Little Foxy

[activeviii]

Im not one to write much, let loan about a hunt but i was so chuffed i had to write tell you all about it

 

 

 

This little ****** did my head in.

 

 

I put have a Deben Max lamp that i dont use much as i tend to go out with a mate but as this was a quick run round i want on my own. dont like doing it this way as it means waving the rifle around to use the scope mounted lamp. i didnt put a round in the chamber and kept safety on so that the bolt was locked, the ground has 2" of snow on it and its crispy.

had a walk around a few fields looking for rabbits but nothing showing up apart from a Roe that was sat in the woods so found a bit of dark cover in the white out of snow and started calling to see if a charlie want to play, I called and called............but nothing, not a thing. oh well, i was out to walk the dog really so let him go for a run round while we walk to a differant area on the other side of a train bridge, had a good look around but again not a rabbit any where so had a little call again but nothing. the land was empty not even a rabbit was out, loads of tracks but not rabbit of fox. I give up, put rifle over shoulder and run the dog around the rest of the fields and then head home. getting back to the train bridge i gave the lamp one last flash round and there, a pair of red lights on the end of a hedge, this hedge just stops on the middle of the field so he will have to cross the field of run down the hedge line. if he runs into the field then its no shot but if he comes down the hedge then there's a back stop all the way so nice and safe. i give a bit of a call and he looks up, the lamp is on very low with the red filter so can just make the eyes out at 400yrds, give another little squeak, and he starts heading to the right along the hedge, only 20 yrds or so but its a start, bit more calling and a few more yards. hes coming, slowly but surely he is coming. i set the stalking tripod out and put rifle up. this fox is taking his time and seams to what to look for mice on the way rather than coming for a tasty bit of lead, can't blame him really. He is 250 yards away, i have the wrong rifle with me, 222 in the cabinet but with the dog not liking the rifles i thought i better bring the quieter one, so i cant get the shot at this distance. This fox is losing intrest and just will not come any more. giving the caller more blow in a hope to get him moving again but i blow it, the fox goes and runs though the hedge, ******. right what to do! give up and go home or try and catch up with him and shorten the distance between us! he is still in the hedge as i have not seen him go out of it. i start walking as quite as the crisp snow will let me but no use and its just to crunchy. i get to the end of the hedge and have a flash round but cant see him, start to walk down the hedge line to where i had last seen him but he was gone but where as i hadn't seen him in open field and there was no way out of this hedge, unless he had bolted whilst i was walking and i didnt see him on the white field. looking over the hedge with the lamp i see him, the little ******, he has gone across the field and running up another hedge to the place i had just been calling from, "?#%$£&" this is war. set the tripod up again with tree behind me and so im on a dark area, with luck i will be hidden and he will come back to where he was mousing earlier and present me with a shot. i start calling, little soft cries with the WAM, not to loud, keeping it soft but with intrest, hes coming, the ****** is coming, 50yrs more and hes in range but he is still moving, he needs to stop as i cant hit him on the run with a HMR i need the head shot. 100 yards away and still closing, coming along the hedge, stop you ****** stop! STOP! bum to loud a shout and he ran into the hedge. I wait, hoping he will come out again, i can only see the one side of the hedge but i cant move as snow all around. i wait for what seams like 20 minutes but in fact it was only 5 minutes. turn the lamp up and have a good look around but cant see him anywhere. i had blown it. right! giving up now, cold and backs is giving me real grief so i start heading off home, back down the hedge towards the bridge, dogs off running around where old charlie has been, sniffing and cocking leg every where he's loving it. come on teague lets go, teague come, right now the dogs playing up as well. walk back to give him some when i look over another hedge to where the dog is trying to get to and there running around in the snowy feild is charlie, a good 50 yrds away and heading across at an angle towards a gate way. quickly i start walking as fast as i can along the other side of the tyring to get to this gateway first and get a shot. i can see him in the field sniffing around but still moving parallel with me. i dont need the lamp as he is showing up well against the snowy field. he is moving slowly towards me but still along way off. setting the tripod up again but dont use the lamp, i think the lamp was putting him off so this time just give it the WAM call, the rifle is up and i can see him perfect though the scopes, nice and clear but its as iff he cant hear the call. i change to the FOXCALL.uk and start soft, still not looking, i give it a good hart set of squeals and he looks up, more hard blows and i can see him trying to locate where the sound is coming from, a few more blows and hes locked on and running fast straight towards me, cross hair on him but having to adjust the scope as he comes closer, he stops and stands there, just listening,trying to pin point the sound, i give a couple of dieing whimpers with the call and hes moving again, coming on a slight angle but hes coming. heart is beating to hard now that the scope is jumping, trying to calm down enough to get the shot as soon as the fox is close enough, i reach for the switch on the lamp, just resting finger on it to press as soon as i think is the right time. NO! man on pigeon watch messed up by turning the lamp on. i can see him fine so no lamp needed, dont mess it up Phil. the fox is still coming, slowly, not sure, but still coming, he then sits and looks across the field, whats he seen, doesn't matter he is in range, 100yrds away and quarter on to me, just about to start squeezing the trigger and... ******, not chambered the round yet. not use to this sort of loan shooting. quickly and as quite as i can, i chamber a round. charlie hears me and looks straight at me.....to late.....cross-hair is on and trigger squeezed. he flips like a rabbit and runs, ******, he cant run, its on the money, 20 yards and he drops, just like a rabbit do the dead dance.

 

GOT HIM!!!!!

 

 

this fox was gave me a head ache from the start. best cat and mouse game i have ever played with one, and the longest. I first saw him at 8pm, i took the photo of him just after 10pm.

 

when i lifted his head it was mush in there, the skull was shattered. the bullet went went though his eye and out just behind his ear.

 

 

 

CZ HMR, 20gr hornady, Nikko Stirling lightforce 30mm tubes, Deben max lamp.

WAM and FOXCALL.UK call, had the U-caller with me but didn't work at all.

 

Photos taken with phone so not best

 

 

Sorry if it was hard reading but im no good with words.hehe

 

ATB

Phil

Edited January 15, 2010 by activeviii

[bobbo]

hell of a read boss, excellent shot placement aswell. well done.

[al4x]

nice shooting, as far as the run is concerned the 20g tend to punch straight through what they hit without transferring the energy well which is why they don't cause much meat damage with rabbits etc. The downside is you don't get the shock and punch to put foxes straight down, IMHO the 17 V max rounds are better because they do transfer a lot more energy to the animal. I've had a couple run with the 20 grains both straight through shots on heart and lungs but still got 50 yards or so, stone dead by the time the dog got to them but not the put downs that the Vmax's tend to give.

[Bobbo.]

Brilliant story, well done

[pixie]

Long story but great!!!!!!! Well done, I nearly always lamp by myself and thats with a 170 lightforce which is a bit bigger than your lamp, but I tend to scan with a cheap night monocular 1st and with snow I dont need the infra red.

[cometa24/7]

brilliant story mate,Good pics and nice bit of kit.I enjoyed that read

immensly and i'm glad that you probely had one of your best ever

shooting/hunting trips.

 

But why did'nt you wait for a side on shot?......

 

Thanks

[activeviii]

I think i waited long enough to pin this little un.

 

It was only small, about JRT size. right funny coat on it as well. the wife siad it looked a dirty fox......

 

 

 

......i wish she was a d......

 

no no just in case she read this.lmao.

[Frenchieboy]

Great write up and excellent shooting Mate. It goes to show how persistence can pay dividends and from your write up you certainly deserved the "trophy"!

[MerseaDavid]

Great write up and great shot mate

[islandmartin]

Nice work!