foxing over two nights

griffshrek

Well-Known Member
Hello all a few lines to tell you about last weeks foxing adventures over two separate nights out.
Last week Ade (270wsm) invited me out for a spot of foxing on a permission he hasn’t been to for some time , it was a gorgeous evening to be out (any time is good to be out) but it was a nice warm pleasant evening .

On arrival at the farm Ade has a quick chat to the farmer 10 minutes later we are off .

Ade is packing .243 rifle with a NM800 top mounted (Ade does have the steroided up NM800 Xsearcher ) and we are using a NM800 & Olight SR50 as hand lamping lights ( led all the way ) the ground we are shooting over is good typical welsh countryside plenty of small valleys and vales (nothing like a million tonne of backstop)

Over the gate and quick shine about in the first field , straight away there is big bright set of eyes , light hit’s the fox but its not hanging about not sure if its our lights or the tractors that are thundering up the lane bringing in the crops close by, at a quick glance it was an adult fox but not stopping for anything.

We settled down got the caller going for a turn and short time later a nice set of eyes appeared.

Ade was the designated marksman for the night , so he settled down for the shot , we could see it was a big size cub mooching about hunting , it was going in and out of cover not fazed by the red led light but not staying still for the shot. Quick blast on the caller, fox stopped still for a second and Ade put it to bed with a 75gr hpbt that echoed back a very satisfying “THWAAACK “ across the little valley & 1st fox down.

Off we went lamping a few more fields and more importantly having a bit of a chin wag as we haven’t had much chance lately to catch up.

As we are walking I’m intermittently calling , we stop on top of a small valley. As I have a shine about I’m sure I get a quick flash of a set of foxes eyes but in the branches of a tree. This is a dead tree that is bellow us & several hundred meters away but the eyes disappear . Ade and I discuss this and put it down to an owl ( that are calling like mad tonight) but I was sure it was a set of foxes eyes .

We walk a few minutes more an had a shine about , low and behold there is Mr fox in the field right opposite us on the other side of the valley . We quickly work out the eyes I earlier saw were a fox but as were we higher looking down across a valley through a dead tree, it was the fox in the field but it looked like something in the dead trees branches.

Ade gets ready and in seconds I give a little blast on the caller and “THWAAACK” fox No2 is in the bag a good 140m shot and a good big size healthy cub .


I only took a picture of this fox not the first shot.View attachment 31476



As we both had work the next day we ended our very enjoyable productive night out (good shooting Ade)



A few days later I decided to visit one of my permissions I hadn’t been to for a few weeks , Ade decided that due to the prospect of inclement weather and Helen promising him a “lucky nite in ” he was staying in wearing his realtree onesie in front of the log burner .



I took the .308 as I was also going to try and bag a fallow buck if one appeared as my freezer is running low , I was sat in my ambush position by 7 ish and it was great just watching the world around you , I had decided that foxing was the priority and deer 2nd as the farmer does dislike the foxes.


I saw a massive fallow buck and 3 followers 800m away through the bins and he was displaying a great set of antlers even at that distance . As I sat enjoying the world around me a pair of does with fawns popped out and it was a pleasure just sat hidden away watching what Mr & Mrs Joe public I would say almost never see (I never take it for granted and treasure every moment )

As this is going on Mr fox makes an appearance in the field , I can see it’s a very big sized cub and its hunting along a hedgerow very casually . it’s a big old field with does with fawns in one end and good few hundred meters away the fox .

I realize that if I took the fox this would end all prospect of a buck appearing this evening ….but …..the fox must take precedent .

My rifle was all set up on the bipod next to me pointing towards the field, I rolled over put it into my shoulder and watched the fox . It mooched about totally unaware of me and whilst it decided to take a cr*p……”whooooop” 1st fox down (the .308 impact noise is different to the .243)

I removed the fox (dog) off the field and made my way to the truck for my lamp and caller as the light was going . Once all set for lamping (yes I am allowed to use .308 for this) I did the immediate fields straight away set of eyes appeared , few toots on the caller and I had a fox trotting in to me set up the sticks and bang 2nd fox in the bag.

As I was getting this one off the field (dog) the heavens opened and I spent the next 40minutes in the truck drinking tea and emailing while the rain thundered away . Then the skies cleared and what a nice evening emerged .

Over the next 3hrs I managed to bagged 4 more big cubs , 2 of these were called in blind and the other two were seen at 300m --400m and coaxed into range with the caller.

Of the 6 foxes shot I only found 5 them the one I couldn’t find I knew was hit well as it came apart in the scope (150gr .308) I had a good look for it but the field was a little bit overgrown .

I called it a night text the farmer of the nights result and of the unfound fox, I had planned on returning with the dogs in the morning to check the area for the missing fox .

View attachment 31477


I had a text off the farmer in the morning that whilst on his sheep round he found the missing fox exactly where I said it was shot I must have stepped over it when looking.

So over two nights out 8 foxes bagged …..more than happy :)

Hope you enjoyed…..Neil
 
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A great read!, Amazing how you can spend so much time quartering the drop zone in the dark, & in full daylight there it is!:rolleyes:

Oh yes and falling out with your lamping partner after you swear it's dead and he/she swears that you've missed it!:doh:
 
Paddy
i dont feel that bad now not finding him

Don't - it happens to us all. As an illustration, I insisted that my foxing partner and I return to a particular farm one morning, as I was certain that I'd whacked a fox I'd shot at. He, on the other hand was very dubious as we'd walked the open field back and forth for ages, then driven it several times. The next day we found it within moments, exactly where I thought it was - to make matters more frustrating, there were wheel tracks a foot or so from it, from when we'd been going round in circles looking for it...
 
Don't - it happens to us all. As an illustration, I insisted that my foxing partner and I return to a particular farm one morning, as I was certain that I'd whacked a fox I'd shot at. He, on the other hand was very dubious as we'd walked the open field back and forth for ages, then driven it several times. The next day we found it within moments, exactly where I thought it was - to make matters more frustrating, there were wheel tracks a foot or so from it, from when we'd been going round in circles looking for it...



:):):) that did bring a smile to my face as we know what it feel like .
 
Tommy , sorry for the late reply (gone shooting)
I am rubbish or lazy at calling with my hands or mouth so use artificial callers of various kinds this works best for me , i have adapted an old MP3 player downloaded loads of calls and use a cheap £15 battery powered speaker the picture should show mp3 player attached to speaker with rubber bands (my mobile foe scale), my favourite call is a mouse squeek or rabbit distress but depends at what time of yr you are for diffrent calls, i have adapted mine to have silences built in so i would press say mouse squeek it will run 3min on 1 min silence and the same for other calls .


The advantage of this type of call is i can place it on fence post sit away from it and let the call do its stuff for you , i do get good results from it.
View attachment 31643
I get great results also with a little green primos high pitch blow type call & the little black plastic profox both these seem to drag them in.


The foxes below were taken using a cub distress call to bring in the vixen then a vixen call to bring in the two cubs last night sorry for the graffic picsView attachment 31644
View attachment 31645
View attachment 31646
 
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