This ted fox cub, lying down, uses the cutting 

 teeth on the side of the mouth while feeding. 



Even if fraud is eliminated, the fox bounty 

 promises to be one of the most costly means of 

 controlling a fox population. The taking of foxes 

 requires considerable time and effort; thus, the 

 bounty must be attractive enough financially to 

 provide sustained incentive for hunters and trap- 

 pers. It is obvious that large sums of money must 

 be expended to effect a significant reduction in a 

 sizable fox population. 



The bounty system is undesirable also in that 

 it encourages killing during times of the year when 

 the fur is unprime. Further, it is difficult even for 

 the expert to trap in such a way as to avoid taking 

 some animals other than foxes. 



The bounty system has rarely accomplished 

 the population control expected from it. In areas 

 where this system has been in effect, such as in 

 Pennsylvania (letter of April 2, 1952, from Dr. P. 

 F. English, Department of Zoology and Entomol- 

 ogy, Pennsylvania State University), populations 

 have increased to levels where rabies epizootics 

 have become an important consideration. In Michi- 

 gan, it has been reported that more bounties were 

 being paid on foxes in 1951, the fourth year of the 

 fox bounty, than in the first year, 1948 (Arnold 

 1952a: 3). In Wisconsin, Richards & Mine (1953: 

 74-5) have reported, "At the present time, if we 

 judge the value of the bounty system on its 'pred- 

 ator control' feature, we must conclude that there 

 is more evidence which indicates that the present 

 bounty system is not controlling the fox popula- 



The interest of this young red fox is attracted by 

 a beetle found on a hunting trip. 



tions than there is evidence that fox bounties are 

 accomplishing their purpose." 



While control programs commenced after popu- 

 lations have been permitted to reach extremely 

 high levels seem less desirable tlian methods 

 which anticipate and prevent build-ups to exces- 

 sively high populations, the most suitable methods 

 for use against high populations appear to be those 

 that involve a carefully organized program of trap- 

 ping and den hunting by paid employees. Den hunt- 

 ing, as practiced by the unskilled, is often 

 undesirable because it usually means destruction 

 of underground habitat and sometimes, directly or 

 indirectly, of inoffensive wildlife species. It is 

 highly desirable that control programs utilize the 

 instruction and assistance available from trained 

 state and federal officials. 



If the bounty system could be properly admin- 

 istered, if its costs were not prohibitive, and if it 

 were an effective method of population control, 

 one of the chief results would be maintenance of a 

 healthy fox population. It would seem less waste- 

 ful of public funds and more in keeping with the 

 wise-use philosophy of conservation to stimulate 

 the harvesting of surplus foxes for sport and fur 

 rather than for bounty payments. Perhaps if a pay- 

 ment program were to be set up, it would be in 

 closer conformity with modern economic views to 

 provide it in the form of a price supports program 

 for fur. 



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