Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-04-22
FOX FOR EACH BARREL.
A Remarkable "Double" Down in
Rhode Island.

years has not taught Rufus w. Harris
Of Johnston about fox hunting would
look small beside the knowledge of
willy Reynard and his ways which MI.
Harris has accumulated during this
! period. But although more than so
F, foxes have fallen before the quick eye
i and sure aim of this Rhode Island hun
ter, yet it remained for him to accom-
! plish on January 10. last a feat an
paralleled in the fox hunting records
of these parts, which has probably
! been accomplished SO few times as to
make it a fact well worthy of prescr-
walton and of interest to hunters Of
all kinds of game, and to fox hunters
in particular.
On the day mentionel, Mr.. Harris
took his foxhound, Chief" and joined
joe Belknap and Mr. Potter, both of
them ardent fox hunters, in a chase
after fox, which they located about
q swamp near the George White place,
on the Hartford road, about mile
! from Manton village.
IN accordance with a custom Of fox
hunting, the dogs, three il number,
were started on the track, and the
hunters were waiting until the chase
could become Strengthened out, so that
/ they might take a station at some run
! way where the fox would be likely to
pass and from which a shot might be
| obtained. Mr. Harris told his com
panions that he would go a short dis
tance down nearby cart path, as he
| believed the fox was in swamp in
that vicinity, and he might be able to
| find out something that would help to
land the game.
Proceeding along the cart path for
a short distance, Mr. Harris stood still
a while, in an endeavor to locate the
dogs, and thereby get some clue to the
direction the hunt was taking, and was
just about to return to his companions
when he saw a fox jump from the
brush about 80 yards away, and, even
| as his gun was thrown to his shoulder,
he caught glimpse of a second fox
close behind the first, and the two
shots from his breech-loader rang out
as quickly as action could follow
thought, and Mr. Harris saw that he
had what rarely falls to the lot Of the
fox hunter, and Which he could scarce
ly realize as a completed fact, name
ly, made double shot and killed
full-grown fox with each barrel
During the short time in which he
was gone from his hunting compan-
ions, the latter had heard the shots,
followed closely, one upon the other,
and had speculated upon the possibil-
tiles Of the case, which they would
have been certain was bird shooting,
but for the fact that the time was in
the close season. They discarded the
idea that Mr.. Harrison had shot a fox
as improbable. but when he came in
sight Mr.. Belknap first caught
glimpse of one of the foxes, and then
of both, although he could hardly be-
lieve his eyes.
Marching up with his load Of foxes,
the doubly fortunate don't stand
around here; go down in the swamp
and shoot a few. I've got as many as
care for today"
The two foxes were male and a
female While they are likely to be
found together at this time of the
year, it is very seldom that they are
seen in couples, as they take good
care as a rule to separate, as soon as
they are started, thus making two
tracks and bothering the dogs, as well
as lessening the chances Of both
foxes being killed. Neither Mr.. Har-
ris nor any fox hunters with whom he
has talked, ever heard Of two foxes
being killed in this manner before.
It is interesting to note that these
animals, conceded to be the wariest
of all our wild neighbors, either in fur
or feathers, were found but a short
distance from a thickly-settled place,
and that they felt so secure that they
had in all probability just been started
from their day shelter by the sound
of the dogs upon their tracks when
they were shot by Mr.. Harris. But the
fox, besides being the wariest of ami
mails, is Of the wisest, and is enabled
by this wisdom to live close to the
haunts of man with comparative
safety, and frequently it raises filters
of young foxes so close to some farm
house that the young rascals may be
seen playing about the burrow, in
which they quickly seek refuge upon
the approach Of an enemy whom they
fear. In a case Of this kind they do
not prey upon the poultry of the yards
near to their home, but go farther
away, apparently realizing that while
man may bear with philosophy the
losses of others, he is apt to exact
prompt payment for his own when he
can do so.
And yet, in spite of all his cunning
and wise ways, the fox is foolish in
some ways. He will, for instance,
run within easy gunshot of hunter
who stands in an open field or upon a
| frozen pond in clear sight, if the hum
ter does not move, mad many are shot
in this way, because they delight in
crossing open places, especially ice,
which they invariably seek when they
|