The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-29
RED AND YELLOW FOXES.
STORIES M CONNECTICUT SPORTS
MEN VINO HUNT THEN.

1000 Taken Every winter-BIow Heunds
and Fast ones-A Coed Hunt without
n Shot-Renewed Evidences or the Care
fuiness and Cunning OF the Piierers.
LITcHFIELD. Conn, Nov. 2o.-Fox hunting
has been an ideal sport among the rugged
mountains of Litchheld county since an early
day. The season is now at It's height. and moro
foxes are being shot than before in years. Fox
hunting spid q German nobleman In exile
among tho LitchHeld hills more than 100 years
ago, us tho greatest sport in the world. You
nave to use your legs. your ears, your eyes, and
above all, your mind"
The Baron did much 10 promote the sport,
and to-day fox hunting. for the entertainment It
affords. Is ~practised in this section much moro
extensively than throughout the rest Of Connec-
ticut. Almost every settlement in tho county
haP It's trained foxhounds, and every one drops
his work TO hear the baylng OF the hounds when
they are in pursuit OF tho slender animal SO
Justly famous for his cunning and his arts.
Fox hunting is now actually the burden OF the
conversation Of the men In town or country,
and even tho-hounds meet and seem TO commu-
nicato information about these matters be-
fore starting OF alone on fox hunts in case
there is nobody at liberty TO go with thom. 1t
was not very many years ago when, one winter
morning, the driver of the Litchaeld stage be-
camo so intent In following q fox's track In
the snow by the side of the road that he upset
the stage whore the trail turned CT suddenly.
Tnersupon one of his passengers, tho Chief
Justice OF tho SUPREME Court Of the State,
scrambled out and suggested to him mildly
that IL he vas going to follow tho fox trail ill.,
stead OF the stage road. he might better take
ono of tho horses and leave the remainder with
the STAGE.
1T IL n fact" says w. T. Marsh. a. we'll
known merchant and enthusiastic fox hunter
of this place. that our foxhounds will meet in
the street and commune with one another, and
the FIRST YOU know they are Off to the woods to-
gcther and " orking on the trail OF some fox.
Frequently they round it up 50 that IL Is shot
by some farm boy ahead OF the hounds. Many
foxes are shot in this way"
Most of the L!tchtield county foxes are
bright red or yellow. although occasionally a
cross fox and n woods gray are encountered.
One of the bandsomest sleigh robes ever seen is
Is owned by the Deming family OF this place.
II is m Ide OF the red. yellow, and black leg
trimmings cut from more than 500 fox pelts
by Cyrus Perkins, an old whiplash braider and
tanner Of Morris, the bits OF color forming q
| mosaic OF rare and startling beauty. A tanner
in Milton within ten years has cured more
than 1000 fox skins. And yet, despite such
warfare, which is constantly going ON from
early in September through the winter months.
IA ~ ulbIt premium lSio thA tbVs
half a century ago. for the sportsmen protect
the young from-heing dug out of their bur
rows by the husbandmen. or frighten them
to safer fields before the farmer has had time
to unearth them. A bit of iron dropped at the
mouth OF q fox burrow. or q few kicks OF dirt
in front OF It., and the mother fox and her
bright family will quit the territory at the
first opportunity. The running CT dog foxes
into this section from Dutchess county, New
York, twenty miles distant. during the mating
season in winter is. another important source
OF supply. 1t is estimated by conservative fox
hunters that 5000 to 1000 fox peirs are taken
il this cou-ly every winter.
The Canadian deerhound, thin. feet. and
wiry. has almost completely usurped the place
OF the domestic foxhound OF English descent
Ia this county within a lew years. The Ca:
madam is a faster follower Of the fox's trail
than the domestic hound, ana for this reason
some OF the older hunters think they are more
apt 20 drive u fox out of reach than the do
mestic dog. the theory being that IL a fox be
started up too SHARPLY, and kept running hard
hunters in a straight line. and 10 such n dis
tance that, it does not return, On the other
will. after running u few miles. usually begin
to lead to one side, playing about until II
passageways until It comes near to its ststtins
point, where perhaps the guns OF the huntsmen
sI~n hound t1 is. howe much more Is sat,s SaS
tory to the nervous fingered huntsman OF
older slass Of foxhounds. as the Canadian does
not keep the hunters waiting. providing the
fox swings in ito circle as already outlined;
The articles OF foxes hereabOut have fur
nished renewed evidences this season OF the
prudence. caretulne,s, skill. and industry OF
famous yellow fox on Goes Hin that the Itch
field hunters worked for all last winter, and are
again looking for this season. This old mother
fox mas fooled every one who has set out to
capture her. She is a very handsome ami
thirds FS %sfrS sf fHom th Hea 1la aH' So tan f sss' h Us t I
have yearned for this cream-co!ored brush.
The animal has been hunted so long that she
has rpCaiyel Tho mn M of fcOtt0nIAil" She
is very quick to scent the dogs, but instead of
running before them she makes at once Tor
situated among the rocks that she cannot DO
got at. although many deep threats have been
Eloazer Pratt Of Goshen. a farmer, has taken
feys iHss9 foxes honcd this s iea.0n; He y uses the old,
slow hound TO follow a fox. so as not TO scare
tho animal straight out OF tho country to be-
Is when tho ground is half coysred with
stretches OF snow. Then the fox finds that it
not run fast. but plays and circles about. and
finally fetches around sooner or later to Il
Place noSs T iast bS you m Et a ,r shHi at G aoa I. a so io1
TO make. and knows IL mighty qui *. too"
Il had an unusual experiences with q gray
er day. My dog had been running the fox for
a long time. and 1 VAS sitting down on a little
knoll to rest. After a while ! saw the fox jump
onto a wall down In the valley. and run back
and forth over his track for q moment. and
he lay, down to rest. My dog cane up and
puzzled about the cross tracks for twenty min
utes before he got after the fox again. and by
that time the fox was fresh. Then tho FOX RAJ
directly toward where ] sat, and | let him
have Il big charge Of buckshO!. Ho fell and
lay, with. his eyes shut, and | jumped for him,
aud somothinR possessed me 10 grab him by tho
hind legs. AS did 10 lie began to KICK yiciously,
but swunE him quickly around and dashed his
head against a tree. killing him, Upon exam.
ining him ! found that not IL shot had struck
the fox. but he @aS either stunned Tor the mo
irent by the passing ~ the shot over his head,
or else he was piIyiuR pOasum with me. |
never got a fox Without leaving n shot mark on
IL before"
Lew Coo of Prospect Mountain IL ono of the
Oldest fox hunters IN Connecticut. Ito uses
the oia-fashioned hounds. lie always has re-
garded she foxes rs more cunning than dog
foxes, and he ~receRtly had an experience that
confirmed him la AID belief. He Ind been fol.
lowing this par. calar fox. OFF and on, for two
winters. and tho last tiue he got GU her track
his dog was following her up through a swamp
over u llght falI OF bhow, apparently in hir d.
%recti0n. Coo c"cked his gun and waited. The
baylng OF his hound began to sound further
aud further away. and at last no knew that
his game was gone again. There Yas no wind