DIGGING OUT YOUNG FOXES 181 



by the enormous prices given for silver or black 

 cubs, which to the fortunate captors represented 

 a veritable gold-mine. 



In April and May, when the fox-dens are 

 located and the cubs dug out, places such as 

 Big River and lie a la Crosse were " fox-crazy," 

 and the whole territory within reach was being 

 scoured for Reynard. 



This wholesale capture of foxes serves the 

 mood of the moment, but I fear there are yet 

 to be many regrets when both trapper and fox- 

 merchant come to realise that they have killed 

 " the goose that laid the golden egg.^ 



If wild-fox fur is to remain a valuable asset 

 to Canada, digging out the young in the early 

 spring should be made illegal by law, or limited 

 by law to a very stringent degree. The export of 

 live foxes is governed in a degree by the issue of 

 permits, but these permits in 1914 were generously 

 given, it seemed to me, and, moreover were often 

 evaded ; nor was it possible in out-of-the-way 

 places to follow the movements of keen buyers or 

 the extent of their purchases. 



Again, in 1914, by a recent revision of the 

 Game Act, it was unlawful to take foxes before 

 May 15. This restriction was seldom observed 

 north of the frontier, cubs were dug just when 

 the dens contained them, and kept until they were 

 wanted by the buyer. Such a state of affairs 

 would cease if it was unlawful to dig out foxes 

 and unlawful to buy foxes, except, perhaps, in 

 a very limited degree, and only under Govern- 

 ment supervision. Obviously, if it is desired 

 to preserve a declining species of any kind, man- 



