The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-01-26
FOXES IN CONNECTICUT.
IncreasinK Numbers Due TO the He
peal of the Bounty Law
driving Game Birds Out.

br1NfBx uA l" DiEos OuAs
It seems likely that the New York
sportsmen who travel long distances
for their fox hunting will find at an
early day a more convenient field of OPP
erations nearer home. There are
great many more foxes in Connecticut
at present than Connecticut hunters
can take care of, and few outsiders
will be very cordially received. few
years ago foxes were practically ex-
tipct in this state. Under the stimu-
lus of bounty of two dollars head
the animals practically disappeared,
and about 90 years ago the bounty was
repealed. But there were evidently a
few foxes left, who took advantage of
the legislative action to rear large fam
lilies.
1t was not until about four years ago
that they made their presence felt in
any unpleasant way. At that time
hunters began to notice strange tracks
upon the snow, which bore suspicious
resemblance to fox trails, and an occa-
sional missing chicken from The poul-
sry yards made the farmers prick up
their ears. BY and by the depredators
logan to be seen, and proved TO be very
fine specimens of both red and gray
foxes. They are very numerous. es-
pecialIy in New Haven county, hunt
ers and travellers on the road meeting
them all the time. The other day
New Haven man returning from drive
Of a few hours reported seeing ten
foxes during the morning.
Fox hunting is a sport in which few
New Haveners of the present genera
ton have INDUCED. Nevertheless. the
old-t;mers are beginning to brush up
their boyhood experiences, and are TAX
ing a shot or two at Reynard, and New
Haven sportsmen have formed a club
for the express purpose of protitlng
by the new and rare opportunities thus
thrust upon them.
There are more reasons than one
why they are making war on the little
beasts There are large number of
gray or wolf foxes-a species that has
hitherto been unknown in this state,
whose presence has caused no end OF
speculation among the sportsmen-
which are making rapid inr"ads upon
the quail cartridges and other game
Of these parts. They live nearly all
the time in swampy ground, and have
a more accurate knowledge Of the
haunts of the quail than the most sX-
perienced sportsmen in the stute. AS
q matter of fact, such game is becom-
ing wonderfully scarce hereabouts-a
condition of affairs that is attributed
10 the activity of the gray foxes. 1t
has really become question of the
survival of the birds or of their willy
enemies, and Connecticut sportsmen
90 not hesitate in declaring that the
fox must go.
The farmers, too, are constantly COM
planning. If there is nothing better
in sight, the gray foxes do not scruple
70 carry away spare rooster or two.
and as a result poultry raising in Con
necticut is not so profitable 4 business
as it was. The number of red foxes has
also increased. These live largely in
the fields and destroy a great many
field mice and obnoxious grnbs, and
in this way do large amount of good
Unfortunately, they also do great deal
of harm. They do not bother the game
but they are raising havoc with all the
ducks and chickens in the state.
There was quite a little hunting,
though it is making no noticeable i'm
preston upon the pests, which are
growing more numerous every day.
This is probably owing to the difficulty
of shooting the nimble beasts. No
trouble is found in starting up fox.
but a great deal of difficulty is found
in bagging the game. Circumstances
are not favorable in this state for the
chase, and it is altogether prcblematio
whether the foxes started up by The
hounds are ever killed. The hunters
are not able to follow the dogs, and
have to wait until they make their APP
pearance upon the highway or some
conspicuous place in the fields. Years
ago, of course. Connecticut fox hunters
figured out this temperance to a
nicely, but the sportsmen of the pres
ent day have been taken unawares, and
do not know so well the tricks of foxes
The gray foxes. who live chiefly in
the swamps, are not SO gamy. They
never leave their hiding places, AMI
thus are more easily caught. But up
20 the present time the hunters do not
succeed in diminishing their numbers
and it seems likely that the state will
have a serious problem on its hands
The people are therefore agitating
the reimposition of two dollars head
on dead foxes. This freed he state
from the pest once, and it is believed
that it will be successful again. The
matter will be presented before the
next session of the general assembly.
There are thousands of foxes within
three miles of New Haven, but all sorts
of game are becoming scarce and it is
thought that unless the state legisla-
ture takes a hand the foxes will soon
decide which is the filter to survive
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