WILDLIFE -- Western Montana wildlife photographers Jaime and Lisa Johnson have been monitoring fox dens in their daily pursuit of outdoor images this spring.  Here's a journal post from Jaime regarding their latest encounter with the new crop of red foxes.

Funny,  last night we went for a drive to check on a few back country cameras. Lisa thought I put the camera in the truck; I thought she did.

So, after checking the back country motion cameras, we went for a drive to a few fox dens we know of. We realized there was no camera,

But still fun to see a fox.

Just before we got to the first den, papa fox ran across the road. He was on his was to find some food for the growing pups. When we got to the den, Mom was lying flat and pups were running and jumping all over the place. We watched for a while and then moved on to the next den.

When we arrived at that den, mom had three of the pups in a field about 50 yards from the den. It was a hunting lesson. The pups are growing fast!

So, tonight we headed to yet another active fox den we know of. We hiked out to the den (where we have been several times this year). The land owners have been really great to us letting us take pictures whenever we want. I’ve been there enough to have some of the traits of the pups memorized.

I switched it up and sat in a different place tonight hoping for a head-on shot (my favorite images of fox). After about 45 minutes, it worked like a charm.

I only took about a dozen images, but they are all different, sharp and head on! These guys are just about to leave home for hunting lessons – another week or so..

I love it when it works!