A red fox carries her cub through the forest as a hunter chases her. Arriving at a farm, the mother fox hides the cub. In a tree, Big Mama, an owl, watches as the mother says goodbye and runs out into a field, drawing the hunter’s attention. Suddenly, rifle shots are heard, and Big Mama realizes the mother fox has been killed. Wanting to help the orphaned fox, Big Mama, Boomer the woodpecker, and Dinky the finch, get elderly farm owner, Widow Tweed, to come outside and find the fox cub. After Tweed carries the cub inside and feeds him a bottle of milk, she decides to keep him, and names him Tod, short for “toddler.” Meanwhile, Tweed’s neighbor, a hunter named Amos Slade, introduces his hunting dog, Chief, to Copper, a bloodhound puppy they will train. Later, Tod chases after a butterfly and crosses onto Slade’s property. After Copper finds Tod by his scent, they play hide-and-seek until Slades calls Copper to return home. Tod makes his new friend promise to play with him again. The next day, Tod and Copper go swimming in a nearby pond, and promise each other they will always be best friends. Later, Copper returns, but Slade, upset by the puppy constantly wandering away, tethers him to his doghouse on a leash. The following day, Tod arrives to play, but Copper tells him he needs to stay near Chief, who is asleep. Suddenly, Tod’s scent awakens Chief, and the hunting dog chases him. Slade appears with his rifle and shoots at the fox, but Tod escapes by jumping into the trunk of Widow Tweed’s passing car as she drives to town. Slade follows in his own vehicle and shoots at Tweed. Angry, she forces Slade to a stop. Taking his rifle, she shoots Slade’s radiator and tells him to leave Tod alone. However, Slade threatens that if he ever sees Tod on his property again, he will kill the fox. In the autumn, Slade leaves for an extended hunting trip with Chief and Copper. Tod goes to say goodbye to Copper, but does not make it in time. Big Mama, Boomer and Dinky arrive, and tell Tod that foxes and hunting hounds are enemies. Tod does not believe them, and insists Copper would never hurt him. When spring arrives, Big Mama comes out of hibernation, and Boomer and Dinky return after flying south for the winter. Tod arrives to greet the birds, and they are shocked by how much he has grown. Later, Slade returns to his home with Chief and a grown-up Copper. In the evening, Tod sneaks onto Slade’s property to see his best friend, but Copper tells Tod he is a hunting dog now, and cannot be friends with a fox. Chief sees Tod and alerts Slade. Tod runs into the forest, followed by Slade, Chief and Copper. Finding Tod first, Copper offers to let him escape this one time. Tod runs to the railroad tracks as Copper leads Slade in the opposite direction. Chief sees Tod and chases him along a railroad bridge. Just then, a train appears. Tod jumps away, but Chief is hit and falls off the bridge. After finding Chief with a broken hind leg, Copper and Slade blame Tod for Chief’s injury. Meanwhile, Widow Tweed finds Tod and brings him home. Slade arrives and reaffirms that he will kill Tod the next time he sees him. Realizing she cannot protect the fox, Tweed drives him to a nearby Game Preserve and sets him free. Tod seeks shelter from the oncoming rain, but an angry badger orders Tod out of his home. A porcupine lets Tod share his home in a tree. In the morning, Big Mama arrives looking for Tod. Instead, she finds Vixey, a young female fox. The two locate Tod near a pond. Instantly smitten by Vixey, Tod tries to impress her by catching a fish, but falls into the water. Afterward, Vixey shows Tod the preserve and how to live in the woods. The following day, Slade and Copper arrive at the preserve. Ignoring the “No Hunting” signs, they sneak in and Slade sets out traps to capture Tod. Seeing the traps, Tod and Vixey hide in Vixey’s burrow, but Copper and Slade follow them. Slade starts a fire to smoke the foxes out, but Tod and Vixey escape by jumping over the flames. Copper and Slade pursue them, but are stopped by a bear. As Slade shoots, he falls, losing his rifle and getting his foot caught in one of his traps. As the bear approaches, Copper attacks, but is knocked to the ground. From the mountain, Tod sees the bear looming over Copper. Wanting to save his friend, Tod runs back and attacks the bear. As they fight, Tod leads the bear onto a log in front of a waterfall. However, the log breaks, and Tod and the bear fall into the water below. Tod survives and swims to shore, where Copper finds him. Freed from his trap, Slade arrives and aims his rifle at Tod. However, Copper stands in front of Tod, the friend who saved his life. Realizing that Copper will not move, Slade decides to let Tod live and lowers his rifle. Before Slade and Copper leave the preserve, Copper turns around and smiles at Tod. Later, Widow Tweed helps Slade bandage his injured foot. As Copper dozes off, be thinks back to his first meeting with Tod when they were young. In the distance, Tod and Vixey watch over his former home, knowing he and Copper will always be friends.