Frenchieboy Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 (edited) I decided to play a hunch and went for a walk on one of my permissions this afternoon in case the heavy snow that is forecast for tomorrow stops me getting out for a week or so. I decided to take the .243 to one of my permissions where I had a feeling that there was going to be a fox or two out hunting in the snow. After not being able to get the car up to the farm I parked up at a freinds place at the bottom of the land and faced the half mile walk up to the permission. As soon as I got there I saw half a dozen rabbits out trying to find a few blades of grass to eat in the snow covered fields. I have to admit that I was tempted to take a shot at one just in case my instincts were wrong, but I resisted the temptation, and thank heavens I did! After making my way across 2 fields that are riddled in gulleys which were filled with snow I got to a hedgeline where I was expecting to see a fox. Peering over the hedge I spotted not one but two foxes mouching about together near an old land drain that they cub in nearly every year. (This is where several of my vixen and cubs videos were filmed) By the time that I had set my sticks up one of them had dropped into a low lting area and was mainly obscured but the other one had very obligingly stood and faced me at a range of about 120 yards. I had a clear shot at this one so took a steady aim and let a shot go at it. The fox just dropped on the spot! On retrieving and inspecting the carcass it was clear that the bullet had entered this rather scrawny looking vixen (I believe after looking at her teeth that this it is one of last years cubs. I did not have permission on that land last year but have been given permission to shoot there now) through the bottom of the throat, passed through her and had exited straight out of her back side bringing some of her intestines out of her rear end (Not a pretty sight) and nearly taking the brush off. This really does emphasise the power of the .243 and the need for safe backstops as there was a deep hole in the snow covered bank directly behind her and without that there would have been no telling where that bullet would have gone! A little further on I did spot another dozen or so rabbits but they were on the skyline so there was no possibility of a safe shot even if I had wanted to try for one. All in all it was an extremely pleasant walk about with farily mild temperatures and virgin crisp snow to walk on. Plus it is one less vixen to breed this year! I have tried to position her so that the photo is presentable and not too graphic, as long as you ingore the claret in the snow! Edited January 24, 2013 by Frenchieboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malik Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 That is one nice rilfe you have there Great write up too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted January 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 That is one nice rilfe you have there Great write up too Thanks for that Mailk. I was in fact on the point of selling the rifle but decided to hold it purely for deer culling whenever I feel up to it. The barrel has only fired some 500 or so factory rounds from when it was fitted brand new immediately before i bought it and it will give sub 1 inch groups at 100 yards using Partizan 90g ammunition, which is what sorted this little vixen out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garygreengrass Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 Nice shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
browning123 Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 Good write-up & well done getting her in the daytime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty thud Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 good write up and picture mate i need to get out this weekend havent been able to get out for past 2 week wi snow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretfiddler Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 Great shot, write up and as always picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonk Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 Well done Pete! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon6ppc Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 ye good shooting there pal,some how it always seems better in the snow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scobydog Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 Well done again Pete, one less to worry about. S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markws80 Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 Top shot nice to get them in day light nice rilfe is that a S&B sat on top? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted January 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 Top shot nice to get them in day light nice rilfe is that a S&B sat on top? I'm not sure what make the scope is. I got it from another member some time ago and it's been on that rifle since. All I can say is that it is an 8X56 and holds its zero perfectly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markws80 Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 I'm not sure what make the scope is. I got it from another member some time ago and it's been on that rifle since. All I can say is that it is an 8X56 and holds its zero perfectly! I can see it holds zero very well i bet the fox wish it did not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andysako Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 nice shooting nice right up there m8 !! :good: .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted January 24, 2013 Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 Nicely done,did the other Fox not oblige you with a chance well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted January 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2013 (edited) Nicely done,did the other Fox not oblige you with a chance well done No, unfortunately it had dropped down in a dip in the land where I could not see anywhere enough of it to even think about getting a shot of that offered any sort of possibility of a quick humane kill. When I shot the vixen it made a very very quick retreat to the land drain where a family of foxes have their cub each year - Now I have permission there (Which I only obtained a short while ago) I would hope that there will be a lot less (if any) cubbing there this year. I am going to be mentoring a PW member soon and I will be taking him lamping there a few times in order to try to get him his forst fox. Up until now any foxes from there had to be squeeked across the border to where I had permission to shoot (About 50 yards across a hedge and gully) but now I have a "free hand" with permission to shoot on that field things will hopefully be a little different for them! I had a look around the land drain and to be honest I have not seen so many fox tracks in one place for a long time. That is the beauty of some snow on the ground, it tells you just how much activity and what ground vermin/pests there there are in an area. Edited January 24, 2013 by Frenchieboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandmartin Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Excellent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikka.223 Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Good shooting Pete. Dont forget to add yours to the PW fox total. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Nice work Pete,excellent conservation fella. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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