Red Fox Stare Down at Island Beach State Park

My wife and I spent a few hours at Island Beach State Park in Ocean County New Jersey this afternoon.

It was a beautiful sunny day and so we decided to drive the almost 10 miles of this narrow barrier beach that is sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay.

I knew there were red foxes resident on IBSP, but was nonetheless excited about actually seeing one up-close today.

This fox would let you get within about 20 feet of it, as they have become adept at begging for food of the human kind.

Of course, some visitors break the rules which warn you that feeding a fox could result in a $1500 USD fine.

At one point in taking these images I got an explicit stare-down, which I guess was the fox's way of telling me to back up and keep my distance. Either that, or it was just angry that I wasn't giving it anything to eat.

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• Google Maps: Island Beach State Park

Excerpt from the IBSP website:
_{Red foxes are not uncommon in Island Beach State Park but being able to see them is purely a matter of luck. The park population does not seem to be particularly afraid of people but they do tend to stay hidden most of the time. This species is very adaptable. It can also be found in many parts of North America that are a lot more developed than Island Beach.}

_{PLEASE DO NOT FEED OR TRY TO GET TO CLOSE TO ANY FOXES YOU ENCOUNTER! If a fox becomes well acclimated to being fed by humans, they may begin to engage in riskier behavior that will lead to them getting run over by a car. Red foxes are also skinny creatures, so while they look like they could use some food they are probably eating just fine without any help from us. The foxes have plenty of natural food sources within the park!}

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All images @cognoscere and taken on Sunday October 31, 2017 at Island Beach State Park in Ocean County New Jersey (Sony RX100 V)