BigGameHoundsmen.com

Oregon Fish and Wildlife
Azalea fox tests positive for rabies

December 12, 2014

ROSEBURG, Ore.—A gray fox involved in a Dec. 11 biting incident in the Alazlea-Glen Road area (Douglas County) has tested positive for rabies.

Rabies is a viral disease of mammals that attacks an infected animal’s nervous system. Rabies symptoms in wildlife, particularly foxes and raccoons, include lethargy, walking in circles, loss of muscular coordination, convulsions, irritability or aggressiveness, disorientation, excessive drooling of saliva, and showing no fear of humans.

Rabies can be transmitted from infected wild mammals (bats, fox, coyotes, skunks, or raccoons) to unvaccinated pets and livestock, or to humans. The virus is present in the saliva of infected animals and is often transmitted through the bite or other contact with a rabid animal.

If you see any wild animals exhibiting strange behavior, call the ODFW Wildlife Health Lab toll-free at 866-968-2600 to report the animal to one of ODFW’s veterinary staff. (Or call your local ODFW district office during regular business hours.) If you see pets or stray cats or dogs acting strangely, contact Douglas County Animal Control at 541-440-4471.

People in the area should take extra caution not to approach wildlife or stray pets. If bitten or scratched by a wild animal or a stray, immediately wash the area with soap and water for at least five minutes and seek medical attention. The incident should be reported to your local health department or the Douglas County Environmental Health Program at 541-440-3574.

ODFW also reminds people in the area to not feed wildlife, to keep garbage in secure containers and to feed pets indoors. Wildlife can be excluded from living areas by sealing openings in attics, basements, porches, sheds, barns and screen chimneys that might provide access to bats and other wildlife.

Trapping seasons are also currently open for gray fox and other furbearers. Trappers in the area should take extra caution when checking traps.

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Contact:
Michelle Dennehy
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
(503) 931-2748
Michelle.N.Dennehy@state.or.us

Jake

Southwest Oregon is void of Gray Fox on the ranches I manage during the late summer and fall months. From July to November I captured only one fox on my trail cameras where I normally see hundreds....I hear reports from ODFW about a rabies epidemic but find most are like the raccoon population and suffer more from distemper...

Back many years ago I killed between three and five hundred coon during our State season on the coast and hunted 7 nights per week and did until the fur market dropped. When we harvested them animals, they appeared to thrive more than today...Go hunt the Coast and you tree coon, but not like the old days. I blame disease for wiping out those critters where our hunting & harvesting left off, disease has taken over!

Merry Christmas to the Gibson Family!

Thanks mike. Merry Christmas to u and your family. Like to get together and hear some hounds some day.

Mike you just said a lot . We have people with the frame of mind not to kill, leave it in the tree. With most wildlife it is actually beneficial to take some animals. As with anything it can be over harvested but I think you can increase the numbers by harvesting some. Know how many animals that are in a population and taking some be lion, bobcat, coon or fox you can increase your populations. If none are harvested you will see a boom and bust population. Dewey

Jake
I found this old picture I took of your dad and granddad with a bear in the Applegate country in S.W. Oregon from three and one half decades ago and bear hunting with the Gibson's. Your dad was a teenager....When I saw your post it reminded me of many years gone by and bear hunting Oregon....Some good memories!




Mike

That's a cool pic. I like seein those old pics. Kind of puts a picture to the stories I've heard about the good times. When men could be men and could hunt a dog the way they need to be hunted. Thanks for sharing.