At last a shootable night Friday, so many times I’ve gone out only to retreat to the van and watch the rain running down the windscreen.
Got a call last week than lambs were going missing and foxes were been seen often in daylight so although I don’t like shooting them this time of year but ..needs must. I have shot over 30 foxes
on this one permission and I thought I’d pretty much wiped them out ,well I haven’t so over the last week in between the rain I’ve had four
the first was as I was setting up my hide in broad day light only fifty yards away he kept appearing from the woods watching me,I walked back to the van picking up my gun and stuff then settled down when I noticed a heat source through my thermal coming from the wood then the shepherd came along on his quad bike checking the lambs as soon as he’d gone out trots Charlie ,stopped him with a “oy” at about 80 yards the 223 hornady vmax did the job . Unfortunately rain stopped play soon after.
So Friday night although there was slight drizzle and low clouds I set off 5-30pm . First I checked my zero on an obliging crow 180 yards , I love the effect the 223 Remington has on a crow …. Explosive.
I’m met up with the farmer, he informed me one of the ewes had died from a prolapse and he’d leave it there a while longer for fox bait for me. The magic hour arrived just on dusk I noticed through my thermal a fox making its way up the bank towards the lambs, he stopped on top of the bank and I must say a fine looking fox through my pard 008 in daylight mode bang flop dead . I then walked round, shot one towards the dead ewe And another in the adjoining field but although I hit it, I couldn’t find it as there was so many lambs and heat marks in the field ,that’s my excuse anyway.
I then noticed a heat source a little too far from a ewe , I was about 400 yards away up wind, I managed to get to within 210 yards away but no way any closer and could see clearly the fox was eating something I put the gun on my quod sticks took my time and let one fly that was number three ….or four . On inspection the big dog fox was halfway through a black lamb which didn’t look a newborn I took a photo and sent it to the shepherd but I think it’s a bit too graphic to post on here, even if I knew how to do it!
I then had another walk round to the other field, but so nothing decided to call it a night and head back towards the van and then thought no I’ll just have one last check at the other field and I could see the heat source of the Fox I’d shot but it just seemed wrong I looked through the pard 008 and there was eyes shining back at me and bugger me it was another finishing of what was left of the lamb so I got in the same position 210 yards away, took the shot completely missed it, but it ran stopped and then went back. The wind was gusting 30 to 40 mph by now, but I took my time aimed at the centre of the Fox and down he went . Number five, this was a vixen shot in the head
well it was windy.
One of my best nights this year I thoroughly enjoyed it and hopefully I’ve made a difference, I’m gonna go back in a couple of days the dead ewe should attract any remaining foxes in,….. I’ll keep you posted
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. I am thinking of knocking the fencing business on the head and going into umbrella sales , I think there’s a market for them
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