Playing silly ******* with foxes!

[alexm]

As it was a lovely clear night on Friday with a nice bright moon I went out for a wander with the intention of bagging a few rabbits. I got to the farm just after 1900 as it was getting dark, however after only 20 minutes or so I started hearing foxes yip yip yipping away. I guess it's getting to that time of year again when they are starting to feel a bit raunchy!

 

I therefore decided to have a look for a few foxes instead so I headed to the area where I have my Gamecam set up to see what time the foxes were showing themselves. Then, as I was walking up to the camera one scurried past me without stopping! I didn't have a shotgun (only had my HMR) with me and no way I could get a safe shot off!

 

Here's the little blighter before I saw him...

 

 

Me minutes behind...

 

 

 

With this I decided to have a quick scan around the fields to bag some bait, the plan being to lay it out and hide amongst some farm machinery. So back I come with a rabbit...

 

 

 

 

I get settled between a backhoe and a trailer and wait... About an hour passes and I hear some more 'yip yip yips' heading my way. By this time it has clouded over slightly and it has got very dark and I am straining to see any movement in the gloom... then I see the faintest shadow slide by the camera and gone!

 

 

The bait has gone and the little *** has managed to take it without even setting the camera off let alone me seeing it!

 

 

 

 

This is the story of my life at this particular patch. The foxes are VERY wary and usually bolt at the first sign of a lamp. They rarely respond to calling either. As the farm is relatively small (130 acres or so) it is fairly intensively farmed with livestock being moved from field to field regularly. This means the foxes seem to take different routes depending on where the livestock are, and at different times too! To make matters worse the ground is almost entirely flat so safe shots with a rifle are very limited. I have had some success using a shotgun but the remaining foxes refuse to be called into range.

 

 

Then, to rub my nose it here's Mr Fox the next morning

 

 

 

And again later on - this is the first time I have caught one in daylight!

 

 

 

Then nothing until 0257 this morning - two of them this time!

 

 

 

I think realistically the baited ambush is the only way to tackle these foxes at this location, but with the lack of safe angles and hiding places it means I really struggle to even see them in the dark because of the distance I need to be. I was wondering about using one of those solar powered garden lights to illuminate the bait area as they are quite dim and don't require batteries and come on automatically when it gets dark. The foxes would probably be very cautious at first but would probably get used to it after a while? Anyone had any success using an illuminated bait in this way?

Edited October 14, 2008 by alexm

[kip270]

Sounds like a good idea with the light, it shouldn't take them long to get used to it.

 

They sure are given you the round around

[alexm]

Well I got out again tonight to check a field the farmer said he had seen a fox in. Almost straight away I picked up a pair of eyes in the lamp and they darted straight through the hedge... here we go again!

 

I waited a while and had another scan and picked up another pair of eyes that seemed to be moving amongst the cows at the far end of the field. I got my ipod out to play a rabbit distress call and found the thing had completely died on me, talk about bad timing! I hadn't brought my wham call either so out of desperation I started doing the most appalling squeaking against the back of my hand which I'm terrible at! To my surprise the eyes started making a beeline straight for me!

 

Once it had got safely away from the cows I was able to ID it definitely as a fox and stopped calling but it just kept on coming! I eventually 'woofed' it at 30 yards and it stopped allowing me to complete the transaction!

 

I can only think that it is one of this year's to be so be so brave - its behaviour was completely in contrast to all the others I have seen on this patch!

 

Young dog fox

 

[magman]

well done they all slip up in the end , had one myself last week ive been after for a while

[bullet boy]

I love the pics alex,good write-ups too.

[weejohn]

well done alexm if i was you i would be straight out to buy a cheap night vision monocular as those foxs would be driving me crazy.

[winchester]

Good wright up mate enjoyed it . if ever ther was a case for a NV unit that would be tops

[alexm]

Finally getting somewhere now...

 

A young vixen 2030 this evening. I'd seen her before lurking in with the sheep but she wouldn't come away from the flock to give me a safe shot. This time she was doing her usual, sticking with the sheep, weaving from left to right trying to get a sniff of me... I kept squeaking on the caller, she was interested but didn't want to commit to coming in too close. Eventually she broke to the right whilst the sheep huddled off to the left... finally a clear shot! She stopped for a split second before turning and running away to about 70 yards then stopped again for one last fatal look. The farmer is pleased as this is the field the lambs will be in, not long before lambing starts again!

 

Early home for a beer!

 

Apologies for the poor quality phone pic

 

Edited October 22, 2008 by alexm

[nav54]

they are 100% startin to move around shot 4 dog foxes in the last 3 weeks on the same 300acre farm all young ones still keep seeing the same old ones which just seem to know what that safe range is all we can do is keep at it they will slip up one day and well done mate.