Running with a Fox

     Most everyone has heard of Dances with Wolves but how about running with a fox?  We have a large number of young fox here at the end of the Gunflint Trail.  These fox have been entertaining us with their daily snack visits and evening screech calls throughout the summer.  My son Josh who is 5 calls all of them Freddy; Freddy the Fox. One day while the fox was in our yard Josh decided he wanted to pet the fox and started to chase after it.  Luckily Mike saw this and yelled for him to stop.  Then Mike cautioned Josh and said the fox could turn around and bite him.  Josh just looked at Mike like he was being ridiculous and said, "Dad, he won’t bite me, that’s Freddy."

     There have been a couple of times this summer when Freddy, or another fox, has decided to run with me.  I’ll start out for a morning run with Rugby and before long I notice a fox trotting behind me.  This tends to drive Rugby a bit crazy and causes him to not look where he is running.  It also makes drivers turn their head when they see me running with a dog on a leash and a fox in tow.  I’m not sure why the fox thinks he needs to take a 4-mile run, but as long as he’s willing, I’ll continue running with a fox.  Thanks to Diane Brown for the picture of Freddy.