The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-15
CUNNING OF THE FOX.
INSTANCES WHICH SNOW GREAT
SKILL
In EIudiBg Capture By Dogs I'm the
SOUTH

fox has well developed reasoning pow
ers to supplement his cunning. Four
men of the town Of Rutherfordton, N.
c.. were out chasing fox. 1t was
cool, crisp morning, and there was Just
enough dampness on the leaves and
grass enable the dogs to scent Reynard
without making a break. The chase
had been going on for two hours and
more, and the forty dogs in the pack
had been making the welkin ring. The
fox was running around in a circle not
more than three miles across, and the
hunters had assembled on a knoll at
about the center of the circle which
overlooked the territory which the fox
appeared to have circumscribed for
himself in his jaunt with the dogs. The
music of the dogs was inspiring, and
the race was perfect in almost every
feature that goes to make this sport
delightful.
The knoll overlooked a ravine about
one hundred yards distant from where
the hunters had taken their stand.
Across this ravine a giant chestnut
had fallen and had lain so long that
the bark bad dropped from it. The
leader of the hunters, while standing
on the knoll. saw the fox come into
sight, with the dogs four or five hun
bred yards behind him. The fox ran
straight to the chestnut tree and dis
appeared therein. Up to this time it
was not known that the log was hol-
low The length of the chestnut across
the ravine was about seventy-ffve feet
As quick as the fox could have trav-
eled through the log one came out on
the opposite side Of the ravine and
made off through the forest. The dogs
ran to the log and there lost the trail
The hunters watched them for few
minutes and then called them across
the ravine and put them upon the
track, and awy they went in full cry
after the fox.
In about thirty minutes the fox came
in sight again, with his tail up and
showing no WEAKNESS. The dogs were
somewhat farther behind than before.
The hunters watched the fox and again
he ran into the log and out on the OPP
posite end, The dogs halted again and
were put on the trail. The fox was
gone about thirty minutes when he
again came back and ran through the
log. This was the third time the fox
had gone through the log, and one of
the hunters remarked that every time
he came out of the log he looked as if
he had been rested and was fresh for
the race. The dogs were becoming
wearied. The chase had been going on
for nearly five hours, and after the fox
made his fourth entrance into and exit
from the chestnut log the hunters went
to the end of the log where the fox
came out and securely stopped it up.
In about thirty minutes the fox ran in
to the log the fifth time. The hunters
then stopped up the other end of the
log and cut it, and extracted therefrom
three full-grown foxes.
Another instance shows the ability
of the fox to hide himself most sue
cessfully after he has played with the
dogs until he begins to get tired. 1t
was in Rockingham county, and near
Stones store. Around the store for
four miles square was land most OF
which had once been cultivated, but
the center of the four mile SPACE was
hill that overlooked the whole country
for miles each way. The fox had got
IN an hour before daylight and had
been traversing the fields around the
hill for more than two hours. The mu-
sic of the dogs had aroused the neigh
borhood, and probably fifty men and
women on horseback were standing on
the hill watching and listening to the
dogs. Colonel Malloy Joined the hunt
ers at the store, and told of number
of races that had recently been made
there, and, after running the fox two
or three hours, he had invariably Slip
ned away from the dogs at a certain
place. The plan was suggested that
some person be sent to this place to
remain there and keep quiet and watch
the fox and find out what became of
him. The fox continued his run for
two hours or more, and was finally lost
nv the dogs at the same place as be-
fore. The whole company then, under
the lead of Colonel Malloy, rode to this
place. The man told them that the fox
was there, and to find him, but all fall
ed. Finally low slanting tree was
nointed out, and about ten feet from
the top of this tree was the trunk Of
another tree, which had been broken
off about fifty feet from the ground
and which had many splinters at the
ton and into which big pile of leaves
had blown and settled. The fox had
gone UP thes lanting tree and had
iumped from there to the broken trunk,
and had lain down in the bed of leaves
and was completely hidden from view,
and the distance from the slanting tree
was such that no one thought of the
for jumping from one to the other
Reward was caught without being
hurt. and was carried awy for another
chase. when he, was caught and killed.
Another story showing the cunning
of the fox in escaping from the dogs:
The scene of the hunt was in Panther
Branch township, Wake county. Ar
mold Parrish is an old fox hunter and
has af ancy pack of hounds. His house
is a rendezvous for several fox hunt
ers, and this spring Mr. Parrish had a
number of exciting chases without
catching the fox. He was usually
aroused near the same place and made
about the same run and was lost in
the nasture field Of Colonel John N.
Bunting. Why it was that the trail
would be hot until the fox reached this
field. which contained about one hum
dred acres and vas grazed by the
I,au.o. ooxye houc nnf ehean of Colonel