Start and Process of the Mating Season

During the so-called mating season, the breeding time of the European red fox, male foxes specifically search for ready-to-mate vixens while simultaneously trying to outcompete rival males, known as dogs.

In search of a partner, they often leave their home territory and cover long distances. This distance can be up to five kilometers from their home territory, and in certain cases, it can be even greater.

It can happen that more than one dog scents the same vixen and several males gather in her vicinity. This leads to aggressive dominance fights, which can result in serious injuries. Foxes are also active during the day in the mating season.

The mating season usually occurs between December and February, which fortunately for hunters mostly coincides with the time when hunting of game animals is paused. This allows them to fully focus on hunting the red coats and their tracks, which usually reveal the locations of the males.

About 40 different sounds of the European red fox are known, which serve for communication. Most of these are contact calls. The most frequently emitted sound is similar to a high-pitched dog bark or a hoarse scream. The pitch varies between the sexes. If a dog and a vixen are familiar with each other, they can recognize each other by their individual sounds.

It Smells Like a Rancid Fox!

In addition to communication through sounds, as with almost all canids, communication through marking plays a significant role. During the peak of the mating season, both dogs and vixens mark multiple times during a night, with both sexes lifting their legs.

The distinction between the sexes when addressing the animals is significantly complicated for the hunter. Outside of the mating season, the differences in behavior during urination are very telling. Like dogs, the vixen crouches while urinating, whereas the dog lifts its leg.

The differences in "marking" arise primarily because the markings during the mating season do not occur through the secretion of urine, but through secretions from scent glands.

Through these scent deposits, messages can be conveyed to conspecifics. Under favorable conditions, dogs can scent a vixen from several hundred meters away. The typical fox smell is secreted during the mating season from the gland located about five centimeters away from the base of the tail.

The Mating

Unlike other canids, foxes are only seasonally fertile. The fertile period peaks in January. In the more northern parts of Europe, the mating season does not begin until March. During a cycle period, each vixen has only a few fertile days, usually between two and three. The receptivity of the vixen can be detected by the dog from the scent of the marking up to two weeks before ovulation. Red foxes reach sexual maturity at about ten months.

If a dog encounters a ready-to-mate vixen during its search, the mating act, which takes place in fox dens or outdoors, often lasts several hours. After mating, both partners remain connected for a certain period. The reason for the so-called "tie" is the swelling of the dog's penis to several times its normal size. It takes about half an hour for the pair to separate again. Since vixens usually mate with several dogs during their fertile days, it is possible for a litter of pups to come from different fathers. The vixen is pregnant for about 53-54 days before she typically gives birth to a litter of three to six pups.

The Hunt During the Mating Season

The high activity of foxes during the mating season can be well utilized by hunters for hunting red coats. Hunters often intensify their calling hunts during the mating season. It is also advisable to make increased use of high seats located near dens.

However, stalking with thermal imaging and/or night vision technology is also promising. As mentioned above, the dogs are extremely mobile during the mating season and can be easily spotted on bare fields. 

For hunting, combined weapons such as the buckshot rifle, the drilling, and the buck drilling are recommended. The small-caliber bullet barrel minimally affects the pelt, which is in its winter splendor at this time, allowing for better utilization.