Nick8310 Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Now this is a little something which happened not to long ago, one of those moments which only happen a few times in your life. I was out on a permission of mine on a cold frosty morning a while back, out after for some rabbits. I was wrapped up warm laying prone in my favourite spot with my bipod extended, just admiring the sun glistening off of the frost covered ground when the first rabbits started to emerge. About 2 hours later and several rounds in I have got some clearing up to do and perpetrations for the dinner table to begin, But just as I am about to get up to fill my bag a young adult fox walks out of the bush-line i'am prone in, and walks 10 yards in front of me and then freezes. I knew that he had spotted me and he knew that he had walked right in the line of sight. As I looked down the scope cross hairs fixed firmly on him, my finger slowly squeezing he just stared at me, and then he done the unthinkable he just sat right there in the field. If it was fear or not knowing what to do that made him do it I don't know but he just sat there and relaxed as if he knew that these were his last moments. So I relaxed and let go of the trigger, it didn't seem fair 10 yards with a sat still target, I stood up which made him run down to the zone which I had been firing in and followed, as I made my way down he grabbed one of the rabbits only pausing for a brief moment to look back knowingly that for today we was both out just to get some food, but another day he might not be so lucky as to walk away with part of my food. What would you have done? Nick. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSS Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Pulled the trigger, no doubt. Still, nice sight to see all the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mereside Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 (edited) one right between the eyes,sometimes you get them easy but more times than not they are smarter, doing a job i don't have a chance to let them go as somebody would be taking the ground off me if i told him i let one walk, just making nv to make life easier,lol and you can bet he won't offer you the same respect back Edited March 14, 2014 by mereside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtaylor Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Well done for not pulling the trigger. It's moments like that which make being out in the countryside the pleasure it is. There will probably be another time when you might shoot him, hopefully a more sporting shot. But you'll remember that moment with far greater clarity than any that you just see in the crosshairs and bang their dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houlsby Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Even tho its a fox.. there's still another day.. if you had pouts down you wouldn't have posted this he'd be dead tho haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul T Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Wild rabbits and nowt about for miles - I'd let him go for a more sporting chance. As Houlsby said, poults down, lambs or chickens about and he'd be deader than a dead thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeadWasp Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 I think you did the right thing Nick, 2 hunters both out for their dinner and all that. Cheeky little sod tho' for nicking a bunny...but you've got to admire it. Evolution at it's best - those brightest enough to take an opportunity etc. etc. get to survive and pass on their genes. If you'd shot him there would have been no skill or pride...at least now you have a story to make you chuckle in years to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 I have often wondered why quarry stops when it knows it has been spotted. I suspect its the reverse of you suggestion and entirely about self preservation as everything is easier to see moving. In answer to your question Depends entirely were the fox was, not doing any harm and I should leave it be, this has nothing to do with offering a so called sporting shot (IMO sporting means difficult in this cortex and no rifle shot should be taken that isn't easy to make) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted April 16, 2014 Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 I'd place good odds that all replies that involve letting it go for another day have come from people who don't have chickens or lambs that have been taken by foxes. I'll put it this way. If you'd done that on a permission from me, and I found out about it, you'd be gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted April 16, 2014 Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 Following on from my last post ... Out this evening to do a bit of rabbit control, so only took the .410 shotgun with me. Saw a fox at about 50 yds or so, by some gorse bushes. It didn't appear to have seen me, and was settling down for a nap in the sunshine. Twenty minutes on hands and knees followed, as I got close enough (for me, close enough for a fox with a .410 is roughly 15 yds max, that way it's going to be very seriously injured at the least, and I'm going to be able to administer a killing shot). At about 10-12 yards, come up onto my knees, and pull the trigger. Fox spins a bit, and is still. Walk up to it, is twitching, possibly some small signs of life, so a second shell to finish the job. It was a vixen, most likely this years cub by the size of it. Was it particularly sporting ? No. But we've got sheep with young lambs (finished lambing last week), and our chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Would have shot it no doubt. Wouldn't bother me what distance. Different if it was a sporting game bird or something that was flying too low Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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