This is a humorous hunting song with a difference in that the fox manages to evade being caught in every verse.  In some versions, the chorus is twice as long and rather a memory test to sing, the words representing the sound of the hunting horn.  It does not seem to be very old but an Isle of Wight version can be dated to 1886.  It has often been collected in the USA, which is odd considering that fox hunting is not generally part of their culture.

Notes by Gwilym Davies 12 April 2016