had been just been let out and who rushed the fence roaring and barking. The fox froze again, dropped Toots, rushed back up the hill. The chickens all scattered.

A lesser creature might have run all the way, but this fox paused, turned, and then went after Meg, our third hen. She took off across the road, fox in hot pursuit, grabbing mouthfuls of feathers but no chicken. As he closed in, the fox ran almost headlong into my shouting neighbor and her husky coming up the road. Seeing the husky, the fox finally decided that he’d had enough, turned, and vanished back up over the top of the hill.

I could only imagine what the fox told his or her impatient mate, waiting in the den with the hungryanimals. We got three of them to keep coyotes and other predators away from the sheep, chickens, and cats.

The fox and the farmer is one of the oldest stories in the world, the subject of songs, books, fables, movies, and legend. The fox is an almost mythic predator, especially when there are babies in the den in the spring. Every farmer has at least one story about how these beautiful and highly intelligent creatures plotted a successful assault on the chicken coop.

They are amazing animals, usually a match for the farmers they torment. They are stealthy, strong, known for their dash-and-grab hunting techniques. They have been driving farmers nuts for most of human history. They go under doors, up into eaves, through tiny holes, open doors, and cracks