Most of the local kids around here have their left hands that colour from helping their dads treat sheep's feet!
(Apart from the left handed kids, that is. Their right hands are purple).
Fox Territory
- Thread starter Foxyboy43
- Start date
(Apart from the left handed kids, that is. Their right hands are purple).
Engemycin (antibiotic) spray has a blue colour, but most of the antiseptic hoof / wound sprays are purple.
There's no doubt that in some areas there are far more foxes than anyone suspects.
I'm out generally five nights a week all year round for a couple of hours and take a lot of foxes within the village boundaries mainly on the chicken farms, but there are always more. The main reason for this is the surrounding area which is large and is comprised of cliff land owned by the RSPB who stopped me from shooting there when they bought it, and a lot of woodland which is owned by people who allow no shooting and considerable acreages of horse type paddocks where again there is no way of controlling them.
It keeps me busy but more and more people buy into the countryside and base their knowledge of it on what they see and hear on the TV. They think this part of Devon is populated by cuddly, furry, friendly creatures, that should be left alone.
I'm out generally five nights a week all year round for a couple of hours and take a lot of foxes within the village boundaries mainly on the chicken farms, but there are always more. The main reason for this is the surrounding area which is large and is comprised of cliff land owned by the RSPB who stopped me from shooting there when they bought it, and a lot of woodland which is owned by people who allow no shooting and considerable acreages of horse type paddocks where again there is no way of controlling them.
It keeps me busy but more and more people buy into the countryside and base their knowledge of it on what they see and hear on the TV. They think this part of Devon is populated by cuddly, furry, friendly creatures, that should be left alone.
Rhodesianjess
Well-Known Member
Old schoolboy chemistry lesson trick: Iodine crystals, pour nitric acid on them and evaporate.Old military trick-potassium permanganate crystals,pour glycerine on them,brilliant fire lighters
Big bangs!
I expect everything's kept under lock and key these days. In fact, I doubt kids get the chance to mess around with chemicals at all in science lessons these days.
kevtherev
Well-Known Member
In most cases once foxes are taken out of an area others move in to fill that territory.
They are constantly moving sometimes many miles in a nightime trek using regular routes usually to different food sources or hunting grounds.
During lambing time here I’ve known of the same problem fox travelling large distances to kill lambs.
They are constantly moving sometimes many miles in a nightime trek using regular routes usually to different food sources or hunting grounds.
During lambing time here I’ve known of the same problem fox travelling large distances to kill lambs.
Mr Tree
Well-Known Member
Forget to mention that the work on radio transmitters placed on foxes during the spring & early summer showed quite clearly on a map where their territories were, there were of coarse incursions into others territories, but it was plain to see the areas that they occupied, it was very interesting.
kenbro
Well-Known Member
Are there any links to that project?
Cheers, Ken.
If I remember correctly, one fox travelled 17 miles one night
Mr Tree
Well-Known Member
I heard that too, it was a dog fox I believe after a vixen in season!
We once had a rangey old collie, he was a sod for the ladies he would disappear at night & come back in the morning absolutely useless, knackered & would sleep all day. We got a call from a farmer who had him locked in a shed 8 miles away! he would paw at peoples windows if there was a bitch in there, when they opened the door he would burst in & past them. If he couldn't get in he would take their welly boots away, just one of a pair, they never found them, cost us a fortune in welly boots. I still smile when I think of that dog.
I'm sure the GCT would have a copy, it was a long time ago maybe 30 years ago, it was in their annual review . The equiptment they used was pretty primitive back then, something like a tv Ariel & a pair of headphones. Long before GPS, they may have more modern stuff now & updated maps.
For anyone interested in the ways of the fox, other than shooting it, this book is a "must-have"
Over the years I've spent countless hours just watching them as well as shooting them, and they are truly fascinating creatures. The arrival of thermal has changed my perception and knowledge of them enormously. I realise now how little I knew about the way they operate in the days, all those years ago, when I made a living from their skins.
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Over the years I've spent countless hours just watching them as well as shooting them, and they are truly fascinating creatures. The arrival of thermal has changed my perception and knowledge of them enormously. I realise now how little I knew about the way they operate in the days, all those years ago, when I made a living from their skins.
""
kenbro
Well-Known Member
They put the tv aerial and headphones on the fox?
Ken.
Borntofarm84
Active Member
I have had a very similar experience.
I purchased nv and thermal maybe 5 or 6 years ago. To begin with we shot foxes that had never been seen previously and achieved consistent numbers for around 3 years,maybe 4, can’t remember. Around 30 per year off around 400ha. But results did then drop off a cliff. In the summer I now shoot hardly any, nor do I see them when I’m combining as I used to.
I do still shoot maybe 6-8 in the winter months when the vixens are calling so they must have moved in around that time.
Shot only 1 since harvest this year!
Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
It looks like thermal & NV might be having a dramatic effect on numbers in some areas then. It will be interesting to see how things unfold in the future.
kevtherev
Well-Known Member
There’s a Facebook group ‘fox stoppers’
This isn’t a criticism but the large numbers that are taken with newer technology is staggering.
I’ve done a substantial amount of lamping over the years and having recently done some with thermal spotter and NV scope it’s totally changed it from years ago.
However there doesn’t appear to be a reduction in foxes in this part of mid wales.
Abundance of food and plenty of cover.
This isn’t a criticism but the large numbers that are taken with newer technology is staggering.
I’ve done a substantial amount of lamping over the years and having recently done some with thermal spotter and NV scope it’s totally changed it from years ago.
However there doesn’t appear to be a reduction in foxes in this part of mid wales.
Abundance of food and plenty of cover.
Thanks for posting the title, smelly. I should have done that in my post. An excellent insight into the ways of the fox.
