FOXES FOXHOUNDS & FOX-HUNTING 



five Lakeland packs did their best to keep them 

 within reasonable bounds, they were severely 

 handicapped by the absence of many regular 

 followers, who are of great assistance when hounds 

 are out. 



Although the average hill-fox to-day is not 

 exactly " as fierce as a tiger, and long as a 

 hayband," some hefty specimens are brought to 

 hand every season, and weights of i81b. and iglb. 

 are still by no means uncommon. The heaviest 

 fox killed by the Ullswater was one of 231b., 

 accounted for on Cross Fell. This fox measured 

 4ft 4in. long, and had 4in. of white on the end of 

 its brush. 



In the old days, foxes were much fewer on the 

 fells than they are now, and blank days were not 

 at all unusual. Which reminds me of the yarn 

 concerning the old sportsman, who when asked 

 what were the three most enjoyable things on 

 earth, replied, ' ' A good day with hounds," pause, 

 " A bad day with hounds," further consideration, 

 then " Damn it all sir, a blank day with hounds." 



Joe Bowman has told the writer that in his 

 younger days a total of six and a half or seven 

 brace of foxes for the season was accounted good ; 

 now as noted, Joe annually kills his thirty brace 

 or more. The so-called "greyhound" foxes, 

 once common on the fells, were not a distinct 

 variety, but being indigenous to the hills, and un- 

 contaminated with foreign blood, they were more 

 protectively coloured than their present day 

 descendants. They were big, lean foxes, grey of 

 jacket, and always in hard condition. Big, 

 greyish foxes are still sometimes accounted for, 

 but the real old "greyhound" sort are now 

 chiefly to be seen reposing under glass cases m 

 the fell-head farm houses. With the gradual 



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