"I once followed a MEANDERING fox trail that suddenly slowed, veered from its line of travel, and then left belly imprints on the snowy trail as it lowered its body, moving slowly, preparing for a pursuit sprint. The pursuit joined a rabbit track that raced down into a ravine, out of sight of its pursuer. The fox attempted to cut off the rabbit by angling downslope before entering the same gully. He guessed wrong; the bunny had hung a sharp left, going uphill instead. I wondered if the fox was young and inexperienced, since rabbits usually have an advantage with uphill speed, given their powerful back legs. A more seasoned fox might have anticipated the uphill maneuver and chosen differently. While not as exciting as a kill site at the end of a desperate chase, it brought a smile to my face, highlighting the vagaries of the hunt and how sometimes the hunter is “outfoxed” by the prey.”