One of the points in my paper, which has now made the rounds of academic conferences, is that Hughes is the first person to refer to the character as "Reynardine," and also the first to declare that he is a were-fox. In fact, in almost all orally collected versions of the song, the name is Rinordine, Rhinordine, Ryner Dyne, Randall Rine, or something else. Only people aware of Hughes' work, or of revivalist versions of the song, call him "Reynardine." So the idea that the name makes him obviously a fox is a bit of a stretch.

Beyond that, "Reynardine" does not mean fox, it means fox-like (just as vulpine means wolf-like or leonine means lion-like). Given this, there are obvious ways in which he may be "like a fox" without assuming that he is a were-fox. He is tricky, seems to be an outlaw, and is being hunted. His having a fox-like name (if, indeed, he had one) would be as natural as Disney making Robin Hood a fox in their version of the legend.