are able to take one down) they will partake in that. And when it's available and a good meat source isn't they will eat fruit and veggies....just like wolves will...because they taste good.

I'm not too sure about foxes, but I would assume they would be almost the same as a coyote, mainly carnivorous. Foxes will also eat eggs and berries when meat supply is short.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

I'm not a biologist just a ranch girl that lives in the country.I live in Wyoming we have two type of fox around here.Red fox and a Swift fox, I think every one knows what the Red fox is but the Swift fox is making a come back at least here and it is real small about the size of a house cat.It's colored more like a coyote but it's tail is longer than it's body with a black tip on it.2 years ago there was a pair that had there kits where I could see them form my back door (I'm not kidding). I would get up in the morning and watch them as I had my coffee.Of course I could see them with my naked eye but not well so I would use the binoculars.I just loved them.We had allot of grass hoppers that year and you could see them jumping up and eating them, so allot of grass hoppers when they can.After they left I went down to there holes to see about them as I didn't want to scare them away before they had moved out themselves.There was allot of bird feathers around I'm talking small birds like buntings and horned larks I guess because that's what we have here.Also I have wild pigeons that have moved into my shed and I would sometimes see feathers so maybe they got some of them.I'm sure they eat mice, moles, and ground squirrels.Red fox I would say about the same maybe could get a Jack Rabbit I'm guessing there to big for the swift fox but not sure.A Red fox will get lambs if there just baby's but if they get to big they can't.They eat Quail,Partridge,Turkeys, and Pheasants ( we have to have Game and Fish raze Pheasants because they kill so many of them they can't make it in the wild very well around here).Coyotes are very hard on lamb crops here so we have them hunted or no lambs but there are still allot around, there very tough. Maybe that's there favorite.But they will also eat everything that I have already put so I'll not wright it again.They will kill baby deer and antelope but they can't get the adults only maybe if they have been hurt by something else.Would love to get into chicken coups though and I know they have.Also just came to my mind that I'm sure all the above also eat eggs that the birds that nest on the ground lay.I myself have come across allot of them while I'm walking my dogs so you know they can sniff them out.Hope this helps when You live in the country and walk your dogs in the hills as much as I do one sees all these things.Just the perks of living in the country.


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

My uncle has a ranch in Wyoming and he battles with Coyotes & Foxes a lot with his sheep. I know they will eat deer as well and I believe they are opportunistic carnivores as well so will eat what they can get.


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## g00dgirl (Nov 18, 2009)

Foxes will also eat insects like grasshoppers and beetles in the summer when they are plentiful. In the winter they eat more mice, rabbits, birds, etc. They are opportunistic like coyotes so they'll eat carrion and garbage too if it's easy to come by. Keep in mind foxes are about the size of a large house cat, so they aren't eating any deer unless it's already dead.
On the whole I would say coyotes will eat more fruits and berries than wolves and foxes more than coyotes. Again, just being opportunistic and eating whatever they need to for survival.


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## tracydr (Feb 25, 2011)

Thanks, Herzo. I'd be surprised if a fox could get a jackrabbit. We "hunt" them with our beagles and they are simply too fast to get close. I'm sure they could get cottontails as my cats eat the feral domestic bunnies in our neighborhood all the time. So it sounds like foxes eat a diet similar to a cat except for the fruit?
Those Swift foxes sound a lot like gray fox. They don't happen to climb trees? The grays climb trees.


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

I know this is horrible but I live in an area that has many stray cats, lately that coyotes have been eating the cats. They walk through the neighborhoods during the day. So I think sometimes they eat what they can get?


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

Coyotes are very smart, opportunistic and adaptable. If you have a farm, and coyotes are hanging around attacking animals, it's cheaper and easier to put out food for them, then to try and dissuade them from the area. 

If you hunt them, they just breed faster and alter their hunting habits. Putting out meat causes them to ignore the other animals. They would rather scavenge, and your cows or whatever can walk right through a group of them and they will be ignored as the coyotes go about their business. Watched it on a documentary. They are pretty amazing creatures.


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## CavePaws (Jan 25, 2011)

Kittykat - Are you suggesting putting out kibble for the coyotes? :biggrin:

The coyotes down in the canyon by our house do hunt deer. There are no other carnivores large enough here to take down deer and I see A LOT of picked apart deer in the canyon where I hike. There's no shortage of deer so I'm pretty sure the coyotes of Austin don't have too hard of a time finding food.


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

Opportunistic Carnivores is what I've always known them as.

Coyotes are a sore subject with me. I just had 3 in my yard the other night who only crept in closer to the house after I got the dogs inside. They are the main reason we keep a gun by our door.


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## bcjude2009 (Jan 25, 2011)

Northwoods10 said:


> Opportunistic Carnivores is what I've always known them as.
> 
> Coyotes are a sore subject with me. I just had 3 in my yard the other night who only crept in closer to the house after I got the dogs inside. They are the main reason we keep a gun by our door.


Yup, they sure are annoying. They've been picking up cats around here. I'm very happy our cat decided she didn't want anything to do with going outside anymore. I've also stopped hiking with my dog in our back area because of the them, I'll only go out on skidoo now, that way both me and the dog can drive away quickly should need be.

I'm not too fond of them.


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

All of them being canids, I'm pretty sure they consume a pretty similar diet, the biggest difference probably being in the size of their prey, and variation of prey-species due to location.
Won't see a fox killing a deer or hog now, but some rabbits, mice, birds, lizards? Gotta bet they will hunt those. Size appropriate prey :biggrin:.
Also I believe coyotes are more solitary hunters, so I imagine they also take after smaller prey than their pack-wolf cousins.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

tracydr said:


> Thanks, Herzo. I'd be surprised if a fox could get a jackrabbit. We "hunt" them with our beagles and they are simply too fast to get close. I'm sure they could get cottontails as my cats eat the feral domestic bunnies in our neighborhood all the time. So it sounds like foxes eat a diet similar to a cat except for the fruit?
> Those Swift foxes sound a lot like gray fox. They don't happen to climb trees? The grays climb trees.


Say I don't know about climbing trees.We don't have trees right were I live.Except the ones that I have planted and have to water all the time.I also know nothing about a gray fox.I'll have to look into them.I live about 60 miles from where I grew up on a ranch and there are trees there but I've never seen the swift fox there.They seem to be making a come back here in the flat lands.Hopefully they will spread.They are so small I don't think they will do to much damage to livestock or pets.


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## candiceb (Jan 22, 2010)

KittyKat said:


> Coyotes are very smart, opportunistic and adaptable. If you have a farm, and coyotes are hanging around attacking animals, it's cheaper and easier to put out food for them, then to try and dissuade them from the area.
> 
> If you hunt them, they just breed faster and alter their hunting habits. Putting out meat causes them to ignore the other animals. They would rather scavenge, and your cows or whatever can walk right through a group of them and they will be ignored as the coyotes go about their business. Watched it on a documentary. They are pretty amazing creatures.


What documentary was this? I'm a huge doc buff, always looking for another good one to watch. :biggrin:


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## tracydr (Feb 25, 2011)

I just saw a coyote yesterday loping down the street in the neighborhood where I keep my horses. Beautiful, full coat, very healthy looking. Neighborhood has plentiful ground squirrel and cottontail so I'm guessing that's a good port in of his/her diet. Went loping slowly right down the street, then crossed through someone's backyard. I love them, although if I lived near them ( I have, many times) I would protect my smaller dogs and poultry. Although, I've found that keeping the poultry up at night is usually sufficient. My barn cats were usually ok, I think I've lost one in about 20 years to a coyote but I've lived in areas where other game was probably abundant, unlike for urban coyote.
I was wondering about veggies, too. Last summer, my dogs could be seen grazing on my sweet potatoes. I used to have a peach tree and they would get one dog to leap up and get the peaches for everybody to eat, would gain so much weight when peaches were in season. I just wondered if the wild canids eat fruits and greens, since my dogs seem to be good at finding them.


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

CavePaws said:


> Kittykat - Are you suggesting putting out kibble for the coyotes? :biggrin:
> 
> The coyotes down in the canyon by our house do hunt deer. There are no other carnivores large enough here to take down deer and I see A LOT of picked apart deer in the canyon where I hike. There's no shortage of deer so I'm pretty sure the coyotes of Austin don't have too hard of a time finding food.


Kibble? I'm sure they would scoff at such a thing lol... 



candiceb said:


> What documentary was this? I'm a huge doc buff, always looking for another good one to watch. :biggrin:


Sadly I forgot the name of it... i tired to look it up online and couldn't find it...


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## tracydr (Feb 25, 2011)

KittyKat said:


> Kibble? I'm sure they would scoff at such a thing lol...
> 
> 
> 
> Sadly I forgot the name of it... i tired to look it up online and couldn't find it...


I know fox hunting groups (mainly hunt coyote out west and never kill either in the US) will put out kibble dosed with ivermectin to worm the fox/coyote so apparently, they find kibble tasty. Some groups will use chicken carcass, instead.


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## martye (Mar 9, 2011)

topical since I saw a coyote last night while walking mouse. Heard him for a good 5 minutes before I saw him.
Around here ( suburbs north of Dallas) I would expect they eat rabbit and mice as their primary source of meat,
and we have rabbits in abundance. There are also ducks and geese in the area but I'm not sure the coyote are
fast enough to catch them. 
I know that up in Oklahoma they'll kill and eat small dogs and domestic cats that are out and about, my
nephew lost a dachshund that way.

Marty


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## mel2mdl (Sep 7, 2008)

martye said:


> Around here ( suburbs north of Dallas) I would expect they eat rabbit and mice as their primary source of meat,
> and we have rabbits in abundance. Marty


And stray dogs and cats as well. They are quite common here, in fact I saw one just yesterday out near the IKEA store in the middle of the day. Big and healthy and fat - but no tail, oddly enough. They are interesting canids. The more they are hunted, the more females in the 'pack' breed, so the more babies they have. They often live in urban areas eating food left out for cats and dogs (and the cats and dogs if they can get them!) Have to keep all food inside and all pets in after dark and trash well covered.


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## sassymaxmom (Dec 7, 2008)

There were a number of dogs taken from back yards in my neighborhood facing the hills last spring, some were quite large dogs and some kills were observed by the owners. Yikes! Last week a coyote was yapping just outside the agility field which is on a farm near hills. So glad the field is fenced but I am sure none of the owners of small dogs was letting them out of sight anyway as a coyote could get over the 4' fence and back in a few seconds. I see coyotes and the scat all the time. They clearly hunt and eat small rodents but eat any berries they can find as well.


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