Curved claws help it hang on to trees as well. It may hide in an empty nest of a crow or hawk when it senses danger. Although tree climbing shields this amazing fox from dogs, it unfortunately may make it an easy target for fox hunters. Some gray foxes even live in hollow limbs of oak trees. Unlike the red fox, this fox prefers living in areas with dense cover, such as a deep forest.
Gray foxes use dens all year long.
They will dig their own dens if they have to, but if they have a choice, they prefer vacant dens built by some other animal, and deepen it by a few feet.