1st Fox with NV +Thermal

[Craig.ross]

Hello lads.

A while back I bought a second hand Archer Grade D NV Gen3. When I bought it I knew it had a really bad laser burn to the tube due to previous owner using IR Laser's at too close range. Main reason i bought it was cos i had got a price from Starlight for a new tube but this one was a Grade A ( best tube available ) and was going to cost £700. I got this price before i went and saw the Archer that was for sale. I bought the second hand unit for £800, so in theory I would have the best grade unit for half the price.
Finally got round to sending it away to get the grade A tube fitted and holy crap what a difference. I will do a before after video on the tube difference when i get a chance to.

Recently I bought a Guide IR 518C Thermal unit. Plan was to use the Thermal to spot to the quarry as picking up heat signature would be better and easier than spotting with NV. As i have been working a fair bit recently i've not had much of a chance to use it properly.

A couple months back i started baiting an area i thought would be good for foxing. Plan was to bait from monday night through to thursday and go on the friday night and wait for the fox coming back. All was going really well, bait was getting taken away but nothing was showing on the trail cam. On the friday afternoon I got a short notice call from work to leave on the Sunday. Thought it'd be best to spend time with the mrs before leaving cos i knew it was gonna be a 3 week job. So i got back from the job and went to check the camera and there was the fox on the friday night at 10:00 !!! DAMN !!!

Was working a fair bit away offshore with very little time at home so couldnt get any shooting done. This time at home i've got a bit more time off so i started baiting the area again. Laid down a rabbit and tied it to the post where the trail cam is. Went back next night with another but rabbit not been touched from before. So i go back home with the other rabbit leaving the 1st one there, let it smell up a bit more. I went back the day after and the rabbit has been demolished, i tied up the second one and swap the SD cards in the camera only to find bloody buzzards eating the rabbit that afternoon, and also a badger came for a munch to. Next night i go back and the second rabbit is gone, torn the body away from the leg that was tied up. Swap the SD card again and this time i lay down the guts of a roe that i shot, i put it in a black bag and froze it. This time the camera shows what im looking for, Charlie !! 1st time in at 21:40 stayed for about 10 mins munching and then came back at 01:20 and again at 03:30.

Yesterday afternoon I got all the batteries charged up for the Thermal, torches and NM800IR. Got into position in the field with the truck and all my kit looked out ready to hand so i know where it is in the dark. I got there before sunset and the weather turned crazy. I stuck the wind meter out the window, jesus its showing 30mph !! Later it calmed down to a nice 15-20 mph cross wind. Once it got dark i turned on the Archer and admired the new tube. Was like daylight, could see everything around me for miles.It was coming up for 21:00 now so I stuck it back on the scope and turned on the thermal for gander around me. A group of cows 350-400 yards away lit up on the thermal straight away. Had a look to the left, nothing there, a look to the right and there is a Roe just casually walking down towards my bait / camera area. Turned from white hot to black hot to see the difference but i prefer white hot. I took a small video of it just wondering around the area. It seemed on edge though, always looking back to where it came from. It then turned round and ran off into the bushes and it was gone. 2 mins later i had a look back and a white blob is walking down the bush line towards the bait area. It then squats down for a pee, yip its a fox. Start a small video of it walking down and into the bait area. Now i switch to the NV and turn on the nm800IR . Clear as day i can see the fox sniffing around the guts but it didnt like it, it walked up about 5-10 yards towards me about turned, back to the bait and then back into the field it came from. At 1st i thought id lot the chance of getting a shot off. Picked it up as it came out the bush and was walking up the field. Got the crosshairs on it and a quick squeek stopped her in her tracks. Slight pressure on the 1lb Jewell trigger and THUD ! Straight down and never moved again. I went to retrieve her showing a vixen. Another happy farmer and another good outing. Perfect way to finish a weekend before i head to Holland on Tuesday with work.

When I get back from work, ill start the baiting process again, this time ill be sticking with rabbits for bait. That'll also keep the mrs happy with not having Roe guts in the freezer lol.






Thanks

​Craig

 

[Paddy_SP]

Well done - I'd be lost without my thermal these days!

 

[achosenman]

Well done - I'd be lost without my thermal these days!

+1

ATB

 

[Craig.ross]

thanks lads.

Same Paddy, I can see this being a very useful bit of kit.

​C

 

[The Singing Stalker]

Got the guide and the archer. Hot diggity they are a great combination. I prefer white hot as well. I think once you have identified with white hot then black hot might give a slightly better definition to the target shape to help identify.

 

[Steyer 6.5]

Nice write up and a good kit review.

 

[Paddy_SP]

Got the guide and the archer. Hot diggity they are a great combination. I prefer white hot as well. I think once you have identified with white hot then black hot might give a slightly better definition to the target shape to help identify.

Yep, white-hot is deffo better for spotting, but - as you say, black-hot can help you get a better understanding of the surrounding terrain.

 

[Craig.ross]

After you guys saying that about the better definition of the black hot, ive looked back at some pics and it does look like it gives you better definition.

 

[Paddy_SP]

After you guys saying that about the better definition of the black hot, ive looked back at some pics and it does look like it gives you better definition.

I think the best way to consider it is that black-hot simply gives you a different visual perspective of the terrain, so when combined with what you've seen via white-hot, you get to understand the landscape a little better. I always use an NV spotter fitted with a laser alongside the thermal, or else you miss all the dead ground which tends to be hidden unless you have the shadows created by an illuminator. And guess where foxy will be moving!

 

[Craig.ross]

I went back out last night to the same farm just to try my luck, didnt think i was going to get anything tho. I put my digital fox caller on the roof of the truck and started calling about 21:15 with the jack rabbit call and by 21:25 i pick up a fox about 70 yards away staring at the truck. Put the thermal to one side and got the rifle on the rest on the window. Turned on the NV and switched on the IR and focused in on the fox. Its now about 90 yards away, swift flick off with the safety and another quick squeek stopped him for one last look round at me. Gentle squeeze and sent the 60gn V-Max into the engine room sending him to the deck.

I kept the rifle on him just to make sure he stayed down, then as im away to take the rifle away i see something further down the park. My 1st thought was crap i've not properly put him down so a quick reload but hes now jumped into the other park. I get myself comfy again and get the crosshairs on him, another quick squeek and hes now coming up the park towards me but only a couple of steps, i gave another squeek and he didnt move so i thought that baring in mind i've just show his pal literally 5 seconds ago he's away to bolt so at around 175 yards ( before it got dark i lasered all posts and obvious bigger bushes for distances ) i holdover and aim on the chest as he's facing right towards me. As i sent that 60gn V-Max pill his way i got a massive gust of wind pushing it off. All night it was gusting to about 20-25 MPH. I watched the dust kick up to his right which would have been a direct hit in the chest. Now he bolts without a second thought of stopping.

I tried to squeek to stop him but no joy, he was lucky this time. I put back on the thermal and i've still got the white patch lying on the deck from the 1st shot. Which was weird cos i only had the 1 fox on thermal at the start, i never saw the 2 of them otherwise i'd a been ready for the 2. Only thing i can think of is that there is a line of bush and tall grass that runs up the 2 fields i was covering. He must of been in the thick of it and thats how i missed him.

​Not to worry though, ill be be back out for him soon enough.



Went down for a look and he was a fair size of Dog fox, a lot bigger than the vixen i got on friday night.