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Methods Used 
The writer had the immense assistance of W.E.Hannan and was able to 
cover the areas of greatest fox densities in the shortest period of time.

In this way the denning areas, travel routes and scent posts of the foxes

were thoroughly covered. 
Several methods of obtaining fox sign were used. Roadside counts 
from the car around the periphery of sections was the quickest method 
though probably not as accurate as some other ways. All areas were 
covered at least three times, between February 10 and April 29,1947. 
On roadside counts the number of foxes entering or leaving was noted. 
Large areas were covered on foot after snowfalls in order to gather 
not only information as to numbers of pairs present but also to find out

where foxes were selecting denning sites. 
The third method and the most conclusive means of determining what 
numbers of foxes were present in any given area was by means of a scent 
stream. Scent stations were set-up along fox travel routes such as cow 
paths, promontories of ridges, ant hills, old badger dens, rock outcrops,

fence corners and gently sloping depressions up hillsides between two 
sets of valleys. The scents used consisted of odors attractive to the 
foxes that would cause them to urinate and deficate. The latter being 
positive proof of the fox's presence. 
In early February the sijns of fox were numerous in most all areas 
though in some places there were pockets of foxes that had larger 
populations than the other areas. By March 20, 1947, there was a 
marked decrease in all areas and by the middle of April the fox popula- 
tion had dropped to zero in many areas. An example of this is the area 
west of Livingston where an area of 5x4 miles was covered and 73 fox tracks

counted. The tracks counted were those along travel routes and all in 
one direction. The reason for this is that foxes usually hunt into the 
wind* This same area was covered in early April with NO fox tracks being