News Track: Iowa DNR asks for public help for gray fox research

After the excitement of trapping and collaring one of the state’s elusive gray foxes last fall, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has increased its call to the public to help with the research, asking for Iowans to report gray fox sightings.

Background

The Midwest’s gray fox population has declined “substantially” over the last 25 years, said Vince Evelsizer, a furbearer and wetland biologist for the Iowa DNR.

The department launched a pilot research project in winter 2022 to trap gray foxes and put a GPS collar on them to track their habits, movements and whereabouts when they are released. Through this, researchers in collaboration with Iowa State University are hoping to understand better why the gray fox population is declining.

Evelsizer said one reason behind the decline could be the virus canine distemper, which he said is currently high among the raccoon population. He said the contagious virus has caused disorientation and tremors in raccoons, and is fatal for them. But there could be other factors, like predators or loss of habitat.

What’s happened since

Since the research project started, the Iowa DNR has collared only one gray fox — a number that Evelsizer thought would be higher — in November 2023.

“We certainly hoped there would be more, but we didn't know how many we'd be able to get caught,” Evelsizer said. “I think it emphasizes how few are out there on the landscape.”

The department will start using cameras to help track the gray foxes this February or March for a preliminary trail camera survey. Whether the agency will use the cameras that store images on memory cards or cameras that transmit live images — or both — will be dictated by its budget.

Evelsizer said the pilot trail camera survey will include placing cameras throughout the Driftless region in Northeast Iowa for about a month to track both the gray fox and fishers, a member of the weasel family that resembles a large mink, along with other mesocarnivores — or mid-sized carnivores like bobcats and red foxes.

“What the objective of the survey is to determine where those two rare species, gray fox and fishes, are and are not over a large spatial area,” Evelsizer said.

Evelsizer said the launch of the pilot trail camera survey was in the works at the beginning of the pilot gray fox research project, but became “extra important” to launch amid the slow start to the collaring process.

“With the collaring progress and research being slow, it became apparent ‘What else can we do?’” Evelsizer asked. ”Let's try other things to keep learning all we can about gray fox.“

Trail camera surveys are an emerging method to monitor animals, Evelsizer said, adding that the benefit of using them is that they work 24/7

But despite the slow start to the pilot study, Evelsizer said the Iowa DNR has new leads on where gray foxes might be, including in Butler and Davis counties, in hopes of trapping and collaring them.

Evelsizer said researchers have not been trying to trap the gray foxes since mid-March, saying it is “biologically better” to leave them alone during the warmer months in case they have a pup. He said researchers will continue their trapping efforts in mid-fall.

The DNR is offering a $400 reward funded by the Iowa Wildlife Federation for trapping a healthy gray fox. The fox must be collared by the DNR to receive the reward.

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Comments: (319) 398-8370; olivia.cohen@thegazette.com