Foxing tips

Worthwhile to find out where foxes spend their day time and where the feeding areas are. Foxes tend to move to feeding areas on same routes. Here, which is not sheep country, foxes move along streams and rivers. Searching for water rats mainly. With right wind and a position a bit high up then there is just a issue of waiting and not moving. Constantly working with the thermal. A short mouse call will make a fox stop for a few seconds..
 

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Decide what sort of rifle support you are going to use and practice getting the rifle up & ready, whether it's a tripod with a yolk or clamp, a set of quadsticks or even just a single stick. Get it down to being an easy slick movement, stop, deploy, rifle up, on target. If you aren't practised then you'll end up clattering about, cursing under your breath or dropping something, sometimes Charlie doesn't want to play ball and you may not have much time before he's away through that hedge. Basically, get familiar with your equipment so that it becomes second nature.
 
Be a bit mindful where you leave them afterwards. Make sure its far away from footpaths if possible, and even then out of sight in a hedge or deep cover.
The farmer wont thank you for complaints from nosey dog walkers etc. and we have to accept folk are not always understanding or comfy with wildlife management.
I try and leave things looking like I have not been there.
 
My fox/boar set up
Also, dog is very handy to bring along. Starting early in dog's life with 'sit still and shut up' training. Dogs feel/sense 'something out there in the dark' much earlier than we do so just looking at the dog may fix the boar, especially. Also good to bring along when searching something shot at. No hurry when dog is with you and perhaps another chance at something ..
 

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One last thing from me. Look up Simon6ppc on YouTube and watch his foxing videos. See how well he knows his ground, his equipment, and limitations. He's a cracking marksman, but still understands that sometimes, some shots aren't worth the hassle! He's also happy to mention that particular night, might be his 2nd/3rd or 4th in pursuit of a that particular fox. In my opinion, he does it the right way and he does it in a calm and collective manner. Good luck
Thanks Foxer, I’ll get on that now!
 
Oh and regardless of whether you intend to shoot foxes at night with a lamp/IR/thermal scope or even in full daylight do buy a thermal spotter - utterly priceless for any type of animal shooting.
🦊🦊
I have a Hikmicro Thunder at the moment. I appreciate it’s actually designed to be a scope, but it makes one hell of a spotter!!!
 
Whether you’re using an electronic call, mouth call or hand squeaking, the fox will usually come around to get downwind of the source of the noise and approach it using his nose, try to position yourself accordingly otherwise you’re busted and you’ll not see him.
Wind direction is vital and it’s surprising how a gentle breeze in one direction will swirl around contours and give you away.

Oh, and if you take your friend’s son along on his first foxing foray, remember to tell him beforehand not to lather himself in cologne. 🙄
😂😂😂 brilliant advice. Maybe his idea was to scent the fox into submission…
 
watch what the sheep are doing,saw one charging a fox we couldn't see amongst them last night.watch out for them staring at anything strange.
I'm very busy on the lambing fields at the moment.
phil.
Thanks Phil, animal/livestock behaviour is something I fear I have overlooked. Spending more time scanning for the fox!
 
My fox/boar set up
Also, dog is very handy to bring along. Starting early in dog's life with 'sit still and shut up' training. Dogs feel/sense 'something out there in the dark' much earlier than we do so just looking at the dog may fix the boar, especially. Also good to bring along when searching something shot at. No hurry when dog is with you and perhaps another chance at something ..
A dog is a great addition, if only just for the company. My springer very quickly learnt that foxing requires a different more subtle approach than looking for pheasants, and he does see things that I don’t, so definitely worth watching him and picking up on his signs.
 
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