10 CIRCULAR 8, FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



trap set as has been described. This is also a good method of baiting 

 for a snow set. 



When a fox trail leads to a narrow, shallow, sluggish stream, or 

 shallow spring, a set may be made in the water. Several weeks before 

 the trapper plans to begin trapping, he should set a stone or chunk 

 of turf in the water about 2 feet from the bank so that it extends 

 slightly above the surface and is in line with the place where the foxes 

 have been coming up to the water. Then midway between the stone 

 or piece of turf and the bank, he should build up a pile of mud from 

 the bottom of the stream or pool until it is nearly level with the sur- 

 face and cover the top with moss so that it extends just above the 

 water. When ready to trap, he should lift off the moss, embed the 

 trap in the mud as has been described, and place the moss back over 

 the trap. 



When traveling the trap lines, the trapper should not approach the 

 trap sets any nearer than is necessary to see if they are still undis- 

 turbed. He should leave as few traces of his visit as possible. Trap 

 lines should be visited daily. 



The pelt of a fox should always be cased. An experienced trapper 

 can quickly show how this should be done. It is important to learn 

 how to do this well and how to dry and prepare the skin for sale, for 

 the condition of the skin greatly affects the price. A good description 

 of pelting is given in The Fox in New York, by Clayton B. Seagears. 



DEN HUNTING 



When it is necessary to reduce the fox population rapidly, den hunt- 

 ing with destruction of the pups is advised as a supplement to other 

 methods. The proper time to hunt dens is from the latter part of April 

 through June, depending on the section of the country, generally later 

 the farther north the area is situated. This work should be syste- 

 matic and thorough. It requires keen observation, persistence, and a 

 knowledge of the habits of foxes. 



Foxes may make their dens on high knolls, in a bank or hillside, in 

 stone piles or old strawstacks, or even in level land. Elevated places, 

 however, are generally favored. Foxes, as a rule, prefer to enlarge 

 abandoned badger, skunk, or rabbit burrows rather than to dig new 

 holes for dens. 



Certain signs indicate to the hunter that a den is nearby. Fox 

 tracks may lead from a main trail, or scattered tracks may run to- 

 gether into a well defined path, toward a den. If the trapper sees 

 the parent foxes and they appear nervous and excited, he may be 

 reasonably sure that a den is nearby. On observing him, the foxes 

 may circle about the den, singly or in pairs, appearing and disappear- 

 ing in the distance. They may bark at him and try to attract him 

 away from the den. A good hunter will soon recognize these and 

 other tricks and indications of the existence of a den. Areas in which 

 foxes have denned previously should be systematically hunted for 

 holes that have the appearance of fox dens. 



DESTRUCTION OF PUPS 



When an occupied den is found, all the entrances should be closed 

 except one from which it is intended to take the pups. This entrance 

 should also be closed if the hunter cannot remove the pups at once, 



