The Fox 



25 



as though begging protection from the relentless 

 hound. 



When the snow is soft and deep the dog with his 

 longer legs has the advantage, and sometimes the 

 fox is overtaken and killed. At such times, I ob- 

 served, the majority of foxes seemed to realize their 

 great disadvantage, usually keeping so near to their 

 burrows that, when hard pressed by the hounds, they 

 could "hole up" as a last resort. 



Let us look at some of the common methods em- 

 ployed by hunters in securing foxes that "hole up." 

 The fox may be "dug out." This is serious business 

 for a himter when the ground is frozen to the depth 

 of two feet or more, but if he decides that this is the 

 thing to be done, he borrows a pick and shovel from 

 some near by farmhouse. If the "boys" are at home, 

 the wise old hunter incidentally mentions that he has 

 "holed" a fox, and at once he has assistants at his 

 command. Before the digging begins a slender green 

 stick is cut, with which the direction of the burrow 

 is determined, and a pit is sunk some four or five 

 feet from the entrance. Then another bearing is 

 taken and a second pit is sunk, and by this means 

 much labor is saved. Sometimes a divide in the bur- 

 row is discovered, but the dog usually determines in 

 which one the fox is hiding; at other times the fox 



