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Fox lamping techniques


The Sniper
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I have been fortunate to have had a really good foxing man teach me his techniques over the years as regards lamping from a vehicle.

 

Basically one man lamps from the back of a pickup, one has the rifle and one drives. This can be adapted to one man driving and lamping and one man has the rifle. The lamp stays on all the time unless a fox is sighted. Then the lamp goes out. The rifleman takes over by choosing his angle to fire with a bit of help from the driver in positioning the vehcle for a stable shot. The lamp is then turned on again and voila.......one dead charlie.

 

The only time a call is used is to stop a running fox in its tracks for a still shot at it.

 

However recently I have been asked to help out on a local shoot or two with a fresh team of lampers. I have been on the back of a dual cab 4x4, with one man driving, one man lamping from inside the vehicle and another stood by me with a spare lamp. They say life is a learning curve ,well this team need to do a bit of learning quick. The lamp is all over the place missing various fields and overdoing others, being turned on and off making me as jumpy as hell, thinking they have seen a fox. I have seen both lamps on at the same time, both lampers squeaking at the same time and sometimes the driver has to ask ( or shout ! ) for directions.

 

I have come up with the idea of the lamping man by the side of me all the time on the back, the lamp stays on until a fox is sighted and hopefully the driver will realise this.

 

Anyone else got any further advice please ?

 

As I said before I have not had much use for calling a fox in........anyone got any tips on that please ?

 

Please help me as they are doing my nerves no good !!!!!! :D :<

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Snipe, you poor *** :D I too have had the misfortune to "work" with some inexperienced or berks (whatever your persuation) in my time and reading what you have put is pretty much my method when going lamping from a vehicle.

 

What I have found works is a detailed brief to each member of the team prior to the evenings foray. After all your not there for the sheer hell of it, you there to do a job. Charlie gets to learn very quickly if lamps are shone all over the place.

 

Tell each member who is in charge, who gives the orders, who is lamping and what method you intend to employ etc.. Trouble is Snipe, from your msg I would assume you are a recent addition to the team and these guys have been doing it there for sometime......... tricky you could try suggesting you bring along your own "team" for the night with them watching and learning or suggest to them you show them the way you do it as an educational thing.

 

With respect to the calling, I have quite a few calls and could go thro them with you if we meet up? a kind of reciprocal thing.

 

If the fox is in range with a clear shot placement area and stationary............ why call at all?

 

If it going about its business ie normally and not concerned about your presence you can effectively shout anything.......... Oi!!!! works for me I must say. It will stop and look an then........... KaBOOOOOOOM one dead charlie.

 

Sounds to me Snipe you gotta take these guys under your wing an show them how its done....... Good luck

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Sniper, sounds like you've landed yourself with a right bunch of cowboys :lol: or maybe they don't know any better. Can you educate them? Get them to try it your way for a couple of nights, if they are serious about their fox control I'm sure they will soon see the error of their ways.

 

In contrast to you, when we spot a fox we keep the light on. The light is just elevated to a point where we can just see the eyes but there is no light directly on the fox, then we dim the lamp. When I'm ready to shoot the light is bought up to full power.

 

As for calling, seeing those eyes trotting down the field towards you is a great thrill :D

 

As Col Pol says only call if you have to. Start off quietly and don't overdo it. Its worth having a selection of calls as on occasion one will work where the others don't.

 

Best of luck, Q

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  • 6 years later...
Sniper

 

Thanks Bud, I am still awaiting your PM, we could meet at Deako's place? Cant wait to put a face to the name :oops::whistling::good:

Sorry to but in here

iv been lamping for about 18 months now mainly the bunnys which im getting the hang of now, but my lamping for charlie needs some work.

I have taken the advice of people like yourself with things like keep the lamp on etc and have found that you need an understanding with the driver so he knows whats going on, what i realy need is to get out with an experienced lamping crew to watch how its done so would any of you guys be perpaired to let a rooky come along?:yes:??

Mark

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We used to use dimmers, but found that just as effective (if not more so) was to drop the beam when the fox was detected so that it is directed at the ground just below the fox's feet. If you do this then you will still get the reflection from the fox's eyes. but it will not be alarmed.

 

Then when the guy on the gun is ready on the bipod he gives a low whistle - this tells the lampman to raise the beam to fully illuminate the fox and at the same time (almost) the shooter fires.

 

The best way that I can describe the effects of this is for you to stand 100 yards away from the lamp and then get the lampman to whack it full into your eyes. You will be dazed and shocked initially, and then all you want to do is to get out of the beam - just like a fox often does. However, if the lampman places the beam at your feet you will instantly feel 'in the shadows', and not be alarmed.

 

We use a 3 man team - a lamper, the shooter, and a guy with a pair of good quality binocs. The guy with the binocs is a safety factor, and he checks the target and confirms that it is a fox - not easy if the range is 150 yards plus. All the shooter then has to do is to concentrate on the shot. He finds the beam in the scope, goes up to get onto the fox and at the same time gives a low whistle to indicate to the lamper to raise the beam.....

 

Don

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