Looking for the Red Fox

“ Fox in Socks, our game is done, sir.

Thank you for a lot of fun, sir”

– Fox in Socks, Dr. Seuss

Occasionally, it happens in a group, that everyone aspires for one specific photo.

It is a little rarer that, that specific photo in everyone's goal list is not of the main targets of the trip.

Not clear ? Let me explain. If you had asked any of us, what subjects we were aiming for at Hokkaido, all of us would have rattled of the same answers – snow monkeys, red crowned cranes, eagles and the swans.

But there was one more subject that was there on everyone’s list. A subject that we would end up seeing across all the places we were going to.

The red fox.

And there was one image that all of us were hoping for. That of a red fox running across a vast snow covered landscape, a minimalist dream.

On our very first day at Hokkaido, we happened to go on a fox ‘hunt’.

We were strolling down a narrow curving road. We had just concluded a not so satisfying attempt to photograph a pair of owls. A little ahead, our vehicle lay parked by the side of the road. Tall trees patrolled the sides of the road on our left and a fairly open snow covered field on our right. This field had quite a few unseemly bushes and ditches for a few hundred yards, and a cluster of trees to one side but further up, it opened up into a sea of snow covered land that undulated its way to a tree line that patrolled the horizon.

Whenever we would see an open snow field, one of us would inevitably remark – Oh to have a red fox running across that field.

That’s when we saw a red fox scamper across the road and vanish into the bushes on our right and into the ditch.

Wow !

If…IF, this fox was going for the treelines then we could get our dream shot. A running ball of red fur on a snow white background. All of us rushed forward as quickly as our layered attire and heavy boots allowed us.

A little further, almost exactly at the point where the fox had appeared, there was a wide track. We went down that, eyes peeled to our right trying to spot the fox. We could occasionally spy it nosing around in the bushes. A little later, darting amongst the trees. We knew we were getting closer.

All it needed to do was to head to the treelines.

It didn’t.

The red fox keeps a wary out for us as he makes the turn we didn't want him to

A little ahead, it turned towards the trail we were on. It crawled under a wired fence and stepped on the trail. Directly in front of us. It solemnly studied us for a moment and then calmly headed towards us for a closer inspection. We were definitely not expecting this and clumsily all of us dropped flat on the ground to take a ground level shot of the approaching fox.

Sometimes, there is too much of a good thing.

We had taken only our longer lens for photographing the owls with us and now we have our first fox far too close for the lens that we had. This was especially true for the guys in front. I was a little behind, and I might have fared a little better with my lens, but the guys lying in front were coming in the way. If the guys in front had a wide angle lens on them, they would have got some smashing images !

Such is the way the dice sometimes rolls.

Fearlessly, calmly, trotting towards us

But, we didn’t have to rue our missed chance. We came across the red fox at every single place we went to.

Sometimes, warily watching us from the distant tree lines. Sometimes, a little closer through the woods. Always fearless, always curious.

This guy stood at a distance, and seemed keen to venture our way, but a few cranes chased him away...btw, doesn't the light falling on the trees look gorgeous ?

This guy was running and then suddenly stopped to study our group. Isn't this setting incredibly pretty

It was in Rausu though that we could really get all sorts of images, even if the reason behind that was not a healthy one.

In Japan, it was a common sight to see people feeding foxes even if it is not allowed. In Rausu, on more than a couple of occasions, we saw people stepping out of their vehicles to feed the foxes. The foxes have also learnt that people do no harm and have lost their natural wariness and caution and come right upto every human being. Handing over processed food to wild animals might not be the wisest act one can do.

In fact, the best way to attract a fox was to rustle a piece of plastic in your pocket. The fox would recognize it as the sign of the presence of packaged food and would immediately come to you.

I remember our guide once letting it be known in no uncertain terms what he thought of this behavior to a group. ( It made no difference btw )

The foxes here were utterly unafraid of human presence 

Which allowed us to get some real closeups

...and interesting angles as it kept darting around

Fox on snow ! But, while this was good, this wasn't the minimalist image we were desperate for

Like this one...not the perfect one, but will do for now

The fox turns to look towards the sun and its a reflex action nowadays to underexpose and try to get this image

I struggled to get these images...maybe one or two were half decent

Despite the almost daily sightings that we were having it was what we saw on the last day that would be the most joyous one. While driving to a point for the cranes, we spied a pair of foxes indulging in a delightful courtship ritual.

On a wide open, snow covered field !

They joyfully bounded across the snow, chasing each other, nipping each other playfully, occasionally ignoring the other and instead, focusing on the possibility of a meal under the snow. And then, realizing that it was either a false alarm or having missed the opportunity, they would seamlessly get back into their romantic mood and nuzzle each other before jumping on each other sending its partner tumbling down.

They momentarily stopped to sit and stare at us, before resuming their romantic play.

Honestly...don't they look cute ! They pause momentarily to study us

Evidently, we were no threat...play time again !

I also got my fox on snow image. It was not the perfect shot, or the best moment...but I am happy with it for now.

Our trip was ending.

Our last day was ending.

There couldn’t have been a more joyful sight than to see a pair of foxes court each other on a carpet of snow, in gay abandon, oblivious to the entire world around them.

Cheers !

Ashok