New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-25
PLAGUE or FOXES AND JACK RABBIIM
LONG ISLAND FARMERS SAY THAT THE MEApo"-
BROOK HUNT CLUB Is RESPONSIBLE FOX
THE INCREASE IN THEIR NUMBERS

long ISLAND FARMERS SAY THAT THE MEADOW
BROOK HUNT CLUB Is RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE INCREASE IN THEIR NUMBERS
Farmers IN and around the central section OF the
,ownship OF OYSTER Bay becoming discouraged
over the rapid increase in the number OF foNes Oh
their places and say that their troubles are due
to the members OF the Meadowbrook Hunt CluD
and other hunters who let the animals loose ana are
then unable 10 catch them again. The foxes breed
fast and parts OF Queens County are already over
run with them. To add to the trouble the aiiesa-
ton is made that there are few dogs in the hunt-
ing packs which catch full-srown wlid toN
in the open in fair chase, and once the WHY pr"'e
gets into woods bushes there il not one but VIII
he thrown off the scent leaving his prey to trot OH
to his hole at his leisure. To the foxes also IS
charged the almost complete determination of quaii
and rabbits. AS the law stopped the use
OF traps rabbits began to increase rapidly The
females seldom never go abroad except at night
and the rabbits that shot by hunters In the day
were almost entirely males. This. however mad 1T
tie or no effect on the supply of young
When the foxes began to increase in numbers
they began securing the country by night as well
as by day devourng female as well as male raD-
hits and not combining their depredations to rab-
hits and quail alone. Several times the farmers have
had roundups, and on each occaTion large numbers
have been destroyed but this method OF fighting the
evil is troublesome and expensive, as 1t calls on
the farmers Of large territory TO give up their own
time and that of their horses and in many cases
their hired hep. TO say nothing OF dogs and guns.
I'm the attempt to surround and destroy their willy
enemy.
The assertion is also made that the large jack
rabbits that the hunters have begun to introduce
into the county are extremely destructive To the
growing crops AMI 1t is said that II they prove to
he more than a match for the foxes the farmer
will indeed. Se IN sad plight In regard to pests,
as these animals breed as rapidly as do their
more common cousins. The subject is being dis
cussed with a grea, deal OF interest and the sug-
gestIon has been made that the Boards OF super
Sisors OF Queens and Suffolk counties offer bounty
sufficiently high to make II an object for genuine
fox hunters devote some time to the destruction
OF the pests. $500,
There is a good precedent for action Of this KIND
Opossum never known on Long Island until
they were brought there by some traveller from
Virginia but in "A short time they became so penti-
ful that they began 10 invade chicken houses. and
finally became such nusances that the Supervisors
OF the counties offered rewards for their ears and
tails Suffolk County giving rs cents for their ears
and Queens 30 cents for their tails. Boys living
near the border line between the two counties made
a LOT OF money. and thousands of foxes were killed.
hui finally the act was repealed In Queens County,
and then the slaughter diminished rapidly Now the
foxes are becoming more numerous. and the farmers
are looking for way out Of the difficulty