Fox shooting in Australia

tacklerat

Well-Known Member
Most of you may know, but foxes are not a native species to Australia. They were released here so that the tally ho mob could ride to hounds as they did back in the old country. Like a lot of imported species the foxes flourished here, and became a hugs problem. That problem was on the way of being controlled while women still liked to wear fur coats and you could get up to AU$45.00 for a full skin including the head skin. However once women wearing fur coats began to have tomato sauce and stones thrown at them by the animal libbers, the trade declined dramatically. So the only reason the shoot foxes became one of pest eradication.
Today the fox is a worthy sporting proposition here, and we use two main methods to hunt them. one is whistling, or imitating a distressed rabbit (another introduced animal) or spotlighting. I'd be interested to know what methods are used in Britain. My rifle of choice is a .222Rem based on a Zastava barrel and action. The barrel is just 20inches long and I stocked it with a walnut stock from Boyd's in the US. The scope is a 4-12 Votex.
Cheers,
John
 
NV is getting very popular with the cost of unit dropping, you have the sit in the truck gang with a flask of coffee who wait it out.
A lot of farms are tied into schemes where a 5/6 meter border is left around the out side of fields, this is not meant to be driven on. I walk with lamp, quad sticks, spotting torch and the rifle. This way is low impact, no brake lights keep dabbing on and off, also you can shoot where you cant drive.

I target areas where they cross also sheep farms, cover crops, fresh ploughed ground as the go after worms.
In the autumn I will drive on the stubble, I use a widgeon and home made tennerfield whistle and a bit of hand calling.

Tim.243
 
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Yep - we use thermal and NV spotters as well as NV on the rifles. Like Tim, we shoot almost exclusively on foot using standing sticks to see over the vegetation and uneven terrain.
 
I was interested to see Tim refer to the Tenterfield whistle. Tenterfield is a small rural town about 160km west of where I live, and the whistle was originally made there by using a bit of tobacco tin bent with a hole punched through it. A lot of people use American "callers" but I prefer the whistle, and apart from the Tenterfield there is also the button whistle, basically a disc in two rounded halves with a hole in the centre. I make my own out of old cartridge cases. I flatten them at about the middle then drill a hole right through. You can turn the case in your mouth a little to vary the pitch. Very few hunters here use thermal gear.
JD
 
I was interested to see Tim refer to the Tenterfield whistle. Tenterfield is a small rural town about 160km west of where I live, and the whistle was originally made there by using a bit of tobacco tin bent with a hole punched through it. A lot of people use American "callers" but I prefer the whistle, and apart from the Tenterfield there is also the button whistle, basically a disc in two rounded halves with a hole in the centre. I make my own out of old cartridge cases. I flatten them at about the middle then drill a hole right through. You can turn the case in your mouth a little to vary the pitch. Very few hunters here use thermal gear.
JD

Electronic callers are very popular over here as the fox looks at the source of the sound, not at you!
 
Today the fox is a worthy sporting proposition here, and we use two main methods to hunt them. one is whistling, or imitating a distressed rabbit (another introduced animal) or spotlighting.

Umm I think you'll also find that many Victorians hunt foxes with hounds in drives with shotguns.

 
Hey tacklerat, can you demonstrate the cartridge whistle with a picture? sounds like fun.

MCHUGHCB, what size shot do you use? I use #2 and #1 depending on distance. (one in each barrel)
 
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Normally bbs in 42 gr loads. Will use No2 in a 42 gr load as well occasionally and steel shot in fff 3" nagnums.
 
Hey tacklerat, can you demonstrate the cartridge whistle with a picture? sounds like fun.

MCHUGHCB, what size shot do you use? I use #2 and #1 depending on distance. (one in each barrel)
No worries mate, I'll get some pics taken and post 'em. Sorry for that omission McHugh, I clean forgot about some of your customs down there. I've taken foxes with a shotty but only after whistling them in. Although I did stalk one in a bracken gully near Braidwood once. No2 shot as I recall.
JD
 
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