Foxing
- Thread starter Malxwal
- Start date
Not me - do it for game birds - but mainly for wild greys - Curlew - hares - ducks
I think if you look at the amount of effort and time - and indeed lack of results many of us get for nights on end you will realise that it is something far greater than "sport"
Foxing=pigeons=deer stalking.
No guide/lease/syndicate required 
Malxwal
Well-Known Member
I only ask as I know people who shoot foxes without any real justification or understanding. I'm not in any way doubting the value of predator control, you only have to look at any "rewilding" or RSPB shambles to see what happens when lethal predator control is abandoned.
hairlesshunter
Well-Known Member
A farmer once told men that there wasn’t one animal that was the farmer’s friend and didn’t do some kind of damage
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In fairness no one has to justify what and why they shoot foxes, Just off out foxing,
.
Just back from a fruitless night in the high seat, reckon we are pretty quiet again, an almost full moon benefitting the downgrade back to glass scope while awaiting a repair descision on the thermal.
Curlew calls all over the place, Nightjar churring again, so seems a few for a chance at fledging this year again.
Curlew calls all over the place, Nightjar churring again, so seems a few for a chance at fledging this year again.
Crowstalker
Well-Known Member
I would say its more of a sport than purely an absolute necessity. There has to be a balance in nature, just shooting any and all foxes is a bit unjustified I think.
Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
I've hunted foxes for the past 42 years. Sometimes more intensely than others. Firstly, with a Terrier & lurcher, nets or a spade, sometimes shooting as they bolt.
My old keeper mentor Charlie used to snare, and in the spring it would be a bag down the earth backfill and spoon some Cymag down a couple of holes before blocking these up. The hunt caught a few.
Every farm back then seemed to have a small family shoot, with someone doing some sort of keepering, many people would be turning their hand against the fox, that's just not happening now, lots of land with no meaningful pest control whatsoever.
I've never known there to be so many foxes.
I shoot over several poultry units for one supplier of top-end free-range birds. I also shoot over the land we part-time keeper for the owner, we put a couple of family driven days on, in exchange, we have the stalking/foxing, there are a few pairs of Greys, and a few Green Plover, but the truth is that how the land is farmed is probably as much to do with those birds not doing so well, the Brown Hare is thriving on our patch.
The rifle shooting of foxes has taken off like many things because of all the social media videos, and it seems like a way for some people to get out and "hunt" without having to get involved with a gralloch and butchery of a deer. The desire to hunt is still strong in lots of men, but the opportunities are few for many. Plenty of people with all the gear & little idea
I don't see it as a sport, I see it as all part of managing the environment. The same as culling deer to minimise browsing of woodland, or destruction of farm crops.
Atb
BD.
My old keeper mentor Charlie used to snare, and in the spring it would be a bag down the earth backfill and spoon some Cymag down a couple of holes before blocking these up. The hunt caught a few.
Every farm back then seemed to have a small family shoot, with someone doing some sort of keepering, many people would be turning their hand against the fox, that's just not happening now, lots of land with no meaningful pest control whatsoever.
I've never known there to be so many foxes.
I shoot over several poultry units for one supplier of top-end free-range birds. I also shoot over the land we part-time keeper for the owner, we put a couple of family driven days on, in exchange, we have the stalking/foxing, there are a few pairs of Greys, and a few Green Plover, but the truth is that how the land is farmed is probably as much to do with those birds not doing so well, the Brown Hare is thriving on our patch.
The rifle shooting of foxes has taken off like many things because of all the social media videos, and it seems like a way for some people to get out and "hunt" without having to get involved with a gralloch and butchery of a deer. The desire to hunt is still strong in lots of men, but the opportunities are few for many. Plenty of people with all the gear & little idea
I don't see it as a sport, I see it as all part of managing the environment. The same as culling deer to minimise browsing of woodland, or destruction of farm crops.
Atb
BD.
The justification is the increase in ground nesters - hares and all
I ran a fox control setup for many years. Now, I just remove local troublemakers, which keeps me pretty busy. This year, my main fox shooting ground, a free-range poultry unit which is within a hundred yards of home, was struck down by avian flu and is no more.
There are a lot of foxes about here still, and cubs are showing up once more. From what I see and hear, the vast majority of foxes are, if the truth were known, shot for sport. This is rather different from when I started out shooting and trapping them for a living.
There are a lot of foxes about here still, and cubs are showing up once more. From what I see and hear, the vast majority of foxes are, if the truth were known, shot for sport. This is rather different from when I started out shooting and trapping them for a living.
BenBhoy
Well-Known Member
I think it depends why you do it. I'm not knocking or disagreeing with anyone's reasoning. Me personally, I only focus on the farm I work at. I work here all day alone, I take care of everything needed to keep it running day to day. One of my great pleasures during a work day, is seeing the wildlife around here. Some rare, but equally can get as much joy watching a robin or long tail tits.
I don't go seeking permissions elsewhere. I don't have a desire to shoot as many foxes anywhere I can. I just want to improve my bit.
I understand what people mean by "problem fox" but at this time of year, every fox has potential to be a problem, simply by being there and doing what comes naturally.
You can't blame him for devouring a nest of partridge chicks. But equally, I'm doing what comes naturally to me, as custodian of this patch, by trying to stop him. I get out twice a week this time of year but once nesting is finished I lay off a bit. My main focus is ground nesting birds.
And long may it continue
I don't go seeking permissions elsewhere. I don't have a desire to shoot as many foxes anywhere I can. I just want to improve my bit.
I understand what people mean by "problem fox" but at this time of year, every fox has potential to be a problem, simply by being there and doing what comes naturally.
You can't blame him for devouring a nest of partridge chicks. But equally, I'm doing what comes naturally to me, as custodian of this patch, by trying to stop him. I get out twice a week this time of year but once nesting is finished I lay off a bit. My main focus is ground nesting birds.
And long may it continue
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Jameshenry
Well-Known Member
As a sheep farmer I would say the last 10 years or so I've tended to leave foxes alone in general unless they are causing a problem, but this lambing season has made me rethink that approach, lost way to many lambs this year to foxes, and I think I will have to start on them during the coming winter
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Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
I'm in Norfolk, and we don't generally suffer much with foxes killing lambs, this year a mate who shoots and works on the land was asked to get on top of them, they have had 14 lambs killed, the farmer is quite meticulous on his husbandry.
Brad93
Well-Known Member
Lost 6 piglets (possibly down to badgers) and landowner has watched fox take 2 chickens last month.
Here is a picture from our trail cam showing fox visiting the pig pens. This is a nightly occurrence.
Badgers tore down the electric fencing last week - nothing we can do about them.
I don't do it for sport, it's necessity. I find it quite saddening burying them in the muck heap. You've got to have respect for your quarry.
Same sense when I shoot pigeons, crows or rabbits. I feel a bit easier with the pigeons and rabbits as they enter the food chain.
If i didn't do it someone else would - and the last guy that went in where the piglets are shot a fox in the leg with an air rifle!
Here is a picture from our trail cam showing fox visiting the pig pens. This is a nightly occurrence.
Badgers tore down the electric fencing last week - nothing we can do about them.
I don't do it for sport, it's necessity. I find it quite saddening burying them in the muck heap. You've got to have respect for your quarry.
Same sense when I shoot pigeons, crows or rabbits. I feel a bit easier with the pigeons and rabbits as they enter the food chain.
If i didn't do it someone else would - and the last guy that went in where the piglets are shot a fox in the leg with an air rifle!
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yup seen foxes nightly at pigs and dancing round a sow trying to draw her off / away form piglet at her feet..... mental ...
i also love seeing foxes thru the day if a chance to glass and watch them
as said above its easier shooting something if i know its being used / eaten
but as bonny as they are they need controlled and certainly can do lot of damage to lambs piglets chickens etc
cheers
Paul
i also love seeing foxes thru the day if a chance to glass and watch them
as said above its easier shooting something if i know its being used / eaten
but as bonny as they are they need controlled and certainly can do lot of damage to lambs piglets chickens etc
cheers
Paul
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