Strongman

Will be good to meet up. I will most probably be at the Game Fair on the Sunday and, apart from a couple of dates, I’m pretty flexible for the next few months.

You would have thought a duck would be an easier prospect than a goose! He won’t do it again though! Good shooting. Another top week for Ed and Grant, bet it’s hot work carrying them roe out!! I had a farmer call to say he had seen a fox and that he had found a dead sheep nearby. So an evening with a dead lamb it was! Saw one early on in the distance skulking about but didn’t present a shot. At midnight a cheeky blighter wandered about 8 foot past me! As he disappeared over a bank behind me I set off in persuit! Got about 30 yards from my position and picked him up below me at about 50 yards in a clearing, where he fell! Never saw anything else but back out tonight to see what turns up! Apologies for the appalling picture quality, it is a fox and not Bigfoot ?

PM Sent

Nice to hear from you Stu, sounds like you’ve not lost your touch! Good that your keeping the farmer happy too. Nice work Ed and Grant, are you breeding and releasing foxes down your way though! Mind you your permissions do cover most of the south west ?. How are you finding the new rifle Grant? Did Ed say that I’ve got a load of .223 cases for you to reload? I had a few hours out earlier in the week. A farmer called to say he had lost some of his chickens. Had a walk round and settled into a good spot with the caller. After an hour or so said farmers wife appeared looking for what was making the distresses rabbit noise! Safe to say Mr fox didn’t make a show after that! Back over again Monday now.

I’ll try and get some pictures but it’s in a sawn state so the grain won’t be showing though very much.

A shooting friend has been asked by a lady he knows to sell on some English Walnut blanks which had been cut by her late husband. I have seen one blank and it would be easily big enough for a shotgun stock blank. I am not sure of the quality / grain of the wood but was wondering if anyone knows- a. what it is worth and b. who would want it. I will ask if she wants to sell a a a job lot or peice by peice. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

PM sent

Went out yesterday evening for a stalk about on the hill where I bumped the two cubs last week. Had a different approach so as to use the wind and wood as cover. Nothing doing until I spotted a fox sit up and look directly towards me at about 30 yards in some long grass. I dropped him and thought it must have been one of the cubs. When I got to him I found a old dog fox!! Put out the caller for an hour to see if the cubs would make a show but nothing else about.

Pm sent

Just to say that these are really good clear units. I use one and can identify a fox out to 200 yards easily. In my opinion they punch well above their weight for the price.

Went out for a few hours before last light yesterday to have a walk over the big hill on one of my permissions. Halfway round I saw a fox coming down a gulley towards me. Had loads of time to get sorted when she appeared on her belly stalking a little cuckoo lamb. Never even saw me even though I was only about 35 yards away! Barren vixen in pretty good condition. Carried on up and bumped a cub on the top which bolted out of the long grass. Continued on and bumped another. Pretty annoyed I glanced left to see a cub staring at me thought the grass at about 50 yards. Careful aim and a farcical miss! Quick reload and said fox stops to look back after about 5 yards! Must have thought he was safe with my ineptitude! No such luck for him with my second shot! Nearly fully grown cub. Need to get back early next week to try and find the others.

Sorry to hear of the theft Mike. They deserve to be drowned in their own urine. Shame you weren’t about with the gun at the time! Suppose that raises a whole new argument though ?. It’s a real pain but at least you & your missus are ok and weren’t caught up in anything.

Shame I didn’t know you were selling the game bag when I called in today or I would have had it off you! Don’t suppose your down Kendal way this week?

Cheers Ed. Been stupid busy at work and at home. We’ve bought just over an acre of field behind our house so been planting hedges, putting up chicken fences and making a vegetable plot. On top of it now so after our hols I’ll be back shooting with a vengeance. We are stopping in Staveley which is just north of Kendal. No shooting I’m afraid but plenty of walking.

I’m not sure I’d have used exciting to describe the tomfoolery I displayed! Taking out charged batteries and changing them for discharged ones just before I go out is a schoolboy error at best ?. Hows the house coming along Mike? Must be nearly finished and ready to open to the public by now?!!

Good work all, seems like the action is picking up now. It’s been pretty quite round here. Went out a week or so ago and only saw two, one of which was distant. I called one in and my bloody scope switched off with the fox at about 60 yards. Turned it off and back on and it fired up with the Fox now at about 40 yards. Just squeezing the trigger when the scope went off again! Que expletives and frantic off and on again to have scope turn on for about 3 seconds and Mr Fox at about 30 yards. It wouldn’t fire up again so had to do a quick battery change. When I got in I realised I had changed the batteries for ones waiting to be charged ?. Been busy in the garden and had seen a vixen and three cubs appear in a spinney in the fields behind our house. After a fruitless wait I got two of the cubs, which were probably not war off fully grown, on the second evening tucked into a hedge! I had watched one of them hunt and kill a rabbit a few days prior. Looks like you had a good holiday Grant. I’m off to the Lake District next week but don’t expect to see anything like you’ve encountered!!

Hi, could i take both Mallard calls please. Let me know your paypal details and ill get some money to you.

Nice looking gun that Stu, bet you can't wait to get out and put it through its paces! So you ended up with a new gun after all then Ed! How does the T3x compare to the T3 then? Good to see your still getting a few. It's been quiet round here with not many fox sightings lately, which is good as I'm only just properly mobile after hurting my back a few weeks ago . Will try and get out next week to have a look around to see what's lurking in the dark!!

I see what you've done there

Which thread Steve? If you let me know the thread diameter (of the screw if you have it) and I'll check my charts.

Don't say that, I want to see the famous man bag !! That sounds like a cracking idea though. You'll need to be careful with all the permissions you are aquiring, you might not have the time to get away!!

Nice work ShootingEgg, Dai, Ed and Grant. Sounds like there are a few number still about. I went out with a friend on Wednesday to look round a few farms that I have had calls from, who have seen foxes around the lambs which have been turned out. Had a dog fox early on at last light on the way back from my mate zeroing his rifle so thought there may be a few about. As it happens we only saw one more all night, which was shot at about 80 yards after coming from among the sheep he was lurking in! Happy there are not many about as it is a dilemma at this time of year. Will just be acting on calls of potentially troublesome foxes for a while now. Anyone off to the Shires Game Fair in April?

I hope I’m wrong but this sounds a bit dodgy to me. First post on the forum asking for old snares. I may be being pessimistic but I can see this being an anti hunting type troll. Like I say, I hope I’m wrong, and apologies if I am, but if something looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck....

I’ve been on holiday in the lakes last week. Been out a few times before that but all pretty quiet round here. Had a few reports of fox sightings but not any trouble so all good. Will be out a few times next week to check on things. Sometimes it’s better the devil you know & it sounds like you’ve made the right decision to swerve the Sako. Years ago a mate of mine changed his rifle for something better. He always regretted it as it turned out to be a right pup, too late then though! Been putting up duck nesting tubes today, the work never ends!

That’s a lovely finish on you rifle Ed. I take it you stayed with the Tikka then and weren’t tempted by the Sako? Well done with passing your DSC1 Grant, you’ve got yourself an apprentice now then .