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Charlie wins - For now


Grandalf
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Thursday night. Perfect for foxing. Farmer tells me there are Charlie's on field by his farmhouse. Only field that is still stubble. Go out in afternoon to do a recce and check wind direction.

Get to field slightly late due the Memsahib wanting this and that done before I depart. It is now dark and I like to be in position before then.

Park Landrover at bottom of slope due the wind direction which is not perfect. Climb over the seat and get up through the hatch to set up NV and spotting system and observe. Two foxes up at the top of the slope right in front of the farm buildings and I can't take the shot. (About 250 yards).

See that they are hunting rabbits and one grabs one and starts off around me in a big arc carrying the rabbit. Other one stays where it is.

The successful hunter carries its dinner right across the field at a fast trot and I tried everything to get it to stop. I squeaked, I whistled and I shouted but no way is Charlie going to stop for me. Right down to my edge of the field and vanishes through the hedge.

So back to the other. Takes a while to find it with the NV but as soon as I do it walks off through the farm buildings.

So I wait - For three boring hours.

Charlie appears almost behind me but does the right thing and walks up the slope and sits down half way up - presumably for a rest. Bang - job done. Old vixen.

And so to bed.

Saturday night I go back to the same field but can sit on the edge looking along the slope due a change in the wind. This is much better.

Now the question is did I see two foxes last night or three. No way of telling.

I get there earlier which is good.

At dusk one walks out from back of buildings. Squeak, bang, one down. Leave it laying on the stubble.

Now another long wait begins. Another three boring hours of watching aircraft, stars and one satellite. Was it two or three?

At the end of this long wait I am desperate for a pee and a dram.

So I say to Merlyn, yellow lab, 'come on old girl - we'll find that one and go home'.

I get my stiffened body off the upturned metal dustbin that I use for a seat and climb out of the landy.

Merlyn jumps down and I tell her to seek - she rushes off in the wrong direction and I call her back, very loudly, and put my hand lamp on to show her the direction. There in the beam is another fox looking at the one I had already shot.

By now I am twenty yards from the truck - Merlyn is still going in the wrong direction and there is not much I can do about anything useful.

I climb back aboard and grab the rifle and switch on the NV but, surprise, surprise, Charlie has gone.

So now I know there were three - with two down - so another sleepless night is called for.

Foxing - Why do I enjoy the challenge so much?

Must be nuts...

Edited by Grandalf
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I can confirm to all you are indeed Nuts, but then again so are the rest of us Fox boys went round my bit on the tractor thurs and chased now you see me now you don't eyes and never got a clear view of the owner.... was it a Fox or a deer... deer normally stay still, was rabbit shooting under red light with HMR so did not have NV set up and .243 as it gets complicated with to much kit and that of course is precisely when you see a Fox unlike when we went round with just the .243 and only saw rabbits :lol:

Edited by pavman
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  • 3 weeks later...

Unfortunately round two went to Charlie as well.

I hadn't been able to get back to the farm in question due problems on the domestic, agricultural and meteorological fronts over the last couple of weeks.

Saturday was the night. Went to another farm first, 20,000+ ducks, and listened to a fox calling and getting closer to the muck heap I was presiding over. Don't know why it kept calling but it was getting closer to me all the time. Then farmer lets his two lunatic collies out for a run. Barking dogs running over about 4 acres so I packed up. Saw Charlie as I was driving out of the gate but no chance of a shot as it was on the next door farmers field and he is fairly anti (everything).

So off I go after my old friend again. Just a mile and a bit down the road. Wind was right so I could lay up where I was before. Unbeknown to me I made my error as I parked the truck! Got the angle wrong. I always plan to shoot over the left hand side of the gun rail when using the NV. I have the spotting lamp etc mounted on that side so it makes things easy. Sat for two hours and nothing but a potential crop of rabbits gambolling around on the new wheat that had been sown since my last visit.

Two hours up and I see bright eyes down the track in front of the truck. Spotting light off - pick up gun and switch NV on. Nothing - Can't find it anywhere. Back to spotting NV. Pick it up again much closer - working the ditch along the side of the track. Spotter down - gun up - Nothing to see again! Then it appeared out of the ditch - ten yards in front of the truck - winds me and departs like all the demons of hell are after its brush.

Guaranteed to approach upwind. If the truck had been facing more to the right I would have seen it much earlier and probably have got the shot away before it winded me.

So, round two goes to Charlie as well. That leaves me to serve in round three. Just waiting for the right wind again...

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  • 2 months later...

I am sure Mr fox will run out of luck soon.

Well it wasn't soon WelshMike but he did run out of luck today - Boxing Day.

I have been back to that spot several times since my last report on 20th October but, although I have seen the beastie on several occasions, I have never been able to take the shot.

Today was the Boxing Day farmers shoot. Good drive going ahead with many pheasants being flushed when out popped Charlie Fox. Killed with a single shot by a mate of mine.

Just 20 yards from where I first saw him.

Old - but very well fed and good condition dog fox. I presume that he is my old friend who has given me the run around for a few months.

Edited by Grandalf
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