Assessing Gray Fox Population Declines

Factors Affecting Gray Fox Populations and Distribution in Indiana

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Report an observation (live or dead) of a gray fox in Indiana using our online submission form.
Learn how trappers can help with our projects, including payment for your assistance, and contacting us via the Gray Fox Project Hotline.

Gray foxes are a valuable and understudied furbearer not only in Indiana, but generally across its entire range. Several indices suggest range contractions not only in Indiana, but also other Midwest states. The factor(s) causing these distributional changes is unknown, but may be linked to habitat loss and fragmentation, changing mesocarnivore (e.g., coyote) community structure, disease, and other factors, and likely is a complex relationship among these factors. During 2020–2023, we are implementing a large-scale, comprehensive study at two study sites in Indiana, with objectives designed to directly assess causes of population changes of gray foxes, and to provide recommendations for management of this species that can be applied in Indiana, but also other Midwest states.

Geriann Albers (Indiana Department of Natural Resources) and Dr. Dawn Reding (Luther College) are providing critical expertise as collaborators on this project.

Based on observations obtained during the archer index, there is evidence of a long-term declining trend in the statewide population of gray foxes in Indiana.

Our project study area includes two study sites: central (Bartholomew, Decatur, and Shelby counties; primarily agriculture and private lands) and southern (Crawford, Harrison, Orange, and Perry counties; primarily forested with public lands) Indiana, USA. Red = all developed-area cover types, yellow = cultivated crops, and green = all forest-cover types.

What does this substantial effort include?

Capturing and GPS-collaring 40–70 gray foxes in two multi-count study sites in Indiana
Assessing survivorship and cause-specific mortality, including an attempt to assess pup survival
Determining space use and habitat selection of gray foxes
Modeling potential gray fox habitat in Indiana using Maxent software
Assessing diseases and parasites of gray foxes
Conducting diet analysis
Evaluating gene flow and identifying potential genetic barriers

Although this is already a major project, we are also looking into ways to expand the project, both spatially (other Midwest states) and through additional field techniques to meet our objectives.

Learn more about gray foxes in Indiana on the Indiana Department of Natural Resources web page here.

Stay tuned for project updates!

Gray Fox Observation Form (Indiana)
Please include detailed information about your observation (date, specific location, etc.)

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Date of Observation (mm/dd/yyyy) *

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Here's a couple of our first detections of gray foxes on the project, on our southern Indiana study site. Remember to watch the video using Full Screen!

Gray Fox Project Hotline = (812) 343-8350

Use the Hotline if

You are a trapper and you have captured a gray fox alive that we can radio-collar and release. If the fox is releasable, we will pay you $75.00/fox. This is limited to our central (Bartholomew, Decatur, and Shelby counties) and southern (Crawford, Harrison, Orange, and Perry counties) study sites.
You are a trapper and have captured a gray fox anywhere in Indiana and are willing to sell the carcass (with or without pelt) to us. We will pay you $25.00/carcass.

We make every effort to answer the Hotline immediately, especially because you may have a live captured gray fox for us. If we do not answer, please leave a voicemail and we will return your call as soon as possible.

Project Partners