The red fox population is currently flourishing in Hunt Country, and the members of Radnor Hunt in Willistown Township are among those who are determined to keep it that way, writes J.F. Pirro for The Hunt Magazine.

While some might find it contradictory, foxhunters love their quarry and want to keep it safe.

“Our goal is to see the fox,” said Julie Nafe, who worked as a stable groom at Radnor Hunt for two years and still hunts with the club. “By the end of a hunting day, if we saw one, we feel privileged.”

Additionally, the protection and cultivation of red fox are vital to the essence of preserving the sport of foxhunting. After all, without the fox, there would be no Hunt Country.

Local conservationists — including Radnor Hunt’s neighboring partner Willistown Conservation Trust — agree that their goals mirror each other when it comes to red fox preservation.

“There’s a symbiotic quality in the way they do their thing, and the way we do our thing,” said Radnor huntmaster Collin McNeil. “What goes hand-in-hand with foxhunting is conservation. We’re respecting, preserving, and celebrating the fox.”

Read more about the preservation efforts in The Hunt Magazine.