Do Foxes Destroy Game Bkds? 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The above question is asked in the Forest anb Stream 
of January 7. , j- • 
For some thirty years I have hunted foxes in tn:s 
county in our New England manner— with dog and gun. 
My hunting has been ahnost entirely durmg the winter 
months. During the time named I have seen a great 
many foxes, killed some two hundred, and spent much 
time tracing the plainly written story of Reynard s nightly 
wanderings, and I have often wondered what our foxes 
lived upon. I never killed a thin fox, and many were 
quite fat. In ail of my cruisings about after foxes, 1 do 
not recall over half a dozen instances where I have found 
proof of a fox catching and killing a partridge, borne 
years ago, on a fresh snow, my dog started on a fresh 
track, and in a few minutes came back to me. I followed 
up the trail and found the fox holed. He was m there 
before the dog took the trail. It was an easy place to get 
him and I dug him out. When taking off his pelt, i 
noticed his stomach was very full, and cutting him open, 
found that he had recently eaten a partridge. Since then 
I have opened nearly every fox I killed whose stomach 
seemed full. Usually I found, more signs of mice than 
anything else. Sometimes, late in the fall, I find apples. 
Twenty years ago in this section there were consider- 
ably more foxes than now, and there were also^a great 
many partridges. I have seen six foxes m a day, and 
once during three successive days I killed seven, in 
those days I would often start from twenty to forty par- 
tridges when hunting foxes. The birds were packed in 
bunches frequently from ten to fifteen each, and 1 would 
start them from piles of pine tops in comparatively open 
ground I also found quite a number buried m the snow 
when the latter was deep and soft. I frequently saw 
where fOxes had cruised about in such places, but I never 
saw where I thought a bird had been caught. I have 
seen where such attempts were made, but as far as I could 
judge the partridge escaped with the loss of a few 
feathers. Many times I have tracked foxes through places 
where partridge tracks were leading in all directions and 
the fox seemed to pay no attention to then*; and the 
same with rabbits, although I have seen a few signs of 
where a fox had caught conies. 
One day I killed a fox quite early, and soon had an- 
other started. While standing in some scrub oak growth 
I saw one of our large white rabbits running fast and 
coming straight toward me. I very seldom shoot at a rab- 
bit, and I watched this one. When within a few feet the 
rabbit saw me and turned off. I felt that something had 
started that rabbit, and waited to see. In about a minute 
along came a fox and I took him in. This fox may have 
been chasing the rabbit, but as the latter ran five rods 
to the fox's one, it did not seem to be in any danger. 
While foxes may do considerable damage during the 
spring to partridge nests and very young birds, I have 
never seen any evidence of such. Frequently while trout 
fishing on our brooks, I find partridge nests. I recall the 
finding of two with the old birds on. Both nests were 
within five feet of cattle paths, and there were numerous 
si'gns that foxes traveled those paths and hao passed 
within easy j umping distance of the nests and birds with- 
out discovering them. 
As there are practically no quail in thiS section, 1 can- 
not say as to what foxes may or may not do toward 
destroying them. I have mentioned only what I have 
geen. C. M. Stark. 
DuNBARTON, N. H., Jan. 9. 
Barre, Yt:.— Editor Forest and Stream: Some two 
years ago I took an active part in a discussion on this 
subject through the columns of a sporting paper. I main- 
tained then, as I do now, that foxes do not destroy the 
quantity of partridges as has always been claimed. For 
twenty-five years I have given this question a close study 
from personal observation, living, as I have, where par- 
tridges and foxes are abundant, and a hunter of both. In 
these years I have dissected the stomachs of more than 
one hundred foxes, and I am yet to discover a trace of a 
partridge. It is true, the greater number of the stomachs 
were dissected during the fall and winter months, and 
not during the months of incubation when the young are 
unable to fly; but during this season I am led to believe 
the fox does little grouse hunting. I have traveled over 
our hills all winter in pursuit of Reynard in a country 
where the flushing of fifty partridges a day was no un- 
usual occurrence, and I have never found where a fox 
captured a partridge in the snow. That there is a 
scarcity of grouse is a fact, and that, too, in a country 
where the gun is seldom heard, and where twenty-five 
years ago they were found in great abundance. I cannot 
attribute the scarcity to the fox, nor have I yet solved 
the question why they are on the decrease. _ When one 
finds a young covey to-day, it is not the old-time covey of 
a few years ago. B. A. Eastman. 
The Worcester Telegram says, in commenting on the 
Massachusetts Association's fox inquiry: "Worcester 
fox hunters are qualified to tell things about the habits of 
the fox, which includes the stuff he eats. They are better 
qualified than bird hunters, as these know nothing of the 
habits of the fox. They are a unit in the belief that the 
fox is responsible for the loss of few birds, one of the 
least important factors in the decreasing number of game 
birds. They unite in pointing back to a score of years 
ago, when everybody acknowledges partridges were plen- 
tiful. So were foxes, more plentiful than now. Foxes 
had no depreciable effect on the number of birds. Since 
that time, the bird hunter has increased many fold. The 
partridges had decreased many fold. 
"Probably no man in Massachusetts is better qualified 
to speak on the question the association asks than one of 
its vice-presidents, A. B. F. Kinney, of Wo-rcester, and 
Mr. Kinney will tell his confreres a thing or two when he 
attends the next meeting. Several years ago Mr; Kinney 
spread broadcast among fox hunters the information that 
he would pay 25 cents each for every fox stomach brought 
to him. Mr. Kinney announced that he desired the maws 
for the purpose of investigating what the fox ate. He 
secured 85 stomachs, in all times of the hunting season. 
In four of these maws Mr. Kinney found feathers of four 
game birds, one partridge, one quail and two woodcock. 
The feathers were found in foxes which had been killed 
AND STREAM. 
in the open hunting season on game birds, which made 
It plain to Mf. Kinney that these birds had either died 
from gunshot wounds or vtrere wounded- and caught by 
foxes. Of the large number of fo:kes killed after the 
close of the bird season, not one had the feather of a 
game bird in its maw. 
"During the early season, before the frosts, the stomachs 
contained grasshoppers and mice. Mr. Kinney says, the 
amount of grasshoppers in each stomach astonished Hini, 
and shows that the fox does a lot of good for the farmer, 
for which it is not given credit. After frost and before 
snow time, ffozen apples and dried berries, together with 
mice and rabbits, forrned the food. After snow time ci n- 
siderable meat was found, which fippeared like meat from 
the carcass of a cow or horse. There was a larger amount 
of rabbit meat than before snow time. In four instances 
hen feathers were found after snow time, showing that 
the foxes had come on dead hens, for farmers' hens are 
usually kept housed after snow time. 
"Mr. Kinney said foxes cannot catch game birds. These 
are too wary. House cats which prowl in the fields are 
more clever than a fox in catching game birds. Foxes 
can catch crows, which rise from the ground much more 
slowly than a game bird. Weasels, mink, skunks and 
squirrels are more destructive of game bids than foxes. 
Birds are plentiful where foxes are plentiful, showing that 
:t is not the fox that is responsible for any decrease. 
"Hon. Ledyard Bill, president of Worcester Fur Com- 
pany, who is a thorough sportsman and a believer in the 
protection of game of all kinds, says : 
" 'My opinion is that the fox is not a great factor in 
the destruction of game birds. The natural food of the 
fox is field mice, meadow moles, berries, grasshoppers 
and young rabbits, with perhaps an occasional game bird 
that has been wounded or snowbound. 
" 'The fox is no more likely to catch a game bird under 
ordinary circumstances than is a bird dog, and we all 
know the dog cannot. The fox has not a tithe of the 
instinct of a bird dog, either trained or untrained, for 
catching or pursuing birds. 
" 'In Maine, where the fox is little hunted and yet 
abounds, the partridge also abounds in great numbers, 
showing that the fox troubles the king of game birds 
but little. The chief enemies of the partridge among 
tinimals are the skunk and squirrel; among birds, the 
pigeon hawk and crow. 
" 'A veteran hunter of my acquaintance has made a 
practical test of this question by having examined the 
stomachs of nine foxes killed at different periods of tlje 
year. In one instance only did the stomach contain 
feathers, and those were feathers of the common barnyard 
fowl. - 
"'Many suggestions are being made, as to the best 
methods of protecting the partridge and other game birds. 
The only practical measure, to my mind, is to cut the 
open season in halves.' 
"A. C. White, the veteran fox hunter, whose unvary- 
ing success year after year in shooting foxes makes it 
plain that he understands their habits, when asked on 
the question, said : 
■ " 'I have hunted for many years all through the winter, 
the time when a fox would be most likely to catch par- 
tridges if it caught them at all. Partridges burrow under 
the snow for warmth and protection. In all my travels 
I have yet to see where a fox has ever-caught a partridge. 
I think anybody who knows anything at all of the habits 
of foxes, will quickly say that the game birds that foxes 
catch are few.' 
"Congressman John R. Thayer, former_ president of 
Worcester Fur Company, a fox hunter since boyhood, 
said : 
" 'I notice that the Massachusetts Fish and Game Pro- 
tective Association is seeking information relative to the 
propensity of the fox to destroy game birds. 
" 'I have been somewhat of a careful observer of the 
traits and habits of the fox for the last thirty years and 
more, and the fox is the only game I hunt. I have inter- 
ested myself studying its habits and propensities some- 
what during that time. With scarcely an exception in 
all these years, during the months of April and May, I 
have made excursions to their burrows and retreats out 
of curiosity and a desire to watch the antics of the young 
and the care and conduct of the old mother fox. 
" 'One will find, in visiting these burrows in the spring, 
when the young have grown sufficiently to be out around 
the burrow, the traces of the food which the fox feeds 
upon, and almost without exception I have noticed 
quantities of crow feathers, pieces of woodchuck or 
groundhog, skins and claws, pieces of snakes, skunks, 
rabbits and hen feathers; but I have never seen_ a par- 
tridge or quail feather at any burrow in all this time. 
It is well known that, during the summer months, the fox 
feeds much upon crickets, grasshoppers, frogs, snakes, 
woodchucks, skunks and crows, the last of which, by the 
way, seem to be easily captured by the fox, as a crow can- 
not rise from the ground as quickly as most other birds. 
" 'The crow is very slow in getting under way, and 
can b£ pounced upon and caught before it can get fairly 
started, the fox is so much quicker in its movements. I 
presume that after the heavy frosts and snows come, the 
fox feeds somewhat on partridge and quail, as it also 
prowls around the farm buildings in search of poultry or 
anything it can find to eat; but I believe the impression 
people have that foxes destroy a considerable number of 
game birds, partridges or quail, in. this latitude is entirely 
erroneous. The partridge is one of the quickest starting 
birds we have, and they are always on the lookout. T 
also' know that a bird hunter of Worcester county is re- 
ported in the papers to have stated some time ago that 
the way to protect partridges and quails is to stop the 
fox hunters shooting them in the fall and after the season 
closed. A more foolish and erroneous statement could 
not easily be made. 
" 'Our fur company consists of about 150 members, and 
upon inquiry among them, I am satisfied that_ but few of 
the whole number shoot a single game bird in the year, 
and the few that do hunt birds in season enjoy the htjnt- 
ing of the fox so much better that they devote but little 
time to bird hunting. To illustrate my view that these 
150 men shoot but few birds, and none out of season, I 
will give ray own experience. I have shot but one par- 
tridge in ten years, and have shot at but one partridge 
during that time. I think what is true of myself is true 
of most fox hunters. 
"It_ is no pleasure to a , genuine fox hunter to shooi, 
partridges or quail. We let them severely alone; first.- 
because we do not care to shoot them, and, secondly, we 
will net jeopardize our chances to get a fox by shooting, 
at anything when the dogs are driving. That has been 
the experience as related by the members of our club 
wherever we have gathered, as we do in our hunting 
season, to talk over the experiences of the hunts. 
" 'If partridges and quail are to become more numerous 
in Massachusetts than they are now, or have been in the 
last few years, some means must be taken to stop the 
professional l^ird hunter, he who, with his hammerless 
gun and dog trained to a nicety, goes out and proudly ' 
returns at niglil with eighteen or twenty birds as the re- , 
suit of the day's sport. 1 have known of two men in 
Worcester — and there are many others like them— -in 
days gone by who felt that they had a poor day's sport 
if they did not return with eighteen or twenty birds 
apiece. That was when partridges were more plentiful 
than -they are now, but they are just as eager now as ■ 
they were then to slaughter the birds, and would kill just' 
as many if they had the opportunity. One of these men 
will destroy more birds, in my judgment, than fifty fox- 
hunters will during the season. Then, too, I do not think 
it is entirely fair for the bird hunters to seek tO exter- 
minate the foxes in order that they may have the more - 
birds to .slaughter. We who enjoy the chase are just as i 
much entitled to our recreation as the hunters who go ' 
out to kill a few game birds for their table, or for the 
sport, or those pot-hunters, if I might so call them (ex- ' 
perienced slaughterers), who go out to load themselves ' 
down with game that they may sell it in the markets. 
" 'The prohibition of selling game in the markets, I 
think, has done away in large measure with the general 
slaughter of game by expert bird hunters ; but still we all 
know that the law is violated in many ways, and much, 
game finds its way to the markets even v/ith the law op-- 
posed to it. I think also that any law placing a bounty, 
on foxes would have no appreciable tendency to increase: 
the number of game birds in Massachusetts. There has; ^ 
been for many years in Rhode Island and Connecticut,.-.! 
a bounty on foxes, and how is it taken advantage of? A^ 
few nien, if I may call them men, in a county will go, 
prowling about in the woods, find a fox burrow in the?; 
spring of the year, and then with a fox terrier go to,' 
the hole, put in the terrier and run out these little foxes,, 
catch them in a bag, and get the bounty of $1 or $1.50, 
apiece. Many of these young foxes would never have:: 
lived to maturity if they hadn't been captured, as we all] ■ 
knew nature .is very prolific in producing young, but in, 
many instances they die in infancy, so to speak. It is* ■ 
well known by the hunters in Worcester county thatt 1 
there is no better place to hunt foxes than in Rhode: : 
Island and Connecticut, where this bounty has been om : 
for many years ; that is, they have made no substantial! 1 
diminution of foxes in those States. Then, if a bounty is; ■ 
placed upon foxes, we shall have traps set everywhere,, 
which will catch our dogs and cats and other domestic- 
animals, and poison will be placed where domestic ani-. 
mals will find it and be destroyed. 
" 'Bird hunters should respect the rights of fox hunters;, 
and not attempt to encourage trapping, poisoning and! i 
the like, of foxes. We are all sportsmen, only our tastes; ■ 
lead us in different directions, and we ought not to at-- ■ 
tempt to injure the chances of true sportsmanship oft I 
either. Let us all live and let live, and not get into a. i 
wrangle among ourselves. I am-inchned to think that the: 
law protecting game is about as perfect as it can practi-- 
cally be made, .and further tinkering with it will be of lit- 
tle avail to protect the game birds of Massachusetts. T01 : 
increase the game bird to any considerable extent, thei : 
hog hunter must be suppressed.' ■ 
"Hon. Joseph H. Walker is one of the best' qualified! ! 
sportsmen in Worcester to give an opinion on game ques- 
tions. Mr. Walker has been a hunter since he Was ai. 1 
mere_ boy, and even though he is seventy-five years oldl. : 
he still hunts with ardor. The former Congressman hunts; 
birds and foxes in their season. He says: 
" 'There is nothing to be gained in the way of increas- 
ing the number of birds by destroying foxes. I do no:tr 
think foxes hunt birds as one of their foods. Foxes will ■ 
eat birds, of course, when they come on a dead one or a '< 
wounded one, and scmetimes they catch game birds. I do ' 
not think, however, that they catch any appreciable 
number. 
"'It is V. c;l known that young partridges and the 
mother bird do not give any scent when they are dis- 
turbed, and 5 "iter and hide. Neither do quail when they 
light. It is when they run, and it is usually some littfe - 
period after lliey light that quail give forth a scent which 
enables a dog or a fox to trace them. 
" 'I can well. illustrate this by an experience which two 
other men and myt.elf had in hunting quail. We had 
three as good dogs as I ever knew of. We were in the ( 
center of a field where we felt sure the quail were. For i 
over an hour we watched the dogs quartering, but they \ 
could not get scent of quail. We decided to leave the ' 
field. We had not gone more than three rods when we 
were enveloped by the largest flock of quail that I have 
ever seen. We walked on them accidentally. Our dogs 
could not find them, and foxes would have had the same 
ditificulty. 
" 'In giving an opinion on this question, a bird hunter 
is not nearly as well qualified as the fox hunter. The bird 
hunter knows nothing of the habits of a fox. The fox 
hunter knows the habits of both. When in the woods the 
bird hunter naturally spends no time in making investiga- , 
tions, being constantly on the go. The fox hunter, on the/ 
otlier hand, may remain for hours at a time in a runway,. 
Jind has plenty of time in which to investigate what.,' 
foxes do, what their habits are, and what they feed on.. 
Out of season the fox hunter is making investigations; 
in regard to foxes, so that he may find them when the: 
hunting time comes. He has thus a chance to observe- 
the burrows. I have noticed many burrows during my: 
hunting career, and found remains that tell what the: 
foxes eat. I have seldom seen chicken feathers at the; ! 
burrows, and never partridge or quail feathers. 
" 'I'd advise you to get the opinion of Edward T. Whit- 
taker on this question. He is the most careful, painstak- 
ing, as well as truthful, hunter I have ever known. He - 
knows about the habits of foxes. 
"I've hunted a great deal, and what I've told you is my 
experience and judgment. It conforms to the experiencV ^ 
