Salop Matt Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 Ive never activley gone out looking for charlie, the few I have shot have been 50yard opertunity shots with my HMR when bunny bashing ! Ive picked up a new permition that has plenty of pigeon but few rabbits but seem to be a few fox about. So I want to thin out the fox poplulation with a view to increasing bunny numbers for my shooting and also to consider putting a few birds down on ! So I have a lamp, sticks, HMR, Bino`s, Jimny vehicle a fox call uk manual caller and have down loaded some rabbit noises from the varmint al website. So how would you serious foxers go about reducing the numbers ? I cant decide if i should walk out and lay down with the HMR on my bi pod and try calling or weather to shoot from the vehicle wing mirror with the HMR and put the calls onto a CD and play them through the car speaker to call charlie in ! Or should i keep mobile and shoot off the sticks or wing mirror as I drive ? Iv tryed using my fox call before on the odd oppertunity shot and had mixed results ! I will need to get them into 50 - 80 yards as I am using a HMR Cheers Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 If you can't drive on the land I'd say walk about. The only time you should bother sitting around is if you have night vision or are up in a high seat. However in those situations, you should still have a walk around. I wouldn't bother with sticks if you're driving. The wing mirror, window, bonnet, roof et al are all fine for shooting off of. Most importantly. If you're not sure. Don't shoot. - Eye colour means nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 baiting an area for a few days then sitting out can work well, I quite often sit out at last light in the summer months in the truck off the wingmirror. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted March 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 Any advice for getting them in close then as I will need to be under 80yards with the HMR? You CF boys have it alot easyer with the extended range ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_R Posted March 9, 2011 Report Share Posted March 9, 2011 Any advice for getting them in close then as I will need to be under 80yards with the HMR? You CF boys have it alot easyer with the extended range ! All of the above still stands... You can get them in even closer than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted March 10, 2011 Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 I have always found that a very slight squeak by puckering your lips to be the most effective, we have at times laughed at the fact a keen fox has just about run too close to the truck! My personal best was a fox being about 7 yards from the truck! The thing with squeaking is - only do it if you need to! If the fox is going in a direction that will bring him closer then let him continue and be patient, if you keep lamping and squeaking and you miss a few you'll find the learn to run when a lamp comes on. We have recently started to use polystyrene on the window just for a different sound! Regards, Gixer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowen20 Posted March 12, 2011 Report Share Posted March 12, 2011 If I'm having trouble with a fox like it's lamp shy because it's been shot at before or lamped and called loads. I tend to bait an area up where I've seen it the most for maybe 3 days with shot rabbits then I will go back the next night with a dead rabbit and belly it and stake it out again and just sit and wait. I keep having regular looks with my nightvision monocular then when I do spot it get ready to fire and lamp on for a split sec then bang dead and hopefully it's the one I've been trying for. Sometimes if I'm just going to sit out for a while I take a dead rabbit and belly it again but stake it about 2 ft off of the ground so the smell carries better and just sit calling for a while off of my hand. Had some good results doing this even had some coming in to around 30yds which I don't like I think it's harder the closer they are. I preferr them around 100 to 160yds with the .223. Good luck with what you try. Oh and I too have heard that polystyrene on the car window if you lick it gives off one hell of a screech. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geordieh Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Ive never activley gone out looking for charlie, the few I have shot have been 50yard opertunity shots with my HMR when bunny bashing ! Ive picked up a new permition that has plenty of pigeon but few rabbits but seem to be a few fox about. So I want to thin out the fox poplulation with a view to increasing bunny numbers for my shooting and also to consider putting a few birds down on ! So I have a lamp, sticks, HMR, Bino`s, Jimny vehicle a fox call uk manual caller and have down loaded some rabbit noises from the varmint al website. So how would you serious foxers go about reducing the numbers ? I cant decide if i should walk out and lay down with the HMR on my bi pod and try calling or weather to shoot from the vehicle wing mirror with the HMR and put the calls onto a CD and play them through the car speaker to call charlie in ! Or should i keep mobile and shoot off the sticks or wing mirror as I drive ? Iv tryed using my fox call before on the odd oppertunity shot and had mixed results ! I will need to get them into 50 - 80 yards as I am using a HMR Cheers Matt HiMatt Are you not there to carry out pest and vermin control, if i was the farmer and i found out you were trying to increase rabbit numbers to improve your sport i would soon tell you to sling your hook and get someone in to do the job properly Geordie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted March 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 (edited) No geordie, there are so few rabbits on my permitions even with the HMR last week we struggled to get 2 in the bag ! And yes I am able shoot sufficiently well as iv had a pb bag of 51 before, they simply arnt there and in the past the farmer has never been bothered about them either so am not doing anything wrong or upsetting anyone ! If i was asked to shoot em all on the spot so to speak then I would happily do that also but if I can do it and make myself a little sport and a few pennys to cover my ammo costs then whats wrong with that ! Edited March 14, 2011 by salop sniper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geordieh Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 No geordie, there are so few rabbits on my permitions even with the HMR last week we struggled to get 2 in the bag ! And yes I am able shoot sufficiently well as iv had a pb bag of 51 before, they simply arnt there and in the past the farmer has never been bothered about them either so am not doing anything wrong or upsetting anyone ! If i was asked to shoot em all on the spot so to speak then I would happily do that also but if I can do it and make myself a little sport and a few pennys to cover my ammo costs then whats wrong with that ! Hi Matt Nothing wrong with it just some farmers around here would do their nuts if they thought you were trying to increase the numbers of pests on the ground,i shoot on a chicken farm with 8000 free range chickens and the only good fox is a dead fox whether they are feeding young or not. 5 rabbits will eat as much grass as a sheep so their attitude is get shot of them good luck and good shooting Geordie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixhills 69 Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Goerdieh; i also shoot over a number of free range chicken farms and have permission to shoot all vermin, they have had for years a guy who shows up from time to time and just shoots foxes, spoke to him a while ago and he was not happy but the land owner has signed my permission and i am there as soon as their is a problem (not like him) so we all need to start somewhere. Good advice above about the baiting i have baited up at the top of a ditch that runs down the side of a ditch every other day and then on the lsat day left one belly up so you can see the white move, squeak for a while and then sit and wait your eyes will become acustom to the lack of liht 50 to 60 yrds bunny moves Lamp And Shoot Good Look Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Hi, Make haste slowly. Foxes are like farmers which is why you find them both on the land; you never know what the first will do or the second will say. Just as you'd never seek pemission dressed in cammo gear and carrying your gun, treat the fox the same. Without the gun so you're not tempted, do a thorough recce (may take weeks) and once you're satisfied that you know where they are or can be found, where you can park up, which spot offers a good shooting stance and which provides a good backstop, then, perhaps, have a think about having a go. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 mm not sure about that, you get lucky occasionally and leaving your gun at home just means you won't get lucky. Much as they are creatures of habit once they suss you sitting somewhere they will adjust their pattern of movements Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 I'd take the rifle... As Al4x will tell you, we went to recce a foxing job last summer... whilst walking round the edge of a new plantation trying to find an ambush point for a suspect earth, I shot the vixen off the Deer fence @ 100 yards... which made the job of clearing her cubs a lot easier! Opportunity wait's for no man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 good evening that was just to give an idea along the some talk and some do lines this was the result Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Hi, Make haste slowly. Foxes are like farmers which is why you find them both on the land; you never know what the first will do or the second will say. Just as you'd never seek pemission dressed in cammo gear and carrying your gun, treat the fox the same. Without the gun so you're not tempted, do a thorough recce (may take weeks) and once you're satisfied that you know where they are or can be found, where you can park up, which spot offers a good shooting stance and which provides a good backstop, then, perhaps, have a think about having a go. Cheers I can see what Wymberley is saying and I am not faulting him, we all have our own little ways of doing things, but I personally don't agree with leaving the gun at home. He is quite right in spending time doing a thorough "reccy" and getting to know your quarry and it's habbits, careful observation is the key to this. However, if you do chose to leave the rifle at home while you do your "reccy" you can bet a pound to a pinch of salt that Charlie will show and sit well within your range in a place that offered a perfect shot with a perfect backstop and you will have missed a golden opportunity. I have nailed several like this which I might not have got such a good chance at again. As any good Boy Scout would say "Dib, dib, dib, be prepared"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 (edited) Yep, You can get lucky occasionally and even snaffle a few cubs in one go, quite agree. But isn't the OP asking about how he goes about it on a new permission (who started that stupid term anyway?) which is obviously unknown territory and for the long term. I would question that is "getting lucky" a good idea on unknown territory. Read the OP's post and by his own admission is somewhat inexperienced and has sensibly asked for advice. Sorry, chaps, but under those circumstances, "go out and poop a few off" is not a good idea IMHO. Cheers PS Don't forget, the OP is doing it in the dark, ie lamping. Edit: PS added Edited March 15, 2011 by wymberley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodentermite Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 my advice you dont need all the fancy electronic ******** just stick simple and basic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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