Foxing tips

Foxs are known to couch down in the middle of a flock. Just be v careful with your thermal to ensure its not a small lamb. Often a quick squeak will be enough for it to put up its head.
Vital to know the wind direction and never be on a sky line. If in doubt don't shoot. A missed fox is a wary fox.
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Great advice!! Thank you
 
Like FB said, invest in a thermal monocular, absolute game changer. Scan constantly because they appear out of nowhere and can disappear just as quickly, if walking then stop every 10 or 20 yds for a quick scan.
If you’re stationary, don’t forget to scan behind, I’ve had it where I’m concentrating on one particular field of view then when I’ve looked behind me there’s a fox about 8yds away slamming its brakes on.
Thermal is great but it doesn’t always give you a definitive identification, learn how different animals move and behave.
Brilliant, thank you. I imagine looking behind is something often missed by newbies like me
 
No such luck as perfect fox time, foxes are always out there, put the time in learning the ground during all the different weather climes, wind, new and available food sources.
High moon they skulk in the shadows looking more, wind & rain in the fringes of woods, they just adjust visit routes to poss food hot spots and look to find the crossover points in their night travels

Couple of things I always keep to, go in quiet with the best breeze working for you and don’t give them a reason to be looking for you, always leave the same quiet way, every visit learn the ground and enjoy the time
Thanks for sharing this knowledge! Im
Going out today to have a walk through my main permission.
I was given some great advice further up, about gates and seeing how they open and the noise they make etc!
 
I appreciate every fox is different, but do you find you have better success with a particular bait?

Squirrels is the best i have found but not really - whatever is available - i use dog biscuits too - The key is to keep baiting - dont miss a day - even if the b ait has not gone from the day before - put a bit of fresh out

How do you currently do things ?
 
My fox/boar set up
Also, dog is very handy to bring along. Starting early in dog's life with 'sit still and shut up' training. Dogs feel/sense 'something out there in the dark' much earlier than we do so just looking at the dog may fix the boar, especially. Also good to bring along when searching something shot at. No hurry when dog is with you and perhaps another chance at something ..
I would LOVE a dog to take along.
After having dogs all my life, bar the last 12 months ish, I’m definitely starting to look around at the best bread etc
 
A dog is a great addition, if only just for the company. My springer very quickly learnt that foxing requires a different more subtle approach than looking for pheasants, and he does see things that I don’t, so definitely worth watching him and picking up on his signs.
Thank you. Is a springer the dog you’d suggest then?
 
one really important tip,I don't know what set up your using but be very careful using a thermal scope around lamb's as you could make yourself very unpopular!
I used thermal to spot then an archer and night force scope, good out to 350 if needed.
phil
 
Thank you. Is a springer the dog you’d suggest then?
I wouldn’t suggest any particular breed, it’s just that I have a springer at the moment. But given a springer’s boundless enthusiasm you could be forgiven for thinking that they are not suitable, on the contrary, they are highly intelligent dogs and mine has adapted to the different shooting style that nighttime foxing brings. Back to daytime and he’s straight back to default springer mode, its like he’s got a switch on the back of his head.
 
Squirrels is the best i have found but not really - whatever is available - i use dog biscuits too - The key is to keep baiting - dont miss a day - even if the b ait has not gone from the day before - put a bit of fresh out

How do you currently do things ?
Great, thanks!

At the moment I’m heavily reliant on intel I can gather from land owners and farmers, in relation to where they have seen foxes and when.
I have been doing the walks around my permissions to find signs but this thread has shown me just how much I’m missing and not even considering whilst I’m walking around!

The first piece of advice I was given was “Shut up. Be silent. Scan. Scan. Scan. Confirm. Shoot” so that’s generally what I’ve been doing, but it’s made me wary about walking about too much!

I haven’t tried bate or calls yet, so that’s something I’ll be looking into.
Although that’s not strictly true… I have a permission where hens were being taken, so I lay up where I believed the fox was coming in - so I guess that’s using bate. I’ve also taken a rabbit at the start of the night, before dark and intentionally left it in place, between me and when I had been told foxes had been running off to
 
I wouldn’t suggest any particular breed, it’s just that I have a springer at the moment. But given a springer’s boundless enthusiasm you could be forgiven for thinking that they are not suitable, on the contrary, they are highly intelligent dogs and mine has adapted to the different shooting style that nighttime foxing brings. Back to daytime and he’s straight back to default springer mode, it’s like he’s got a switch on the back of his head.
Really interesting, thank you!
As you say, I’d have expected a springer to be 100mph day or night!!
 
Foxes are creatures of habit. Shoot one in a particular location and there’s a good chance you shall get another one at the same place within a matter of weeks.
Put out bait regularly (particularly during the winter months) where you have previously seen foxes.
Have a good approach into your bait point, allowing for the prevailing wind.
Visit your bait point regularly to see how often it is being ‘used’ (or set up a trail camera).
 
I’ve also taken a rabbit at the start of the night, before dark and intentionally left it in place, between me and when I had been told foxes had been running off to
If the fox finds a rabbit, or big piece of bait, it will pick it up and run.
I used 'meaty chunk' dog food like Baker's, scattered about with a catapult through a gap in a hedge, then Charlie will hunt around for each bit and sooner or later present you with a broadside shot from where you are waiting in the next field.
Like has been said:- Keep baiting! A handful every evening is enough. Choose several places and you can be out every night, depending on wind direction.
 
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Great, thanks!

At the moment I’m heavily reliant on intel I can gather from land owners and farmers, in relation to where they have seen foxes and when.
I have been doing the walks around my permissions to find signs but this thread has shown me just how much I’m missing and not even considering whilst I’m walking around!

The first piece of advice I was given was “Shut up. Be silent. Scan. Scan. Scan. Confirm. Shoot” so that’s generally what I’ve been doing, but it’s made me wary about walking about too much!

I haven’t tried bate or calls yet, so that’s something I’ll be looking into.
Although that’s not strictly true… I have a permission where hens were being taken, so I lay up where I believed the fox was coming in - so I guess that’s using bate. I’ve also taken a rabbit at the start of the night, before dark and intentionally left it in place, between me and when I had been told foxes had been running off to

Dont be shooting anything else would be my suggestion - if you are foxing you are foxing - disturbing the area shooting before can alter their pattern of movement that you will have built up by baiting days previous

Do you have a spotter as well as a scope or scan with a scope - a bit of a no no - although some will disagree perhaps
 
Overthinking things too much , I've been shooting foxes for nearly 40 years and always washed my clothes and put deodorant on in the morning, makes no difference whatsoever.
Just one of those little things to try and get an edge that ive always done, having taken people out that smell like a tarts armpit on more than one occasion and predicting almost exactly where the fox will be alerted with the wind behind us i’ll disagree.
If you are shooting them off a bonnet 200 plus yards away then maybe but the closer ones when on foot and ones that come in behind you, i believe not smelling like a Persil factory gives you less chance of being detected.
The same for woodland stalking.
 
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