Too Many Foxes
The crimes of the fox are much greater ; they are, indeed, greater than I had realised till this week. In some of the Lake Districts, as on some Welsh hills, they are by far the worst enemy of the shepherds. The tale of lambs that they kill is so serious that organised poisoning has become necessary, and even the hunts encourage shooting. Poisoning is effective but dangerous. The stuff must be put down at night and must be removed at dawn. Even if the neighbourhood is warned not to let loose a dog till after a certain hour, birds may pick up and drop the bait and the dogs find it. One singularly good sheepdog, much beloved of its master, was recently poisoned ; and one of the most engaging dogs I ever walked with so perished a year ago. " They love not poison who do poison need "; but the need is so great that the sheep-farmers have again been forced to a poisoning crusade. Australians have suffered in the same way as Lake farmers, and find it impossible to get rid of foxes by dog or gun.
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