Out last night.

Leica Fortis 6 - Bright and powerful.
Smellydog said:
#77, eventually!
I've hardly slept after , as it transpires causing a real flesh wound to a fox.
The shot in the video looks good but somehow it went left. Possibly wind but needless say a zero check will follow.
The fox went and lay down hardly visible to the thermal or sight.
I waited to see if another fox would arrive as I was confident this chap had lay down for good!


After non other arrived I set off to retrieve my fox. Keeping down wind and viewing regularly the low down fox never moved so I moved in and just using natural light I couldn't find it!
It had legged it with me less than 20yds away!!

The cold wind turned an instant blue! I was furious with myself. Why didn't I view it through the scope, what a stupid mistake!!
So that was that, I went back home cursing myself and couldn't rest all night. I felt rotten.

After work today I shot home. Grabbed the dog and shotgun and went to the ground but the other side to keep the wind in Jess's face.
But as I parked I got the car stuck!
Half an hour or more was trying to get the car out which I managed by letting the tyres down some and occasionally digging. I need better tyres on this car!
View attachment 451166
I was hoping she would find a dead fox but while she was hunting squirrels in a deep ditch full of blackthorn, bramble, hazel and oak suddenly her nose scents the air and her ears come forward! This is right where I calculated where the fox went from me the night before. Jess looks at me with eyes on storks now and I point to tell her to get on.

Straight away she gave voice, and she has a distinctive voice when on a fox. I legged to the highest point and soon had the fox running around in front of me with Jess on its tale so I couldn't shoot! She lost the fox but I knew it was still in the ditch. Jess didn't give up and moved it a few more times until it had had enough from the relentless terrier/hound combination and spied it's chance to escape downwind which meant it would run past me upon which it received some old S&B #5 shot at about 30yds which was instant lights out.

I was so relieved to see a flesh wound. He had been licking it. The little 17 bullet from the night before had cut the skin on its right front leg!
When Jess arrived at the scene she was so wound up she would not stop ragging the corpse untill I pulled her off.
I laid the dog fox to rest and gave him a sip from my hip flask and apologised for the inconvenience!
Jess was covered in her own blood by now also, due to her catching her split ear in some fencing and finally splitting it to the end of the lobe.
She later went on to work some squirrels then when home a good shower and a feed.
She will dream of this for days!
I can sleep now...
View attachment 451165
Click to expand...

Integrity & honesty are what sets some men apart, respect mate.
 
Smellydog said:
#77, eventually!
I've hardly slept after , as it transpires causing a real flesh wound to a fox.
The shot in the video looks good but somehow it went left. Possibly wind but needless say a zero check will follow.
The fox went and lay down hardly visible to the thermal or sight.
I waited to see if another fox would arrive as I was confident this chap had lay down for good!


After non other arrived I set off to retrieve my fox. Keeping down wind and viewing regularly the low down fox never moved so I moved in and just using natural light I couldn't find it!
It had legged it with me less than 20yds away!!

The cold wind turned an instant blue! I was furious with myself. Why didn't I view it through the scope, what a stupid mistake!!
So that was that, I went back home cursing myself and couldn't rest all night. I felt rotten.

After work today I shot home. Grabbed the dog and shotgun and went to the ground but the other side to keep the wind in Jess's face.
But as I parked I got the car stuck!
Half an hour or more was trying to get the car out which I managed by letting the tyres down some and occasionally digging. I need better tyres on this car!
View attachment 451166
I was hoping she would find a dead fox but while she was hunting squirrels in a deep ditch full of blackthorn, bramble, hazel and oak suddenly her nose scents the air and her ears come forward! This is right where I calculated where the fox went from me the night before. Jess looks at me with eyes on storks now and I point to tell her to get on.

Straight away she gave voice, and she has a distinctive voice when on a fox. I legged to the highest point and soon had the fox running around in front of me with Jess on its tale so I couldn't shoot! She lost the fox but I knew it was still in the ditch. Jess didn't give up and moved it a few more times until it had had enough from the relentless terrier/hound combination and spied it's chance to escape downwind which meant it would run past me upon which it received some old S&B #5 shot at about 30yds which was instant lights out.

I was so relieved to see a flesh wound. He had been licking it. The little 17 bullet from the night before had cut the skin on its right front leg!
When Jess arrived at the scene she was so wound up she would not stop ragging the corpse untill I pulled her off.
I laid the dog fox to rest and gave him a sip from my hip flask and apologised for the inconvenience!
Jess was covered in her own blood by now also, due to her catching her split ear in some fencing and finally splitting it to the end of the lobe.
She later went on to work some squirrels then when home a good shower and a feed.
She will dream of this for days!
I can sleep now...
View attachment 451165
Click to expand...

Fair play to you pal 👏 a good dog is worth its weight in gold👌
 
Bo Diddley said:
Nice work Sd... it all came good in the end.

I picked up the nephew, and we had a few hours at the pig units after the rats.
168 between us both, him shooting his old Daystate, and me with my Crown. Not bad for just over two hours, the wind had a bite tonight.
Click to expand...
That's a good amount mate.
 
Bo Diddley said:
Nice work Sd... it all came good in the end.

I picked up the nephew, and we had a few hours at the pig units after the rats.
168 between us both, him shooting his old Daystate, and me with my Crown. Not bad for just over two hours, the wind had a bite tonight.
Click to expand...
Cracking fun mate. Wish I had some good ratting permission.
 
Went out to feed the dogs earlier and a quick flick with the light down outside the post and rail fence , seen a pair of eyes only about 20 yards away, not had my new rifle long and the weather has been that crap down here I haven't had time to do more than a quick zeroing with the Alpex, so nipped back in and grabbed the rifle , walked out the lane and scanned about through the scope , couldn't see anything so gave a little squeak and he come out from behind the chicken House and crossing the field in front of me trying to wind me, had to take a freehand shot at about 50 yards , he took off and ran about 50 yards and finished with a flip in the air, got down there and was a good shot to the heart , the 55 grain remington soft point had made a fair mess but no exit, was pleased with the outcome even though it was all a bit rushed and not exactly geared up, the IR battery died just after the shot 🙄, first fox of the winter for me, been busy with the house build etc , and changing rifles, need to get out after them from now on
 
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