Need to shoot foxes but not allowed to lamp.

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Grandhubert

Well-Known Member
Gentlemen,

Apologies first as this is not strictly deerstalking related but one of the farms I shoot deer on has asked me to blitz the foxes as their chickens are talking a hammering and lambing season isn't a million miles away.

For a variety of reasons it isn't possible to lamp the place after dark.

There are highseats on the property and some bales on hay to overlooking the fields next to yard where the chickens and sheep are.

I am a fairly experienced deerstalker but not quite sure how maximise the numbers on foxes as I fair proportion shoot more deer than foxes on this farm.

Should I invest in a caller and sit up for them or try and work out where they live and stalk in to them?

Is baiting legal and/or effective? I so what would be the best stuff to use?

The farm is about 60/40 pasture/woodland.

All help appreciated as always chaps,

Regards,

A
 
Bait and wait you have the option of the full moon and certainly calling in the day time works no problem in fact i find foxes around my area come out just at dark .Also what a bout a few snares just to give you a bit of back up. Ps if i bait for day time foxes i used to or three baits deer ribs and place them over fence posts if the fox has not visited them while i am there i lift away .corvids will take them day time and foxes and badgers after dark when your not there..
 
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I think we are due another cold spell, You will find them out during the day more if it gets a lot colder. They will call easier as well.
 
Hi Grandhubert.

Go for bait stations.
As for bait ( Chickens ) should come free of charge..
 
Thank you for the swift replies gentlemen.

I'm not sure about trapping or snaring on the basis that I don't know anything about them and as the farm is a 120 mile round trip, I would not be able to check them often enough to be humane.

It'll have to be shooting.

Tell me more about baiting, I assume I will have to make the bait static in some way to keep them still for a shot or just shout "oi" at them like deer?

I might be able to borrow a night vision scope, does one scan with it every so often or keep it on the whole time or what?

A
 
You need the farmer on board, To get your stations going.
Then make them work for there meal, by tie in it down.
Or by putting a bit of mesh on top, This should give you plenty of time to take a shot'
Good luck
 
night vision is the way forward! as long as the unit is decent and has a good laser with it.

if its a day scope adaptor you can scan then attach but is mag will be low, or if youve got strong arms scan with the rifle (possible use tripod sticks for support) or get set up on a bonnet/bail/table.

you could bait, or wait , or call - dont know the ground so i cant advise.

i've been using nv just over a month and had a quite a few with it, most by lamping in truck then switching to nv for the kill. its quite productive just mooching on foot but remember to watch the wind.

i use an archer on a swaro 2-24x50 pvi2 and i shot one on sunday night at 305y, scope was on 24x and the archer is 2x so thats 48x mag. big old dog fox, lampshy as buggery, my mate had missed him twice- woulnt have got him just in the lamp.

night vision is quite boring if theres 2 of you out, unless you both have it.
 
Grandhubert said:
Gentlemen,

Apologies first as this is not strictly deerstalking related but one of the farms I shoot deer on has asked me to blitz the foxes as their chickens are talking a hammering and lambing season isn't a million miles away.

For a variety of reasons it isn't possible to lamp the place after dark.

There are highseats on the property and some bales on hay to overlooking the fields next to yard where the chickens and sheep are.

I am a fairly experienced deerstalker but not quite sure how maximise the numbers on foxes as I fair proportion shoot more deer than foxes on this farm.

Should I invest in a caller and sit up for them or try and work out where they live and stalk in to them?

Is baiting legal and/or effective? I so what would be the best stuff to use?

The farm is about 60/40 pasture/woodland.

All help appreciated as always chaps,

Regards,

A
Click to expand...

I have the same issue with a farm i shoot on, farmer does not want me lamping at night as he freaks his livestock out (apparently). Anyway, thats his wish so no worries by me. To start off with i just used to sit in a highseat about an hour before dark and wait for them, used to get a few literally just before dark. Now i have bought myself a range of different callers; widgeon, wam and a cheap electronic one, of course there is always the back of your hand. I now have much more success calling them in the day than i did waiting at dusk. All the foxes i shoot there (which isn't a huge amount compared to some on here) are now shot during the day. I find each fox responds differently to each call, some work some don't but it really depends upon the fox hence the requirement for a range of differnet calls.

My personal point of view regarding bait stations is that your actually encouraging the fox to come back, and while they may be there when your sat up in the high seat/bales...they are also likely to return to the same location when your not....and being a fox they may just decide to go on a rampage. That said i've not tried baiting, its just my opinion so take it as you will.

All the best, i never really used to be into foxing (cos you can't eat them, well, you wouldn't want to anyway), but i quite enjoy it now. Good way to get out the house on a sunday afternoon.

Good luck with it all and let us know how you get on.

Jim
 
Amir

As Pierre says nv is the best option. Can the ground be driven over ? If not why not invite a few friends to your high seats for fox only mornings and evenings. I find dusk and the first couple of hours highly productive with a red filtered lamp. When out after Charlie there is no substitute for spending time on the ground.

Atb steve
 
The biggest problem you have is distance, as has been said if the farmer is willing he could bait regularlyb as far as snares go, best left alone if you are not sure of what you are doinf, I doubt the farmer would guarantee to check them daily.
If you have night vision and lots of patience just get up the high seat and wait. They will eventually come, but you do need lots of patience. I shoot a lot of foxes this way and it works, but I do spend long hours doing it. If it's safe, just park your vehicle in a good spot, it won't stop the foxes coming and it's a lot more comfortable than perched up a tree in this weather, do check backstops though and know the ground and distances thoroughly!
 
Scanning with the rifle EH!............... I think not!, very poor advice is that, & I doubt Amir would be foolish enough , If you cannot go two handed, use a small hand held night vision unit such as the Yukon, perfect for spotting them out to a couple of hundred yards on a full moon, around eighty yards in complete darkness, A black light (infra red ) lens is available to turn your white light into an invisible one, but you would need a laser pointer in conjunction, so you would know where your black light is focussed. a friend of mine tried setting out some p.i.r's once just utilising the red operating bulb, the indicating one, without the flood lamps, seemed to work ok too.
 
bait and wait . required x 1 one metre road pin [steel] thread bait carcases phez, rab , hen , deer head ,on to pin then push into the ground presto one fox kebab i can see mine from this table as i write . i also use a mesh cage 4 guts etc good luck
 
I use bike lights, the red ones. station them around a bait area. I also use a stake with a coat hanger attached to a tin of dog/cat food. tried wiring a pheasant and the little fecker pulled it off the wire in seconds.
otherwise the red light gives off enough localised brightness to allow you to see the target.
think of a candle sitting next to a target 50yds away.

dont need a lamp when you know where the fox will be!
 
I've called alot of foxes daytime over the past few years. On one piece of ground ive shot more daytime than on the lamp!! I really enjoy the challange I've had up to 3 foxes from the same ground sitting in the same place then only to find another coming in over an ajacent field once i left where i was calling.
The calls i use are a fox pro scorpion and a fox whistle
photo_2_17.JPG

a day time whistled fox
2290220102006043_Medium_2_Medium_.jpg

a day time brace
24122009003.JPG

my favorite daytime calling land ive shot loads off here
 
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