sandersj89

Went back this morning and found him, second dog. He was further back and near the hedge line, shot was in the chest and it looks like he managed to run about 30m and then dropped. I saw him flip in the scope but adrenalin must have carried him on a bit. So that is 2 dogs and 3 vixens taken on this farm this farm in 6 weeks. Hopefully that will make a dent in the local population.

When it is a fox! Got a call this morning from one of my landowners saying he has lost 60+ laying hens Tuesday night and could I come up ASAP to see if I can see anything. So tonight about 10.15pm I headed up with the 243 to see what was around. Pulled into the yard and got kitted up ready to have a walk about for a couple of hours. Wind a good breeze from the SW but this means everything down wind of the yard is not a great option. Still I walk along track and lamp the first field down wind more to check the lamp than anything else. A couple of bunnies hopping around and then push the lamp down to the far hedge at about 120m and there is Charlie....bold as brass sat in a gateway below me and down wind. As I set up the sticks he moves back through the gate into a maize stubble field and skirts to my right into he wind but quartering away from me. I move forward to crest the rise in the field and call with the Wam which stops him but he is now about 170m away across a stream and a hedge. Shot is safe and I can get down on the bipod and send a 100gr powershok on it’s way and get a lovely satisfying thump and see it roll in the light beam. I set my sticks up as a marker point and then walk the 200m down to the gate and cross the stream before heading back up the far side of the hedge to pick it up.....20 mins later I give up, cant find him in the stubble and tractor ruts so will have to go back tomorrow morning to find it. Slightly hacked off I head off into the wind this time towards the top of the farm and the wood. First field is a huge one and I get a few rabbits bopping around but also a faint set of eyes way up on the top hedge about 500m away. No way for a positive ID so I start the slow walk up the hedge line to my left keeping the wind in my favour and hiding my silhouette against the hedge. I periodically scan and the eyes are still there, static and not moving and I start to suspect it is a deer, often see a lot of roe in this field at night. 150m and I scan, eyes still there behind a bit if rush....is it a fox......I cant say for certain and begin to think it is a deer couched down chewing the cud. I give a little blow on the wam and no reaction..... Must be a deer......but.....is it? I lay the sticks down and start a slow walk in as now shooting of the bipod is possible......15m and another look.......deer......no fox.......cant be certain so I make a 15m move to my left to clear the rushes. Another look....fox, laid down look to my right. I settle to take the shot and send another 100gr powershok on it’s way and get a great sound of the hit and see the fox back flip. This time I can see it in the scope laying dead. Shot went in between the eyes and exited low on the neck between the shoulder blades, DOA. Sorry about the poor photo.... Just goes to show you have to put in a bit of work sometimes to make 110% of the ID of the target!

Open to sensible offers or it goes on fleabay next week...

Not sure if these are still available in the UK, ############## used to sell them when I bought mine aboiut 12 months ago. In Ireland you can still buy one for 275 Euro....approx £240 at todays exchange rate. http://www.shoot.ie/index.php?main_p...roducts_id=133 I am selling mys new call master digital fox call with remote control. Note, normal call master calls do not include the remote control. This one allows you to place the call out in front of your shooting point up to 100m - 150m line of site. You can then select which call you wish to play, the volume and can stop or pause the call as required. Little more than the size of a cigarette packet, in break up mossy oak pattern, measuring just 67x57x25 mm and weighs a mere 90 grammes. The remote fits comfortably in a small pocket. Comes with 10 calls on the chip, further chips are available from various places. The chip includes, geese, crow, rabbit, hare and fox calls. Please see pic below for full list. Please note that the use of these callers (or any other electronic caller available elsewhere) to attract birds for shooting is prohibited in the UK. They are perfectly legal to use for photographic and research purposes on these species however, but we only market this unit as a fox/stoat call. The standard unit retails at £175 without a remote control, grab a bargin and have this unit (including remote control), including postage, for £155. This call has worked extremely well and accounted for more than a few foxes. You may also get buzzed by a owl at night, they seem to like the rabbit scream rather a lot! Jerry

I use the remote lightforce bar on the roof of my truck and the shooting rest above funny enough. On the lightforce br the bracket at the end where the light is mounted is hinged and sprung so you can fold up the light handle out of the way to open the door, very good. After buying the light bar and bracket I have since seen the bracket on it's own for sale in the Sportsman in Exeter though I cant find it online anywhere. I dont think it was much money and could easily be fitted to roof bars to save buying the full kit including bar and suction cups. You can see the hinged bracket clearer here...

Hard to say but in the region of 200,000 to 250,000 in the UK depending on who you speak to.

Extract from here: http://www.shootingcommunity.co.uk/forum/v...f=23&t=5087 Red Fox : (Vulpes vulpes) General Information Note fox are not classed as vermin in the eyes of the law. Medium sized canid characterised by red coat and the bushy tail (brush) usually tipped in white. Backs of the ears and lower legs generally black. Coloration of the coat does vary and some foxes appear to be almost black. During summer the fox goes through a moult period when the new winter coat grows out. Moult can start as early as February and is complete by October. During moult foxes can appear to look in poor condition. Length: Male up to 75cm including tail but large in some areas depending on food availability. Female generally shorter. Weight: Male in the range of 4kg to 8kg, generally around 6kg average. Female approx 1kg lighter Life span Typically between 3 and 6 years in the wild but in captivity they have been know to live in to double figures. Dominant dog foxes tend to live longer than subordinates. Early mortality of cubs can be high, upto 80% in some areas, and non parent dog foxes will target cubs that are not their own. Aging foxes is best done by looking at teeth wear. (particularly incisor). Grey around the muzzle which we associate with age in dogs does not indicate the same in foxes. Activity Foxes tend to be mostly active from dusk through to dawn preferring the cover of darkness. In areas of low human activity day time activity is increased. Daytime activity also increases when cubs are being fed. Breeding Breeding season runs between December and February. The females season is short and typically lasts between 1 and 4 days. During this period foxes often pair up for a period of time and stay in each others company for a few weeks. As the vixen comes into season mating will be frequent and the pair may become tied to each other for a period of time. Post mating vixens will seek a den, normally with 2 entrances, where the pups will be born 53 days after mating. During pregnancy and after birth the vixen is fed by the male and possibly other subordinate males though this is not always the case. Normal littler size is between 4 and 6 pups. Cubs are totally dependant on the vixens milk for the first 4 to 5 weeks. First solid food is in the form of partially digested meat regurgitated by the vixen within the den. After 6 to 7 weeks the vixen will leave the den to support the dog in hunting for food. At about 8 weeks, approx May, the cubs are fully weaned. At 5 to 6 weeks cubs will start to emerge from the den and can be seen playing close to the entrance. At 3 to 5 months the cubs are considered to be fully independent from their parents and able to hunt for themselves. By September they are fully grown and sexually mature by 9 to 10 months of age. Distribution Foxes are found through out the UK though they are not present on the Isle of Man despite attempts to reintroduce them. They have adapted extremely well to urban environments. Food Foxes are opportunistic and omnivorous feeders with a diet primarily of small mammals, rabbits, hares, birds, insects, fruit, earthworms and carrion. Cannibalisation does occur if food supplies are limited. In periods when food is abundant foxes will cache food in shallow scrapes scattered around the foxes home territory. Foxes will also take domestic animals, particularly chicken/fowl and new born lambs and where game shooting takes place will target released and wild game birds.

Ahem.......more than once....I can remember a night where we had to dig you out as well!

I use one but it has a zip cover over the ammo to help pretect it and also reduce the risk of anything dropping out when it should not. It also allows access to the rear swivel point. Other than that I find then very good, safe way to carry a few rounds and no jingling brass in my pocket as I put empty rounds in the slots as well.

Out tonight with a more traditional set up compared to Monday. Me on my own, lightforce 170 lamp, amber filter, dimmer coupled with my 243. I also had a couple of hand calls with me and my callmaster remote. Up to the yard at the chicken farm, rig up under the nose of the two collies and make my way along the track beside the chicken houses, nothing to be seen at all so head to the field we had success in on Monday night. Careful to hug the hedges as even though there was only a sliver of moon light the stars were out in force and it was pretty light. A bit of slipping around on the mud thanks to todays rain but I make it 150 yards up the hill and set the callmaster out about 50m in front. On goes the rabbit squeal and I set the rifle on sticks and start periodic scans. I get a set of eyes higher up the field on the edge of the wood but he backs away promptly and I am not sure whether it was a fox or badger. Odds on fox as we saw one there Monday night. I stay put for 5 mins in the dark with the call going and have another look, nothing other than a tawny owl buzzing the call. In fact tonight there were owls all over the place, calling to one another in the woods. I take the remote for my call out of my pocket and try a fox/vixen call. 10 mins of this and nothing so I retrieve the call and move up the hill to a long narrow field higher up. Over the gate and a quick scan and nothing other than 3 deer watching me and not worried at all.....brock is here again as well and I nearly stumble over him....hate it when that happens! I try the call for a few mins again but nothing shows. As the wind has shifted a bit compared to Monday I decide to work my way back to the chicken area across a maize stubble field.....to be honest as soon as I started to walk across it I though I had made a mistake as the racket I made underfoot was enough to awaken the dead!! First little field nothing and through the gate into the next larger one, I am now lamping down hill into the valley bottom and with the long stubble I have little hope of seeing anything until I get a set of eyes down on the bottom hedge moving to my right away from the chicken area. I set the sticks up and try and get a bead on them but all I can see is the very top of the head and eyes, it is a fox at about 200 yards but no shot due to the curvature of the hill below me.......so I move forward as much as I dare as I don’t want to silhouette myself and start to call with the wam. The fox looks and starts to move back to the chicken area...not ideal as it may wind me, it then ducks back to the right and I think I have blown it but she has come away from the hedge and seems in 2 minds what to do. I keep calling and it decides I am worth a closer look......and starts to come up a tram line to my left. I get my head down behind the scope and follow it and it then breaks into a dead run straight at me.....I realise I am still blowing the wam so stop, push it out of my moth and yell “OIIII!”. It stops in it’s tracks at about 50m and I squeeze of the shot and 100gr soft point connects right between the eyes, due to the angle I am shooting at it travels right down the neck and turns the head to mush. Lights out as quick as can be. I scan the lamp back down the hill and there is another set of eyes on the hedge but he wont move and it is not a safe shot for me of sticks at over 200 yards. I try sneaking in but he wont have it. So another vixen in the bag tonight, and at least 2 other foxes in the area so I need to keep up the pressure. I have to say....I love it when you can call in a fox like that, to get them running right at you is a great thrill and I find the wam call one of the best call to get that to happen. Jerry

The best way I find is go on to the Ordanence Survey site: http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/ Pop the address or post code in and you will get a pop up of the area. Zoom into the map and at max magnification you will get the map with field boundaries, contours, streams, etc etc. You can save the image to your computer. I then import this to a word document and add notes beside/under the map, such as the owners name, address, phone numbers etc. Print and I mark up the boundaries and then laminate them so I can carry them with me the first few times whilst I learn the lay of the land.

Well out tonight to try a different tack on my crafty fox tat I have been after for a few months and also at another permission of mine at a farm with a significant chicken free range egg business that always has a few foxes. The difference being some one came along to shoot with me with a rather nice set up of a Sauer 22.250 with a gen 3+ night vision scope on top. Arrived at the first farm, kitted up and Paddy gave me a look through the scope, matched with a laser illuminator the image was extremely clear out to 300m and rabbits popped into view easily identifiable and not taking a blind bit of notice of us. Mind you at £4k the scope should be good! We start by working along the side of the chicken sheds and fenced paddock and I use a gen 2+ binocular to watch proceedings. I get a set of eyes up on the far side of the paddock but that turns out to be a cat so is left well alone. 20 mins of slowly scanning and nothing shows so I suggest a move to the long grass field that is one field over and the wind would be in our favour. Sussex Lad will remember this field as the one he took a shot in last year. As we come to gate we scan the field and 2 foxes are there but 250 yards up on the bank and they move off to the right. We are possibly silhouetted by some house lights behind us across the valley so can only guess they have seen movement. We there reposition ourselves 100 yards up the hedge line in front of some decent holly bushes so we are well covered. Leaving it 15 mins we simply scan and look, rabbits around and a good number of roe are up on the top hedge but no foxes to be seen. At this point Paddy pulls out his Foxpro Scorpion remote and walks 70m out into the field and drops of the speaker unit. I am told to scan to the right of the speaker and he will cover the left and he hits play and a rat squeal starts to come from the speaker, no more than 60 seconds later a fox comes running through the gate to the right and I tell Paddy who sweeps around to track it. This fox literally runs right for the speaker and pounces on it from about 6 feet away......landing it realises it is not a rat as expected and backs away though turns to look again...big mistake, Paddy takes the shot and thump down it goes with a tumble. We leave the caller running for a few minutes and get more eyes up on the left hand side at the edge of the wood but these seem a bit reluctant to move in, then again they decide to and come in below the wind to try and scent the caller......not as fast as the first but closer, it stops for long enough and thump, number 2 down on the ground feeling the effects of a 55gr soft point. First fox down was a vixen, not huge but in good condition: Second fox was a dog weighing 15 pounds....on first inspection looked in good condition: Then turning him over we see the start of mange or recover of mange around his eyes: I decide to move fields and head up to the next field.....and set up covering a big 18acre grass field surrounded on 3 sides by woods, again roe showing their eyes and we set up the speaker and move to stand at the base of a big old oak tree to cover our shapes. Foxpro on and we try a small selection of calls but all that appears is Brock. By now it is getting close to 11pm and I want to try for the crafty fox I have been after for some time. Into the truck and a quick 5 min drive to the location I baited earlier.....parked in the lay-by near the yard and creep up to the gate over looking the field. Right on cue there is a set of eyes on my bait point and then working along one of the scent drag lines I put out earlier. We set up by the gate and I try a little calling with the wam.....charlie looks and watches but wont come in. Trouble is we are slightly illuminated by a late delivery to the nearby oil depot, security lights all over the place. So Charlie probably can see something but not sure what so wont come in. Paddy tries the foxpro with it at our feet and Charlie comes in a little but then veers to our right and dips through the hedge......and does not come back even after we move under better cover out of the light and try a variety of calls. So, Mr Crafty gets away with it for another day but a brace don’t, one happy farmer, one not so happy....... Hey ho.....be boring if it was all too easy! Many thank to Paddy for dropping by with hi NV kit, very impressed with that and the foxpro. Jerry

Simply remove the fore end and open the breech and the barrels disengage from the stock/action. Store the barrels and stock seperate in the cabinet side by side. The breakdown cabinets are about half the height of a normal one, 2 guns at a squeeze, no more to be honest.

I have dropped Kip a line for you...

Seems Ok for me, do you use the same username there as on PW? I will drop them a pm for you is so.

The easiest solution is a piece of insulation tape across the bottom 1/5th of the objective on the scope. Works very well and does not interfere with scope operation at all. No need for neoprene mod covers, indeed thay can increase the issue as they increase the diametre of the scope in effect.

Hmmm, will have to check those out as a back up....I load a 75gr Vmax that works a treat on them as well. Not seen much Norma locally to me recently.....where in Devon are you picking them up?

I have the same rifle though not the 22" barrel and like you find it very accurate with home loads. What do you feed yours?

You also need to check with the farmer to see what he is allowed to grow if he is in any of the stewardship schemes. For instance this may dictate that you cannot grow maize but have to use a "wild bird" mix of small seeded varieties for the benefit of small wild birds. This may also dictate the size of bird cover plots allowed as well, though the rules have recently changed and acreage has been increased. If in doubt check with the landowner or his agent.

Yes, Mixy...if it were VHD then you raely seem them with it as it kills very quickly and most die in their burrows. It goes through like a dose of salts with mortality normally within 48 hours. Basically the impact of Mxyi and observed rates of fatality has change significantly since the first introduction of the 50's. Mortality rates have dropped from 99% to less than 50% due to genetic levels of resistance building.

Final day of the season on Saturday and the day dawns very cold and a light dusting of snow on the ground. Blue skies and a gentle breeze from the North West. Load the car up and on the road to get to the shoot in time for bacon butties supplied by one of the guns and some roe liver that I took along for something a little different. Chris cooking up a nice brekkie: A very good feel about the shoot today, even though it is the end of the season there were lots of smiles about and general humour, coupled with some stunning weather we had decent hopes of a few birds in the bag so we head off to line up on the first drive, a two parter requiring the guns to move half way through the drive Lining out for 1st drive, look to my left to what turned out to be the hot seat: I settle and as PWD also does, lined up the carts in breech before I start…. The drive brings me only one bird, a wide crossing hen bird to my right which I fail to connect with but the guns 2 and 3 up from me on the left have some fine shooting and some good birds drop….though a few go by with Gerald receiving some stick later. The second part of the drive moves the guns onto the Moor and some hard walking for some of the beaters: This part of the drive only pushed a wood cock my way but he was too low for a safe shot so I waved him on his way. Again the guns to my right were in the thick of it and snipe, partridge and pheasant all fell to them, one partridge was a stunner and come down bueatifully. Post Drive discussion: Beaters discussing the shooting: Onto the next drive and Belinda joins me on the peg hidden in the middle of the wood where snap shooting is the order of the day, an early cock bird breaks to my right and I shoot through the trees and connect, then a mini flush occurs just yards in front of me and I swear I could have swatted a hen from the air as she flew past me less than 2 foot away, glad she steered around me to be honest. Belinda on in the wood Cries of duck go up and a flight come in to my left and I cleanly take one: I then manage the most flukey shot I have ever pulled off, and all because I forgot to move my feet! Belinda said there was a duck coming around from behind, I look over my right shoulder, mount the gun leaning over backwards and have a sight picture of the tops of the barrels over the duck, pull the trigger and it folds neatly in the air to be picked later by Mark….I have no idea how I managed to shoot it like that and bet I could never repeat the shoot either! We then stop for a mid morning break and a shot of sloe gin. Kids with Dogs, mid morning break: Mid morning drinks: Some of the dogs were still keen to get on though: On the bus back up to the yard for a bite to eat: Plenty of happy beaters and guns: After lunch it was onto Parkers, again a drive split into 2 events with guns moving to cover a long wood and cover crop down a valley, there are a couple of guns to start with in the woods, can you spot one of them: I end the first part of the drive with a hen and cock to my name, cock bird wide left to right crosser and a hen bird that came over very fast, shot cleanly first barrel to my front but thumped into the ground about 60 yards behind it was shifting so much! Benjamin beating out on the cover crop above the Ressie once I moved to the second part of the drive: At end of the drive some stunning birds put out over pegs 1 to 3 and me on 4 get the chance at a nice cock bird but he was too good for me. At the end of the drive my gun bearer loads up my kit….(And don’t worry I repositioned the slip the other way up before she walked anywhere so the gun was not relying on the szip to stay in the slip) We then moved onto the final drive of the season, one that is the show case of the shoot to be honest…….and I just have a shot at one high cock whilst the gun to my right had about 17 or 18 shots. This drive can and normally does produce some very high birds, and today was no exception……late season crafty birds knowing what is what and launching them selves from the tops to go over the guns at anything up to 70 yards up if not higher. Lots of knowning smiles from the beaters watching them going over and frustrated guns trying to work out how much lead to give them……. End of final drive, lots of smiles from the beaters and Alan: So, that is that for another season……and in summary I think this is the best season I have had. I have shot well, have seen some stunning shooting by others, seen some amazing birds go over the line and even managed to pull down a few that I thought I would never manage. Have had days where everything clicked and shot better than 1 for 2, had days when it was nearer 1 for 5…ooops. Everyone has been safe, no major injuries to people or dogs alike. We have had a good few laughs and much good natured banter. We have the shoot dinner to look forward to in a few weeks time and some clay shoots planned and then the hard work starts all again in prepping for next season! All that remains for me to say is a huge thanks to my fellow guns for being a great bunch The beating team who are out week in and week out just for the sheer love of it. Thanks for making the shoot and also for looking after my kids when out in the line, special thanks to Mark, Ann, Jane, Rob, John and a few others on that front. John, gun captain and general giver of sage advice and, thanks for your efforts controlling us guns, you know only too well we hardly ever listen but we get it right 9 times of 10! (your humour stands us well too!). Final thanks have to go to Alan, our keeper, come shoot boss, come general dogs body. I know there have been a few ups and downs but for my part the ups have far outweighed the downs and it has been a great season…. Have a look at the shooting community website for the full diary of the season if you get a chance!

A basic shopping list would be: Press, you can spend a few quid on a hand press of a few hundred on somehting a bit more fancy. main makes to look at are Lee, RCBS, Redding, etc. I have a Lee Challenger Dies, again a range of makes and also types, neck sizing or full length dies. RCBS dies will fit a Lee press and vise versa. I use RCBS full length dies. Scales, either balance beam of electronic though I use a combination of both so I can cross check each. I use a RCBS 5-0-5 scale and find extremely accurate. Powder thrower, I guess you can get away without one if only loading very low volumes but for not a lot of money they make things quicker, I use a basic Lee one that is OK Priming tool, some presses have these built in or you can use a standalone tool, in my case a Lee Auto Prime, never had a problem with it though some seem to not like them Case length guage and deburring tool OAL Gauge Shell holders Powder Funnel Powder Trickler Primer Pocket cleaning tool Case cleaner, I use an ultrasonic bath A decent Micrometer Lube Pad MTN Reloading trays I think that should get you going, infact you probably get away with not all of that. For an idea on the tyes of kit have a look here: http://s209976218.websitehome.co.uk/RS_Cat...2001_07A_A4.pdf HTH Jerry

Pav I started to reload my 243 about 18 months ago, got the kit and then had the help of some one far more experianced than me to set it up and take me through the basics, this was asfter I read Lee's ABC of reloading so I have the basics in mind before actually loading anything. The process is not hard as long as you take it step by step and take your time, check and recheck everything etc. It is also incredibly satisfying loading your own and producing something that is far more consistant than factory loads and then using that in the field. What sort of bullet and weight are you thinking of using? I currently load 75gr Vmax over H414 powder with Federal Brass and primer for a vermin/fox round and a 95gr SST for roe.

I am in Devon, near Cullompton but not in it thank god. Was at the show last year, very good and even the weather smiled on us!

One other thing......you have earnt your day so try and relax and enjoy it. Stay safe and you will have a great day on the peg.