56 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



the open door after a few hours. Or, in the cases where escape has been 

 over snow banks, they will usually return when hungry. They may be 

 driven into the alleys from the outer enclosiu'e when a temporary fence 

 of meshed wire is stretched across from the pen to the outer fence. 

 They can also be caught in the box traps, or in steel traps which have the 

 jaws wrapped with muslin so that the limbs will not be injured. A live 

 hen or rabbit makes excellent bait. The latter method wiU often prove 

 effective when the fox has escaped to the woods, as they are likely, 

 especially if ranch-bred, to remain in the vicinity of the ranch. 



The ownership of an escaped fox is a disputed point. Many people 

 contend that a fox roaming at large is game for anyone, but, if the 

 ranchman can identify the live fox or the skin, he can recover it as his 

 personal property. 



Ranchmen have given serious study to the question of 

 IdeSifica^tion ""^^^^^^S for identification. A numbered aluminum tag, 



which may be seen at a considerable distance, is often 

 fastened into the ear. In some way, however, the fox manages to get 

 it off. Marking the teeth by filing or tattooing them is also resorted to, 

 and has, at least, proved practicable. But the disadvantage of not mark- 

 ing the skin is obvious. Tattooing the skin with the owner's number or 

 brand, could be done on the hide where it is least valuable; or, the ear 

 could be marked as with sheep and cattle. The brand could be registered 

 and the skin or the live animal thus identified. If such a method were 

 practised, it would have the additional advantage of being imdiscovered 

 by thieves and of rendering it possible to identify the skin on the open 

 market. Branding on the flank is also a possible method. 



The catching and handling of foxes in their pens pre- 

 HandHnl^'^'^ sent little difficulty. Expert ranchers will catch and 



handle them without gloves or instruments, but the 

 ordinary rancher provides himself with a pair of tongs the jaws of which 

 will close to a diameter of two and a half inches. The fox is shut into 

 his nest and when the cover is lifted, is grasped about the neck with 

 the tongs. The fox may then be carried away on the arm and the 

 rancher be in no danger of getting bitten. A catching box is also useful. 

 It is made just large enough to admit the fox and has a slide door at 

 each end. When it is placed at the end of the entrance to a house with 

 one slide door opened, the fox may be driven out of the nest into it. 

 The slide door is closed and the fox is thus trapped in the box. If 

 the catching box be made of stiff wire-mesh sides and top, the fur can 

 be closely examined. In the case of the latter type of construction how- 



