The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27
HOODS GRAZ FOXES 4 PEST.
Litch6rId County, Conn, Overruu with
Them. TO th. DlsEnst OF Sport.men.

Litch6rId County, Conn, Overruu with
Them. to th. Disgust or Sport-men.
LITCnFrErp, Conn, Dec. 20.-The invasion Of
this mountainous country by II horde of woods
gray foxes this winter is perplexing the hunters
ana interesting local students of natural his
tory. The hunters are somewhat at q loss to
account for the appearance Of the animal, and
are not Mt all pleased with II. The hunter
hereabouts Is accustomed to following n red or
yellow fox, that gives him all the desired on.
portunity to match his powers Of reasoning and
perseverance against the cunning of one OF the
~shrewdest of animals. To such men the chase
ola woods gray Is not exh!laratiag. When a fox
sncaks into n cavern in q nearby ledge. or
climbs n tree in n neighhoring swamp and waits
TO he shot within n few minutes after tho
hounds have started 1t up. there Is too much OF
a dispirltlng certainty about the end OF the
chase to render it at all Interesting, and these
actions are characteristics OF the woods gray.
The woods gray is almost totally devoid of the
foxy traits of it's famous red brother. 1t has some
of the raccoon's habits other than those already
mentioned. and many of the hunters believe 1t to
be the progeny Of the red fox and the raccoon.
The body Is a triae shorter than that OF the red
fox. 1t is about as bulky as that OF n rnccoon.
and It's color much resembles the rnccoon's
gray. It's feet are armed with claws somewhat
longer than those of the red fox, which accounts
for its ability to climb trees. In other respect
It is generally like the other members OF the
fox tribe except that its pelt. when in prime
condition.. is worth less than half the amount
that n flrst-class red fox skin brings.
y year ago last fall the woods grays first be-
gan to grow numerous in this section. Charles
Wilkinson. II Torrington fox hunter, got on the
track of one. and q few minutes after his
hound began baying the fox shot up n large
chestnut tree and sat in n fork of limbs twenty
five feet from the ground. The Mound became
SO excited that IL began clamherinE among the
low limbs after the fox. After Wilkinson had
recovered his senses enough to conclude that
the fox was really a fox. he sho: at IT and
brought 1t down. This fox was of n light pearly
gray and very handsome, and Wilkinson con-
cluded that he had at last ono of the valuable
silver gray foxes so dear to the heart of every
fox hunter. \ few days later several more Of
the foxes were taken in different parts OF the
county, and some OF the hunters were ovcrjoyed
at the prospect OF making a large haul of silver
grays during the winter. The hopes OF all were
dashed. however, by letters from n New York
fur buyer, to whom tho skins were submitted.
He reported that the pelts were those of woods
grnys aud we're worth but IS cents apiece.
From that time the woods Rrays have multi
piled until now they are very common although
scores of them have been shot and no attempt
has been made to protect their burrows when
found, rs ia frequently done with the red fox.
Henry b. Horn OF the Wildcat Tract. beyond
Milton, has shot seventeen OF the woods gray
foxes this season. He says:
The woods gray fox Is something entirely
new here. We are now overrun with them.
fox hunting. Tor they take the attention Of the
hounds away from the red foxes md the usual
s snmc Ses" from rH New ! Y tmlHk s,a sns and %Io from ST ,is,s
scy, or even from further south. They remind
me OF. the grny foxes | have. seen mon go out
tute OF the animation and bottom Of our North
ern foxes that the hunters would not use their
guns in pursuing them, depending almost
miles from here to the New York
this because we sometimes have to drive over
there for hounds that have been led off and
county hounds and foxes come in here. As to
foxes getting across the Hudson River, on the
the passage over the ice in the winter. and am
told that they've been seen doing so. What we
cam Tam. d0 '4 t% be eSas' Tntr.E: a aEe newcomer SS mmrn
sport in killing one OF them IA there is in club
bling = coon 10 death after you've freed it. In
more of coon hunting thnn anything else"
Charles Cole. an old fox hunter who lives in
Kent. keeps two iox hounds. which are contin-
nally routing ont woods gray foxes. a few
nights ago he heard n racket about his hen
roost, and going down stairs from his bedroom
to the back door he turned tho hounds loose,
following them as soon a. he could dress. The
dogs Immediately SGT up II baylng and soon MIR.
Cole heard n tremendous thump npon the
roof of his house, then the sound of II body
striking the ground, and finally the snarling
and growing OF dogs and some wild ami
one OF the woods gray foxes iu the head
as II lay upon the ground and kill II. The AMI
nal, surprised at the hen roost by the dogs. had
run first to n clump OF lilac bushes by the side
of the house, then no the inclined trunk of an
old peach tree, falling from there upon the roof
OF the house. and thence 10 the ground.
In my opinion said Mr.. Cole. tho woods
gray Is . cross between the coon and the rcd
fox, ana | believe the animal has come In here
from New York state, | do not think tho first
of them were bred here, because they were
much older than tho foxes we shoot around
here. being at least three or four years old,
There II no enjoyment In hunting them"
Wallace Newcomb OF Litchfield, another vet
eran fox hunter, endorses the views held by Mr..
Cole. AS does Latham Il. Avery OF Torringford.
Mr.. very shot ono of these foxes on last Sun
day that was something remarkable in the way
OF an albino freak. II had a gray tail, but the
rear half OF its body and Its hind feet were pure
children off In the family carriage for church
when he saw the fox crossing q distant lot. He
ran into his house for his shotgun.
Take the rifle. Pom" called ont HIS l4-year-
old boy. who shrewdly calculated that the shot
gun would not carry far enough TO reach the
tox, came within about twelve rods of 1t and
fired. Az the gun went off his foot slipped in
the snow so that the bullet glanced over the fox's
wounding II slightly. The fox WAS
so completely frightened out OF its wits that IL
gathered itself up and plunged blindly toward
Avery. who got = second shot NJ IL at close
range and laid 1t low.