Intense Predator Stare Down Caught on Camera in New York

In what looked like a scene out of the Wild West, two competing New York predators were recently caught on camera in an intense stare-down.

The Hudson Valley is rich with sharped-toothed (and clawed) hunters. From bobcats and bears to coyotes and even martens, there's almost always an animal in the nearby woods stalking its prey. It was two other predators, however, that recently came face-to-face.

Predator Standoff in Upstate New York

The chance encounter was even more special because neither animal was the intended target of the of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (NYS DEC) trail cam. From the NYS DEC:

This past summer, DEC staff around upstate New York set camera traps to help determine the status of bobcat populations. Although the target species of the project are bobcats, we routinely capture a wide variety of species... Sometimes these cameras catch intense interactions

"Intense Interaction" Caught on New York Trail Camera

"Intense" is an apt word, especially because of the relationship between the two animals seen together in the recent photo. A gray fox and a fisher were seen in a standoff, and there's good reason to suspect that there was bad blood between them.

Gray Foxes and Fishers in New York

"Although gray fox and fishers have very different physical builds, these two species compete for the same prey species", the NYS DEC explained. "[They also] are both arboreal predators – meaning they do most of their hunting in trees". Maybe that's the reason the video still gives of "this town ain't big enough for the two of us" vibes.

Bobcat Research by NYS DEC

The bobcat trail cameras (above) were set up in an effort to better understand their growing population across New York. As they spread west through the state, scientists are attempting to map the movement on previously tagged bobcats to get a better idea of which cat is where.

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Both gray foxes and fishers (as well as bobcats, skunks, weasels, and many others) are considered "furbearer species", meaning they can be hunted. You can learn more about hunting and trapping seasons for furbearers here, but if just admiring the fascinating New York wildlife is more your thing, check out the family of frolicking beavers (and a bear at SUNY New Paltz) below.