eat other food. These wild foxes were usually given eggs, bread, horse meat, or tripe. A litter consisted of two to eleven cubs with a life expectancy of 11-15 years. The prime time to kill a fox for the pelt was in the late fall. The pelts were stretched on boards to dry, and after two weeks, the pelts were taken off the stretching boards and turned so that the drying process was reversed. During the first World War, the industry declined, and many owners released their foxes to run wild. 25