On this very icy cold morning I was hiking through a wooded area, and, coming to a clearing, saw this fox run out to the far side of the clearing and bark. Clearly he was very agitated and I knew right away that there was den nearby. Naturally, I didn't go looking for the den, and not wanting to stress this poor guy, I began moving away. However, I clearly moved in the wrong direction, because the fox followed at a discreet distance, then ran past me into this thicket where it sat and kept a wary eye on me. Once I began moving AWAY from that vicinity, it followed at a safe distance and barked a few times more. When I was a satisfactory distance from the vicinity of the den, it turned and raced away back to where it came from. It has been awhile since I've had such an encounter, and I was very happy to see this gorgeous and healthy looking animal. This is peak time for fox families and they will have youngsters, probably just starting to change their charcoal coats for the rich red of the adult.