Foxes in Pennsylvania: where to look and what signs to watch for

Yes, both red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) live in Pennsylvania. Red foxes prefer open fields and farmlands, while gray foxes favor wooded areas with rocky terrain. You can find them in every county, but numbers are higher in rural areas with mixed habitat. Check our Pennsylvania wildlife hub for more local species info.

Two species call Pennsylvania home. The red fox is larger, weighing 7 to 15 pounds, with russet fur, black ears, and a white belly. It hunts mice, voles, and rabbits in open farmland and grassland. The gray fox is smaller, 7 to 13 pounds, with salt-and-pepper gray fur and russet flanks. Gray foxes are more elusive and prefer dense forests, especially rocky areas in the Appalachian regions of central Pennsylvania. A third species, the kit fox, is absent from Pennsylvania. For detailed ID tips, visit our fox identification page.

Foxes are mostly crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. You might also see them at night, especially under clear moonlight. During breeding season, January to February, and when raising pups in spring, they can be more active in daylight. If you want to spot one, plan your outing for early morning or late evening, especially in areas with thick cover nearby. Listen for their distinctive barks and screams, which carry far on quiet mornings.

Fox tracks are oval, about 1.5 to 2.5 inches long, with four toe pads and a triangular heel pad. Their trail often shows a direct register, where the rear foot steps into the front foot print, creating a neat line. Look for scat that is pointed and often contains fur or berry seeds. Den entrances are about 6 to 8 inches wide, often under logs or rock piles or in old groundhog burrows. Red fox dens may have dirt mounded around the entrance, while gray fox dens are often hidden and harder to spot. For more tracking tips, visit our fox identification page.

See our state animal guide for the next step.

Your best odds are in agricultural areas with a mix of fields, woods, and hedgerows. State parks like Pine Grove Furnace, Ridley Creek, and Tyler State Park have good fox populations. Gray foxes are more secretive and prefer forests with rocky outcrops, especially in the Appalachian ridge-and-valley province. Red foxes are bolder near farmlands, particularly around horse pastures, crop fields, and orchards. Focus on edges between open land and forest, brushy creek bottoms, and abandoned agricultural areas returning to scrub and young forest. Early morning walks along field edges are especially productive in spring and fall.