In September, I was unable to go out for shooting because I did not have the right equipment, but this fall, I finally had it all, so I took the plunge and went to East Hokkaido for a trip to cover the event.
On the first day, I went to “Kita Kitsune Ranch” in Rubeshibe, Kitami City, which we always visit when I go to the Shiretoko area.
Kita Kitsune Ranch is a sightseeing facility in the style of grazing northern foxes, which are widely found in Hokkaido. Anyway, if you want to meet a lot of foxes, this is definitely the best spot in Hokkaido.
Although they are not pets and cannot be petted, there are no fences or cages, so you can see the foxes living freely.
*This facility has various precautions regarding entry, so please listen carefully to the explanation on the web or at the time of admission for details.
It is located near the Onneyu Hot Springs Roadside Station, but the entrance is on the north side of the river, a little difficult to find.
Immediately after crossing the bridge, you will see an unassuming billboard on your left.
So, I took these photos on my way to Shiretoko…
The maximum temperature in Kitami City, Hokkaido, on that day was 26 degrees Celsius.
Although mid-August marks the end of summer in Hokkaido, the days are still warm (hot) when walking around, and the foxes seem to be engrossed in napping.
When photographing foxes in the wild, they tend to look at you, but the foxes here are accustomed to this and do not look at you, allowing you to capture their spontaneous and relaxed appearance in a natural way.
As summer draws to a close, the foxes may be getting ready for their winter coats (is it too early to tell?). If you look closely at the foxes that are humping their necks, you can see their fox fur dancing in the daylight.
Shall I collect them and bring them home?
It was around 11:00 a.m., a little over an hour into the shoot.
I suddenly looked toward the back and saw an interesting looking fox. Daylight fell in the foreground, and I was able to capture a nice little atmosphere, as if only one of them was in the spotlight. It was a very good first day.
Even after only about an hour, we were able to see many cute foxes, so this is a great place to stop by when visiting the neighborhood.
Especially if you are traveling by car, it may be a good idea to rest your eyes at Kita Kitsune for a break as it is just a rest point when you come through from Kamikawa and Sounkyo.
I will be back to the east of Hokkaido in February, and I hope to see the fox body replaced by beautiful winter fur when I visit there.
