I dont think that is a fox.

Agreed ^

Caught quite a few live trapping years ago. Sorry Mississippi if you have a bunch running around there now.

I caught a sampson yote back in the 70s in the Hayward, Wi. area. I sold it to Colson of Shawano WI. a fur buyer during a fur auction. Colson said first one he ever saw and was going to have it tanned and keep himself.

looks like a coyote pup to me

I caught this one in early November. A week or so later, I caught another coyote in the same trap, it was very red, but fully furred. Sorry, no pics of the second one.

Haha!

Yeah sorry meant to add this one was coyote sized. Never seen anything like it.

FWIW, one of my brown bear hunters once shot a Samson bear.

You were luckier than I was. I caught one in 1976 when fox were worth good money and my buyer gave me a buck fiddy for it.

Do you have That picture???

^^^^
I've got one somewhere, but as I recall it only makes the head clear in the picture.
It was a strange sight, it was a little muddy, we could tell something wasn't quite right, then we noticed it was just fuzzy, no guard hair. And no, it wasn't a rubbed spring bear, it was during a fall season.

Is it the coloration or the lack of guard hair that makes it a Samson, or are both characteristics usually evident?

^^^^^
Lack of guard hair.