Smellydog
Well-Known Member
I can see the headlines now ken
Out last night.
- Thread starter finnbear270
- Start date
Just had a quick trawl through notes, Last night makes 41 fox since April.
wabbit warren
Well-Known Member
I've not been doing so much fox control as last year, for a few reasons but mainly the poxy weather
will have to have a look through the logs and see where i am after finnbear270 posted what his shot it got me thinking
Good work finnbear
will have to have a look through the logs and see where i am after finnbear270 posted what his shot it got me thinking
Good work finnbear
kenbro
Well-Known Member
Nice one. Be good to hear what they weigh down your way?
16lbs about average for our town ones.
This the one I got last nite but I’ve only seen the entrance this morning, 52 grain Berger Fb.
I‘d forgotten to screw the mod on so had to guess a couple of inches but was confident I would be on target at that short range.
Ken.
PS. Looks like an exit but I can’t find any more holes.
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Smellydog
Well-Known Member
Tues afternoon had a txt my free range unit. He had lost at least 10 hens and thought he had a dusk visitor.
I arrived at 4.30pm quick chat and armed with .204 and deck chair set off. Two options top field big and open. Middle part pig as full of sheep and planted out with trees. Bottom reverse of top.
Elected to sit on fence line on top field. Steady breeze almost head on. Had been there 5 mins and I catch a glimpse of a fox coming outside fence line inside the hedge. Up on sticks thinking it will come over the gate in the corner but no. Vanished. 5 mins nothing then catch glimpse in thermal it's coming down the hedge line behind me. So I have got a 6 ft fence double hedge and a ditch in the way. At about 10 yds it winds me and vanished.
So up sticks and a patrol. Nothing in middle field but it's dire sheep and lots of shrubbery and trees. Then by chance catch a glimpse of Charlie in the bottom field. Just couldn't get on it due to trees. Any way 5 minute tense stalk got to edge of trees and found it quartering over the field. It wouldn't stay still. Patience prevailed and it briefly stopped. Game over as 39 BK went through it's shoulders. Nice Vixen.
Might be another dusk visit this evening.
D
I arrived at 4.30pm quick chat and armed with .204 and deck chair set off. Two options top field big and open. Middle part pig as full of sheep and planted out with trees. Bottom reverse of top.
Elected to sit on fence line on top field. Steady breeze almost head on. Had been there 5 mins and I catch a glimpse of a fox coming outside fence line inside the hedge. Up on sticks thinking it will come over the gate in the corner but no. Vanished. 5 mins nothing then catch glimpse in thermal it's coming down the hedge line behind me. So I have got a 6 ft fence double hedge and a ditch in the way. At about 10 yds it winds me and vanished.
So up sticks and a patrol. Nothing in middle field but it's dire sheep and lots of shrubbery and trees. Then by chance catch a glimpse of Charlie in the bottom field. Just couldn't get on it due to trees. Any way 5 minute tense stalk got to edge of trees and found it quartering over the field. It wouldn't stay still. Patience prevailed and it briefly stopped. Game over as 39 BK went through it's shoulders. Nice Vixen.
Might be another dusk visit this evening.
D
Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
Again not out last night - rather down to feed the phezzies this morning and taking the Axion, Semi-auto and beloved triple deuce for a bit of feeder protection and to check zero (ok play about) with the triple.
Needless to say first armed walk was with the Hatstand (thanks Smelly) semi - loaded with 3x 28gms of no.6s to deal with any corvids or pesky squirrels. Turned a corner in the lane near the first feeder and scanned the bank with the thermal - Fox lying up high on the heather-covered peat bank maybe 150m of open ground away ! Damn, damn! Tried calling it but it clocked me right away and slinked off through the waist high old heather. Bugger, bugger, bugger!
Quick 250m dash (well the first twenty yards anyhow) back to the Jimny to swop semi for rifle and as an afterthought gather up the Icotech and remote - cleverly reasoning if it was still nearby it might respond to a different call and I could maybe get a shot.
That was the cunning plan, however it did not quite pan out that way. I came to the 8ft high bank from the opposite direction and about 200m away from last sighting to work into the wind and hide my approach but as I slowlyhyperventilated peeped over the bank with the thermal the fox had moved my way and again clocked me - maybe 100 distant, then yet again dodged into the rank heather - bugger again!
Then began a very frustrating and unparalleled period of “spot the fox ear/ears” - more than once me thinking that it was stalking me rather than vice versa. On at least five occasions I could see one ear or perhaps two with the thermal but always it was nose down and behind thick cover which very frustratingly meant that nothing of it was visible to my eye or through the Pard008p.
On two occasions it re-appeared when I used the Distressed Pheasant call but again only an ear showed with the thermal. Eventually I could see it no more - game over, so muttering darkly Iharrumphed walked across the moss to another location to try calling.
I scanned as I walked and was surprised to see a bird (woodcock ?) getting up maybe 200 yards in front and blow me in the same instant the reason was clear - foxy - again! This time I had far too much cover but it did enable me to close the distance all the while watching the fox through the thermal, mooching about on the scent of the recently departed woodcock. I was pleasantly surprised to get within maybe 70m of the still busy fox but utterly disappointed to find that whilst most of it was visible through the thermal nothing could be seen through the scope as the cover was just too thick. More frustration and a bit of a dance ensued - fox moved, I moved - still no shot; repeat and repeat again for what seemed like ages but in reality maybe 3 or 4 minutes of me spotting through the Axion but not seeing through the scope - then it clocked me - bugger, bugger, bugger!
To get a better view of this now very familiar eejit the fox dipped it’s head which then took form for me through the scope and I swear it squinted to better see me through the heavy cover and in doing so immediately a shot became possible - bang!
No thwack! Damn! Quick look through the Axion and to my uttersurprise delight there was my now familiar nemesis in exactly the same place but for the first time clearly in full view and lying flat on it’s side - dead!
What a result and really just in time - the ground is an ancient peat moss and very heavy going with a number of concealed very deep drains going back centuries which are completely concealed by the rank heather so I was totally knackered and in truth having difficulty holding steady on this very elusive but super-worthy quarry. I know that I gathered my rifle at exactly 11:30 and shot the fox at 13:33 so a full two hours of stalking and being stalked - far too much for this oul eejit!
It turned out to be a beautiful small vixen in a full red coat that would have made Santa proud. As ever my delight was tinged with sadness when I saw her up close - an utterly exquisite creature but sadly living next to the pen sealed her fate, she just had to go….
Now I am back home debating which malt to celebrate with but I know that out of all my very many foxes shot I will remember this fantastic two-way stalk for a very, very long time, I am indeed blessed.
Needless to say first armed walk was with the Hatstand (thanks Smelly) semi - loaded with 3x 28gms of no.6s to deal with any corvids or pesky squirrels. Turned a corner in the lane near the first feeder and scanned the bank with the thermal - Fox lying up high on the heather-covered peat bank maybe 150m of open ground away ! Damn, damn! Tried calling it but it clocked me right away and slinked off through the waist high old heather. Bugger, bugger, bugger!
Quick 250m dash (well the first twenty yards anyhow) back to the Jimny to swop semi for rifle and as an afterthought gather up the Icotech and remote - cleverly reasoning if it was still nearby it might respond to a different call and I could maybe get a shot.
That was the cunning plan, however it did not quite pan out that way. I came to the 8ft high bank from the opposite direction and about 200m away from last sighting to work into the wind and hide my approach but as I slowly
Then began a very frustrating and unparalleled period of “spot the fox ear/ears” - more than once me thinking that it was stalking me rather than vice versa. On at least five occasions I could see one ear or perhaps two with the thermal but always it was nose down and behind thick cover which very frustratingly meant that nothing of it was visible to my eye or through the Pard008p.
On two occasions it re-appeared when I used the Distressed Pheasant call but again only an ear showed with the thermal. Eventually I could see it no more - game over, so muttering darkly I
I scanned as I walked and was surprised to see a bird (woodcock ?) getting up maybe 200 yards in front and blow me in the same instant the reason was clear - foxy - again! This time I had far too much cover but it did enable me to close the distance all the while watching the fox through the thermal, mooching about on the scent of the recently departed woodcock. I was pleasantly surprised to get within maybe 70m of the still busy fox but utterly disappointed to find that whilst most of it was visible through the thermal nothing could be seen through the scope as the cover was just too thick. More frustration and a bit of a dance ensued - fox moved, I moved - still no shot; repeat and repeat again for what seemed like ages but in reality maybe 3 or 4 minutes of me spotting through the Axion but not seeing through the scope - then it clocked me - bugger, bugger, bugger!
To get a better view of this now very familiar eejit the fox dipped it’s head which then took form for me through the scope and I swear it squinted to better see me through the heavy cover and in doing so immediately a shot became possible - bang!
No thwack! Damn! Quick look through the Axion and to my utter
What a result and really just in time - the ground is an ancient peat moss and very heavy going with a number of concealed very deep drains going back centuries which are completely concealed by the rank heather so I was totally knackered and in truth having difficulty holding steady on this very elusive but super-worthy quarry. I know that I gathered my rifle at exactly 11:30 and shot the fox at 13:33 so a full two hours of stalking and being stalked - far too much for this oul eejit!
It turned out to be a beautiful small vixen in a full red coat that would have made Santa proud. As ever my delight was tinged with sadness when I saw her up close - an utterly exquisite creature but sadly living next to the pen sealed her fate, she just had to go….
Now I am back home debating which malt to celebrate with but I know that out of all my very many foxes shot I will remember this fantastic two-way stalk for a very, very long time, I am indeed blessed.
Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
David.evans
Well-Known Member
Last nights result
big dog at 60 yards
big dog at 60 yards
Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
By far! And no jammies!!Looks like a jungle FB! Well done.
Daytime foxing is the best
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
I never said no jammies in the day....!By far! And no jammies!!
Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
blueeyes
Well-Known Member
Well first dry night for a while so got out for a few hours , 3 all in one with one eye still to pick as lost my bearing's in the marsh after finding a ewe up to her shoulders in water, managed to get her out and onto the field with others but not looking too good informed the shepherd , another two large dogs in prime condition will have to go back down see if I can locate one eye 
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