Screaming foxes everwhere!

Munty_Hunter

Well-Known Member
Went out last night with the lamp, only to walk a couple of fields to find the new batteries in the caller were actully flat :(. We decided to carry on anyway with no vixen or dog call. It soon became apparent that every bl**dy fox in the area was in full cry. What made it worse was having walked and squeaked across 400 odd acres we hadn't picked up a single set of eyes.
Do you think foxes are that focused on the art of love they are less likely to look at a lamp. Or is it just proof of the population that nowadays is becoming ever harder pick up with the lamp?

Is night vision/thermal now imperative to successfull fox control???
 
The seasons vary and so does the foxes priorities especially about now, best to put some extra time in and watch an area and the foxes that are working it.
Pin point cross over points and if you can put a bait point out and watch, build a pattern

Don't expect a fox every time, every outing is a learning outing


You will get more of the problem foxes by ambush rather than adhoc lamping. Waiting for Charlie to bring himself into an area under his own steam and chilled out is worth the extra time and effort.
Keep the areas rested, quiet and use a lamp as least as possible to reap the rewards.

I use NV binos and a laser light that fits the scope size to minimise the illumination if the scope won't pick it up on its own. This set up works brilliantly for me especially if you can apply a bit of field craft to get the best possible position. Lamp shy or stressed foxes will wait in the shadows until it is perfect for them. No calling no lamping the stealth approach will prove itself on merit and the ones you get are well worth it

Slow and steady will catchee monkey :D

Good luck


Phil
 
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The seasons vary and so does the foxes priorities especially about now, best to put some extra time in and watch an area and the foxes that are working it.
Pin point cross over points and if you can put a bait point out and watch, build a pattern

Don't expect a fox every time, every outing is a learning outing


You will get more of the problem foxes by ambush rather than adhoc lamping. Waiting for Charlie to bring himself into an area under his own steam and chilled out is worth the extra time and effort.
Keep the areas rested, quiet and use a lamp as least as possible to reap the rewards.

I use NV binos and a laser light that fits the scope size to minimise the illumination if the scope won't pick it up on its own. This set up works brilliantly for me especially if you can apply a bit of field craft to get the best possible position. Lamp shy or stressed foxes will wait in the shadows until it is perfect for them. No calling no lamping the stealth approach will prove itself on merit and the ones you get are well worth it

Slow and steady will catchee monkey :D

Good luck


Phil
spot on sir:thumb:
 
I agree but no one has time to do baiting and waiting about if you're trying to control over thousands of acres. I have night vision and am always amazed how many more seem to be seen with NV. My suspision is that more and more foxes are becoming intolerant to the lamp, is it due to bad lamping techniques or inherited wariness.
 
I agree but no one has time to do baiting and waiting about if you're trying to control over thousands of acres. I have night vision and am always amazed how many more seem to be seen with NV. My suspision is that more and more foxes are becoming intolerant to the lamp, is it due to bad lamping techniques or inherited wariness.
Your bang on the money. Bad lamping and technique is making the job a nightmare. I bait areas then put trail cameras on it once its been used. This gives me a rough time at what time they are feeding. Then get there hour before they are showing and wait it out. My camera has SMS on it so once it goes off you can get down on rifle and your lamp is only on for 5 seconds. Had great success with this method
 
If you cut the bait up into small pieces and then distribute it over a wide area, the foxes have to spend a lot of time sniffing it out. That holds them there for some time which means you don't have to hang around waiting. You can, for example, go off and do a roving patrol across several other bait spots, only coming back when it suits you.
 
We were out a few nights ago foxs calling drop a night dog foxs then bumped into farmer so he was happy. Just waiting for Lamping gear to charge then back out again love this time of year
 
I'm just getting started with the Thermal. Damn it's good. Didn't use my nv spotter once last night. Only problem was no Charlie about. But the farmer is happy with that.

You'll still need the spotter (with illuminator) to check the lay of the land. The thermal won't tell you if there's fifty feet of dead ground in front of you - and guess where Charlie will be...
 
You'll still need the spotter (with illuminator) to check the lay of the land. The thermal won't tell you if there's fifty feet of dead ground in front of you - and guess where Charlie will be...

Good point. The last I shoot over is small and I know it very well. But I will remember that for new land. :thumb:.
 
Munty hunter is spot on, I have been out over three thousand acres with a lamp and on some nights don't see a fox, but sit in high seat with night vision and nearly always see fox, if I can't get a shot I can sort an ambush for next night,only drawback is it is time consuming but it is a good way to catch up with the tricky ones.
 
Went out last night with the lamp, only to walk a couple of fields to find the new batteries in the caller were actully flat :(. We decided to carry on anyway with no vixen or dog call. It soon became apparent that every bl**dy fox in the area was in full cry. What made it worse was having walked and squeaked across 400 odd acres we hadn't picked up a single set of eyes.
Do you think foxes are that focused on the art of love they are less likely to look at a lamp. Or is it just proof of the population that nowadays is becoming ever harder pick up with the lamp?

Is night vision/thermal now imperative to successfull fox control???

Thank god its just not me lol nahh This time of year they are in breeding mode , shot a dog fox last night then 10 mins later shot a vixen , it was the same the weekend before lamped another two in the field together , they have no intrest in the squeak at the moment
love is in the air as they say!
 
If you cut the bait up into small pieces and then distribute it over a wide area, the foxes have to spend a lot of time sniffing it out. That holds them there for some time which means you don't have to hang around waiting. You can, for example, go off and do a roving patrol across several other bait spots, only coming back when it suits you.
Exellent tactic to use.
You could also try a sachet of cat food(the one that contains jelly)they're good if you open 'em and shake the contents out in a wide pattern, as does fish oil as there is plenty of smell to draw them in but nothing for them to pick up and dissappear with, other than that, bury an 18" length of drain pipe level with the ground (so it looks like the hole on a golf course)drop your smelly stuff into it, sit back and wait, when the fox tracks to your bait station it won't be able to get at what ever you have put in it be it a rabbit, chicken or rotten fish, works well for me.
 
Exellent tactic to use.
You could also try a sachet of cat food(the one that contains jelly)they're good if you open 'em and shake the contents out in a wide pattern, as does fish oil as there is plenty of smell to draw them in but nothing for them to pick up and dissappear with, other than that, bury an 18" length of drain pipe level with the ground (so it looks like the hole on a golf course)drop your smelly stuff into it, sit back and wait, when the fox tracks to your bait station it won't be able to get at what ever you have put in it be it a rabbit, chicken or rotten fish, works well for me.

im going to try this cheers!
 
bramble this 3000 acres i take it your driving this ????? try walking round i walk everywhere and always use the same methords wind in face call every 3 fields.if i been to an area quite often ie more than once a month red filter if i dont go there often then white light very very rare do i blank .i dont shoot at anything over 300 yards if its coming in let it most my foxes killed at 100 yrds most improtant find out who else is shooting your ground if they lamp shy and its not your fault then its someone elses good hunting
 
out this week and foxes everywhere, not intrested in a squeal, sex on menu. Heard one calling but it kept moving, eventually thought it was along way out, lamp on 30yds in front of us. Hasty retreat.

Eventually waited on a big stone pile and tracked it as it trotted around a 20 acre grass field, ambushed it as it went through a hedge onto some plough, big dog fox.

At one stage whilst using a NV monocular was watching 6 roe at 250yds when 3 foxes came racing through the field, seemed more like greyhounds. Not a chance of getting on them. Hoping for snow on Sunday so we might get a better chance next week

D
 
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