CHAPTElv XIII. 



INDIAN MODES OF HUNTING FOXES. 



The fox as a rule is a most wily animal, and 

 numerous are the stories of his cunning toward 

 the Indian hunter with his steel traps. 



Starvation makes them catch in deadfalls, 

 but they must be very starved indeed before 

 they pull a piece of frozen bait and have a 

 weight fall on their back. The skins of foxes 

 killed during starvation are never so valuable, 

 as the hair then lacks the rich gloss. When 

 small game is plenty, such as rabbits and part- 

 ridges, and foxes are few, the skins are of a 

 deep richness not seen under other circum- 

 stances. 



There are several different and distinct col- 

 ors of foxes of the north country. They are all 

 of the same family, with the single exception 

 of the white or arctic fox. These, apart from 

 their difference of color, differ very much in 

 their characteristics. They are not cunning; on 

 the contrary, they are positively stupid. They 

 will readily catch in deadfalls, and will walk 

 into an open, uncovered steel trap in daylight! 



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