Fox always look better in the winter with their heavier coat on.  After a recent snow, everything was looking beautiful and fluffy.  

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The day before I was so excited, because I was seeing a color in fox I had never seen before. The cinnamon colored kit was unique, and very beautiful. As this adult fox approached, I saw it also had a unique color to its fur. This fox was definitely the kits dad, as it was the adult version of a cinnamon fox, and was awesome when the cinnamon kit went over and kissed him!

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Looking for fox kits from a distance is not easy, because they are so small. Even though this kit was out of its den, it was barely taller than the short grass in the meadow. It finally wondered over and checked us out as we lay in the grass.

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Watching red foxes never gets tiring, because you never know what they will do.  When this fox turned back and looked at me, it looked as if it could never hurt anything.

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In the meadow with tall grass, the fox kits could be hard to see sometimes. It made it difficult for photos to get clean shots of the kits. I was watching these kits, when all of a sudden this one kit lept real high and sneak attacked its siblings!

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After hunting down the hill for small animals with no success, it was time for this fox to switch hunting areas.  As it came up the hill to see where it wanted to hunt next, it popped up right in front of me.  As it looked around I could see every snow flake on its face.

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I love finding red fox in the winter with their big fluffy orange coats. I watched this fox move across the landscape hunting and looking for food.  The landscape was bright and dark off and on depending on if the sun was behind the clouds or not.  I didn't think the fox would go to the ridge and stop before cresting, but he did and the beautiful contrasts of light snow and dark clouds made for a beautiful winter scene.

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Red fox are one of my favorite animals to try and find to photograph in the winter. One of the reason why, is that they will jump into the air to pounce on their prey under the snow. It is just so much fun to watch and photograph! On this day, the snow had a hard crust on top of it, so the fox knew it had to jump higher to get more momentum to punch through the snow on its way down.

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Finding a fox den is not easy. It takes a lot of time and effort to find one. Once we found this one we set up a long way from the den and went back numerous days until we finally got to see the kits. Here a couple of the kits wait patiently at the den for a parent to return with food.

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Arctic fox are very active in the early morning, when their camouflage is at its best.  They move around looking and listening for movement under the snow.  I caught this fox as it was running to a spot where it heard something.

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In the winter, the Grand Tetons can get feet of snow in a matter of days.  Red fox are so small and light that they can walk on top of the snow without any problem.  This fox was taking a break from hunting and sat on top of a snow bank in front of the mountains. 

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I have seen red foxes come in many shades of red, but I have never seen a fox kit in this shade of red. This red was more of a cinnamon color, and was such a beautiful color for this fox!

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Watching a fox family is so much fun. There were 5 kits in this family, and any time a parent came back to the den, the kits would run and play and have so much energy. As mother fox looks around to make sure everything is safe, one of her kits reaches up to kiss her.

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It is not all that uncommon for different species of fox to mate with each other.  This colorful fox was part silver and red fox.  It gave this fox more of a distinction between the other fox around. 

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In photography, the very early morning and late evenings provide the best dramatic light. The vast majority of time, I can’t find an animal in a good location to take advantage of this light. However, on this evening, as the last light of the day was shining, this black fox kit came out of the bushes and stood in some shorter grass!

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Fox are very sly and smart.  In the snow it is easier for them to find prey because they can sense their movements under the snow. This fox was locked in and searching for food.  

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Fox kits are so small when they are young. This grass was only a few inches high, but half the kit was still covered by the grass. I’m sure the grass feels like a jungle to them when they are young.

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It can be a daunting task when you think about the amount of area a fox uses to hunt in.  Not only is it a large area, but their prey is underneath the snow, which means they have to walk lightly to hear any tiny movement.  It is not an easy job listening for movement underneath the snow. 

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An arctic fox really is difficult to see in the winter in its white coat.  If it's not moving around, it's almost impossible to see.  Only its bright yellow eyes give its position away in the snow, if you know what you are looking for.

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While photographing a family of foxes, I was distracted by a couple of kits that were closer to me, when I looked up and saw one leaning on its moms back. My only guess as to what it was doing was getting a higher vantage point to see over the tall grass like its mom can. Mother fox didn’t mind and let the kit lean on her for a number of seconds.

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This cross fox was very curious. It’s curiosity allowed me to photograph it at close range and I loved how the color of its face really brought out the color in its eyes.

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Fox kits are cute and small when first small. This kit was still only a few weeks old in this picture. After running around and playing, it went back to the den site and sat looking curiously out at its siblings.

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While watching one fox move across some rocks, all of a sudden another appeared a little distance away.  The one fox began to slowly creep up and surprise the other fox.  Once it was close enough, it lept at the intruding fox and began to fight over the territory.

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Animals in the winter have to hunt differently than in the summer. Fox and other animals listen for slight movement under the snow to detect voles that they cannot see. After determining where to jump, this fox lept and was about to dive head fist into the snow.

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Red fox are designed to be light enough to walk on top of the snow.  They can move much easier on snow than coyotes and wolves, because they stay on top of the snow pack and don't sink in.  As day turned to night, this fox was leaving the open meadow hunting grounds and heading back to the forest to sleep for the night.

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Winter is my favorite time of year to photograph foxes. There coats are full and they look very healthy. On this morning, the grasses were covered in a thick coat of hoar frost as this fox trotted along on top of the snow looking for its next meal.

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Red foxes in the winter grow a very thick winter coat to keep them warm.  When they lay down to take a nap, they curl up in a ball to keep their body heat concentrated.  This beautiful fox was very comfortable, but looked up to check out a noise that disturbed his sleep.

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I watched as this fox came down a large hill and headed my way. I figured it would stop and rest and never actually make it to me. The conditions were perfect for photography, but rarely do I find an animal to photograph in such conditions. This fox gave me a real treat and posed in the perfect light!

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Fox kits can come in many colors, and this fox kit was dark black. Black might not be the best for camouflage, but it was fun seeing this little guy. Here it is running through the meadow hoping to sneak up on its siblings.

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After a fox leaves the ground to jump for a prey animal, it can only hope it does not move once it is in the air.  The fox will jump as high as it thinks is needed to get to the animal.  The little animal will move most of the time, but the fox is successful on occasion. 

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Arctic fox are a very hard animal to find in the snow.  Even though I knew this fox was nearby, it wasn't until it was behind the dark rock that I could really see it.

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After a fresh snowfall, this red fox was out early in the morning looking for food. When we found it, it was a long way away, but it slowly kept coming our direction and came close to us but didn’t even care we were there.

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One of my favorite animals to photograph in winter is the red fox. Their coats are so pretty and full in the winter. In this open forest, it was a fun surprise to find this fox sitting between the trees. It sat there for a while, before getting up and moving on.

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In rural ares foxes are well known to have dens either under barns or near them. This was the case with this kits family, and we would wait for them to come out of the barn. This kit looks out to make sure it can leave the barn before it heads out on an adventure.

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Along the shoreline, their are lots of large boulders.  Many little animals like to hide in their for protection.  Foxes were always along these rocks and jumping between them to find food.  

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Red fox can cover miles a day in the winter. They are so light that they often stay on top of the snow and can move very easily without using much extra effort. I found this fox as it was patrolling its territory and walking through the forest.

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I watched as this cross fox crossed the open meadow and headed my way. I knew there was a rise, so I positioned myself below it in the hopes the fox would go on top. When it did, I had the shot I wanted with the sky above the fox and the fox filling the frame.

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Watching a red fox hunt in the winter is fun. They will give a big leap and dive head first into the snow after their prey. This fox was trying to determine exactly where to jump alongside the river.

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The height a fox jump varies for different reasons.  If their prey is on the move they do not want to jump to high and let it escape.  If the snow is really thick then they have to jump as high as they can to make it through the snow.  This was the highest I had seen a fox jump and in the air he was picking out his landing point.  

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When a fox loses their winter coat, they look like they are not as healthy because they lose their fluff. This red fox was doing just fine, as it was looking back at the brown bear it had just outrun.

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