al4x Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Been out a couple of times with a forum member over the last week trying to sort a problem of chickens being killed, small area probably about 15 acres and up to last night he had had a vixen and a couple of cubs and I'd had another vixen. We had been seeing them but all up on a bank and in the dark they weren't possible to get positive ID's on so last night after another 18 chickens were killed we had another go. About 9.30 we thought we'd try the fox pro with a fox calling sound and couple of moments later we had two in the field, by a stroke of luck I took the dog fox first and the good sized cub with it ran off at the sound. At this point confusion reigned as while getting the cub lined up the dog decided it would try a burst for freedom so while being told the gun was pointed in the wrong direction as my mate hadn't seen the cub I shot that by which time the dog fox had been lost from sight The only thing being we had had a decent thud come back and it was a .243 so I was confident it wouldn't be far away. Because we were fairly sure of more we just sat still and used the caller occasionally, at last light another came out and got nicely dropped on the spot with apparently a decent bit of red mist. Then we figured after a heavy weekend we'd give it another 15 minutes so swapping to the NV we gave it a while more and lo and behold another very wary cub came out had a quick look at its brother and then received the same treatment. Another 15 mins after that we hadn't seen anything so figured a pick up was in order, the first 3 were easy and the dog came out for the last one and on reaching the spot of the shot dragged me to just short of the hedge where she proceeded to make sure a rather large dog fox had expired How it ran is beyond me as though slightly off center the shot was tucked inside the front leg then there was a large wound all the way along the side then back in inside the rear leg. So all and all a good night and we shall see if the chickens we left have gone this morning to see just what is still about. This is pretty urban and we thought we just had cubs to deal with left but last night was a barren vixen a decent sized dog and 2 cubs. So a bit over a week and 3 vixens 4 cubs and a dog off the same corner of a 15 acre small holding. The cubs are really well grown here now very mobile and just thinking about responding properly to the call. We'd like to think we've sorted the problem but somehow I think there are more to come Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Blimey. A free range chicken diet and lots of exercise keeps them in tip top condition. Darts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Well done Al4x mate. It sounds like you had a busy night. I assume that you treated yourself to a couple of pints or a large glass "of something nice" afterwwards! Good work mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandmartin Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Nice work on the gingers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie-fox Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 top shooting guys... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxon67 Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 a nice evening's work lad's!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin g Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Great job.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxon88 Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 nice work. looks like a fox kebab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbit_stu Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Great job mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12borejimbo Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Good job right there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxy bingo Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 excellent right up and a great job done, wall to wall charlies just my kind of night well done al4x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted December 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2012 Well this little place keeps producing them we're over 20 now this year and about once a month it seems we get a call to come back as she has visitors. As its highly urban we do always keep expecting the plod to turn up but lucky so far though last night I was starting to wonder, we now set up on top of a hill in the middle of it back to a hedge so we can see 3 sides. last night was spotting with the lamp then as soon as you hit eyes off and onto night vision, about 20 minutes with the caller running we tried a hand squeak and lo and behold right by the chicken pens we got a glint. So onto NV and I was giving instructions to the caller as it found its way through the fence and then plodded in no real rush up to meet us in the end a quick whistle and that was down at 50 yards. A bit more calling and we had one appear about 250 yards behind us so same again onto nv more calling and this was a lot more cautious came with lots of criss crossing through a fence and my fear was it would get into a hedge to our right where it could get to the truck unseen so I had a quick shot to make with it head on just looking over the brow of a slight dip. my lamp man didn't like the sound as it didn't sound like a normal body shot but we hadn't seen it run. In the vague hope of another we gave it a last call and lo and behold another in front and skirting round us, knowing it would wind us and as it was along a fence line I waited as long as I could for it to stop but it didn't so I had to shoot that at a walk. Short call after that and nothing else so we went to pick them, well the one I was told didn't sound right had effectively had its head hollowed out by the 75grn vmax and the others were where they were shot. Job done in just over an hour, what is easily apparent up there is with nv you get so much more time and you can let them get to a safe shooting position which is the big issue under the lamp. Though not shy they just don't hang about as long under the lamp, we finished with another on a neighbouring bit of ground but overall that should keep the chicken keeper happy for a few days anyway..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted December 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2012 and to top it off just heard one got into a pen and had a field day after we took this lot out FF S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted December 11, 2012 Report Share Posted December 11, 2012 RSPCA officer - "gee john, I can't understand it, i've released 7 foxes in the same area this week and haven't seen any of them since"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted December 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2012 (edited) the streets of Markyate certainly echoed to the sounds of the .243 thats for sure, funny thing is we saw a very fast glint of an eye in one of the pens but it didn't look right then followed by one hell of a bang as something hit a fence so assuming it actually was a fox and it went over the crowd control security barrier they have there as a fence. Only saw one glint so its lampshy if so oh what fun! Edited December 11, 2012 by al4x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted December 11, 2012 Report Share Posted December 11, 2012 It's getting a bit silly this year... I've shot this small holding for approx 6-7 years now, and never known a year like it! Just hoping they don't get hold of my Xmas turkey..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted December 11, 2012 Report Share Posted December 11, 2012 Good work lads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted December 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2012 Just hoping they don't get hold of my Xmas turkey..... I reckon I would fall off my seat laughing if it did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOXHUNTER1 Posted December 11, 2012 Report Share Posted December 11, 2012 Great stuff . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted December 11, 2012 Report Share Posted December 11, 2012 They loves their chickens them foxes do... Well done Alex I have one chicken farm that i shoot on (bit bigger @ approx 40,000 birds) plus there is another only 1/4 mile from that one a bit smaller in size and it is a banker for foxes.You can guarantee a charlie will be there or there abouts. Do you use "chicken in distress" on the caller ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted December 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2012 The distress chicken seems to be all or nothing here, they either love it or completely ignore. That night the hand call was working well, combine that and night vision and its an awesome combination Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimfireboy Posted December 12, 2012 Report Share Posted December 12, 2012 Well done man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted December 12, 2012 Report Share Posted December 12, 2012 The distress chicken seems to be all or nothing here, they either love it or completely ignore. That night the hand call was working well, combine that and night vision and its an awesome combination It is a bit like that here,they either stand and stare or come running like a greyhound. I like to think the ones that come running are the ones that have been in with the hens and heard a distressed chicken for real Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted December 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2012 Thats a nice thought and might well be right certainly with adults, I have had it work on cubs in really rural areas but I guess you can call them with most sounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garygreengrass Posted December 12, 2012 Report Share Posted December 12, 2012 Good job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.