A night to remember…

[Foxyboy43]

No, nothing to do with the sinking of the Titanic (younger members -ask your granda). Just a perfectly good example of how by a bit of effort it all came together and a new pal got an opportunity to shoot his first ever fox.
Last time out he was late I was early and just as his car appeared in the lane I shot the only fox that night. Still, the experience of 2 hours standing in pitch black talking to someone in a hushed whisper who I had only met once before was, err, interesting - disappointing, but “interesting“, to say the least. Not that long ago we would probably have had to become engaged…….
Moving quickly along - next rendezvous arranged then deferred because of his catching C19 so wind forward a few more weeks and the planets finally aligned - same place and almost the same time. After a chat with the landowner over a cuppa and a slight delay zeroing his .222 (which of course alerted every fox within a 5 mile radius) we set off with my own Triple Deuce, 50 gns of Mr H’s finest Vmax loaded by your humble correspondent, topped off with a Pard 008, Sirius Torch and an Axion 35 - plus of course the Ico 500 which only two days before had pulled 2 foxes out of the bracken just yards from where we now stood, so how could we fail?
Well, the ground was tramped for two hours, Axion picked up creatures at silly distances but none of them were the bushy-tailed rascals we wanted. So, rather disappointed, especially for my new pal, we set off for the jeep at the foot of the hill we had just climbed. Literally as we got to the jeep and more in hope than expectation I scanned the adjacent large open field and there in front of me at maybe 250 yds was a distinctly fox-shaped heat signature, game on! So a quick instruction to my pal, a brief but very passable impression with rifle/quad sticks of setting up an old-fashioned deckchair and he was ready on the B&Q deluxe Quadsticks, a muttered “I will call it, watch it through the Axion and tell you when to turn on the Pard/Sirius, then if it comes in I will stop it by shouting (actually quacking - yes I know) and you can take the shot. What could be simpler! And so the plan came together, our new but very short-lived partner in this piece responded beautifully to my handsqueak, trotted in at speed and with the agreed signal the Pard and Sirius were on, excellent! Err - except he couldn’t find said fox in the scope! In helpful mode I first pointed with outstretched arm to the rapidly advancing beast, no success, so jumped up and down raising and lowering said arm like someone demented (moi?) and finally grabbed the rifle/sticks and pointed the entire ensemble foxwards. Result! Quarry spotted - still advancing at speed, double-checked that it was fox rather than feline and I gave the agreed “quack”…… Obviously the kamikaze fox had read the script without realising the potential consequences - silly boy and promptly skidded to a halt then most helpfully turned broadside to present a perfect opportunity for the tyro foxshooter. (pause for dramatic effect). Meanwhile I was watching through the thermal and mentally screaming urging him to shoot the bloody thing take the shot. Not easy holding a stationery fox in the thermal whilst hopping up and down stifling screams!
Suffice to say the shot was good and the fox dropped instantly to the shot but in my haste I had forgotten to hit the record button so the explosive impact of the Vmax through the thermal is consigned only to my memory but my god the picture I have retained is one of a small grenade going off and bits of fox going everywhere! My name is Foxyboy and I am a thermal addict!
Sooo job done, his first ever fox in the bag and a very happy, rather excited and rather pleased new friend - what a result!
In hindsight I could have done things differently and maybe made it a less comedic testing time but hey, it worked and the smile, evident through the darkness together with the excitement in his voice is the memory I will carry; that and the fact that in pitch black two grown men simply cannot work on a rifle and quad sticks at the same time! I just wonder what his memory will be……
Priceless.

 

[FrenchieBoy]

Fantastic read, thanks for posting it as well as showing your sense of humour which made it even more interesting!

 

[The Singing Stalker]

Good read. Just one thing. I tend to switch the ir and nv on when the fox isn’t looking my way. And as long as you don’t wave it all over the place 9 times out of 10 they either don’t see it or ignore it. Just my experience, and of course the only person to educate the fox my way is me so I try not to.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Good read. Just one thing. I tend to switch the ir and nv on when the fox isn’t looking my way. And as long as you don’t wave it all over the place 9 times out of 10 they either don’t see it or ignore it. Just my experience, and of course the only person to educate the fox my way is me so I try not to.

I normally do pretty much the same but being of a certain age increasingly I find it a challenge to convey instructions in even a relaxed environment so then factor in pitch black, a chap new to night shooting/NV, adrenalin, fear and dread for the farmer’s cat; and of course, me it was no surprise things did get a tad chaotic! All that said it was great fun and I am sure that to him it seemed much worse silky smooth
In truth I was absolutely delighted for my pal and grateful that despite the fast-developing chaos it all came good. Over a malt later, in reflective mood and with fond memories, I recalled my own first fox, shot by the light of a bloody heavy car battery, Morris Minor headlamp Older members ask…..) and a .22 Eley HV - just before the last Ice Age. Quite evocative really, funny old world…..

 

[Ade8mm]

Great write up

 

[Longstrider]

Good on you Foxyboy. That makes "One more of 'Us', and one less of 'Them' .

 

[The Singing Stalker]

I normally do pretty much the same but being of a certain age increasingly I find it a challenge to convey instructions in even a relaxed environment so then factor in pitch black, a chap new to night shooting/NV, adrenalin, fear and dread for the farmer’s cat; and of course, me it was no surprise things did get a tad chaotic! All that said it was great fun and I am sure that to him it seemed much worse silky smooth
In truth I was absolutely delighted for my pal and grateful that despite the fast-developing chaos it all came good. Over a malt later, in reflective mood and with fond memories, I recalled my own first fox, shot by the light of a bloody heavy car battery, Morris Minor headlamp Older members ask…..) and a .22 Eley HV - just before the last Ice Age. Quite evocative really, funny old world…..

Yes you get so used to doing it yourself. I was out last night and was sitting on my shooting chair, then I went over to look in another field and I was all over the place, my breathing was bursting, I couldn’t hold still I was that ragged. I had to walk away and back to the car. Get my quad sticks out then all was calm and rock steady. But yes have taken people out who are new to foxing and nv and as you say, it’s there, ffs if it gets any closer you will be able to poke it in the eye…….. the joy of the adrenaline.