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Fox club


WelshMike
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15 hours ago, Strongman said:

I hope the clothing is made from genuine fox fur and not some modern synthetic stuff!!!

:lol: Fox fur it is then buddy. 

 

11 hours ago, oowee said:

Looking forward to the next post 

Me in fur is the stuff nightmares are made of :lol::lol:

11 hours ago, racing snake said:

Hey up gents, sorry about yesterday's bit of a tantrum, was just really annoyed by reading some of the comments I'd read. Not vastly different from stuff I've read before elsewhere, but first time I'd seen it in a shooting community. I thought there was a universal understanding of what we do and why we do it within the shooting community, much the same as mine for every other aspect of country sports, so was pretty disappointed. :/

Thanks for the vote of confidence Mark, Ed, Mike, Strongman etc, it was much appreciated. :good:

Anyway....I managed to get out last night! Yey! Went up to the new block, parked up the car at the first spot, got out and only then could you fully appreciate that bloody moon! It was horrendous. First part of the block is an area that used to be a smallish quarry, but has been regenerated and now it's a lovely amphitheatre which descends down to an ornamental lake at the bottom. It's bookmarked by two woods, one a smallish deciduous and the other, a much larger conifer one. I walked over to the small lodge that overlooks the lake and had a peak down at the water with thermal, mainly just for a bit of a nosey. Heard a bit of a kerfuffle coming from some coots on the water, but couldn't make it out clearly in the thermal so laid down on the on the wooden veranda and got the gun on its bipod and had a bit of scan of the lake. The row didn't appear anything more than a bit of domestic dispute between the various waterfowl, so while I was lying there I went back on the thermal and had a proper scan around the sloping sides, starting at my right, all the way round until I spot what looked like a fox laying on a woodpile not 60 yards away to my right. I sure looked like a fox in the thermal, but the fact that it hadn't bolted when seeing me appear on the veranda did make me suspect I might also have encountered a local dog. Got back on the drone and sure enough Charlie's lying on a pile of stacked logs, swapping his attention between me and the ducks etc on the lake. Got him squared up in the scope, flicked the safety off and sent one, express delivery. Number 1 in the bag, another cracking dog fox.

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Left him there to pick up on the way back, and made my way over to the far corner of the permission. Given the moon, the only option for tonight was finding some cover and do some calling. There was just no point walking around - I could pick rabbits out on the billiard table smooth sloping sides with the Drone at 5/600 yards with no IR switch on! Got set up with the foxpro on a post and took cover in a small copse edge at the top of a smallish rise. Ran vixen call periodically for 20 minutes or so with nothing doing, so gave it a break for ten minutes then ran distressed rabbit for a while. Soon spotted a fox going across the top of the far side, heading towards the conifer cover. Wasn't interested in the caller, it just seemed as if that was his route. He stopped for a couple of glances, but well over 400 yards away, so just had to watch him disappear. Same thing happened with another fox about ten minutes later. Again coming from the left (the deciduous wood). Did get a little bit of interest, it kind of made a half-hearted approach down the slope, but just seemed disinterested and it soon followed the other into the conifer wood. Going to be one of those nights eh?

Got the gear back in the car and drove up to the top of the block about a mile away. Normally I'd walk it but little point in that moon. Parked up at the farm on the top and went to an area where a stream runs parallel with the road, but between the two the meadow sloped down extremely steeply. Idea here was not to call, but to just sit and wait. Theoretically, anything coming up from part of the bottom section would be funneled through the zone between the stream and the road. That was the plan anyway .... but after 2 hours sat under a holly tree, kind of got to thinking this wasn't going to work tonight either. It almost felt as if the foxes were as bothered about the moon as I was!

Thought I'd try one more spot before calling it a night, so walked the half-mile or so to an area that marks the boundary of the block. Thought I'd go back to some calling, but again it would be the foxpro, as was concerned was such a moon, when you're hand-calling you're always getting the foxes to look straight at you - not the best idea with this much light. Again went to vixen call first, nothing doing. Bit of a break, snowshoe....nothing doing. Was thinking it was probably time to call it a night, but would just give distressed rabbit a few cycles, not expecting anything though - was wrong about that!

Call had been going about 5 minutes when I spot a heat signature on the edge of the wood about 4-500 yards away, up the slope. Definitely looked interested, so let the call run, and he slowly but steadily started to make his was down the slope. Watched him in the thermal (didn't want to spook him with the IR on the Drone), as he made his way down, then I spot another fox over to the right, also heading down the slope. Two at once incoming! There was definitely some submissiveness with the second fox. He stopped when he saw the first one heading to the caller, and turned away a bit. First fox kept coming into the caller, so got it on mute, got over to the gun and tracked him the last part of the way until he came through the hedge and made his way to the caller about 100 yards away from me. Gave him a squeak to get his attention and he stops head on, looks straight at me - and down he goes. Left him where he was and got the caller back on, second fox had disappeared, but surprisingly he soon showed up again once I got the caller going. He was definitely a bit more unsure than the first, he wouldn't commit to coming through the fence, wasn't sure if it was because of the caller or the thought that the other fox was still about. Eventually he presented a shot when he paused in a gap - looking at him through the Drone it certainly looked like he wasn't in the best of from. Couldn't put my finger on it, but something didn't look 100% with him. Definitely a fox though, so '- BANG'

 Went to pick them both up, first was another stunner of a dog fox. Second one...now he was just 'a bit weird'. At first I thought it had mange, but on closer inspection it looked like a really big cub. Some of his belly fur was missing, but it was uniform, not patchy like mange, he had no winter coat to speak of, still a very light summer coat (poor **** must have been freezing), and he just looked a but runty, completely ginger. Definitely looked like a genetic problem as opposed to disease or malnutrition. Weight-wise he seemed to be doing OK, but, as said, just a bit runty. Called it a night after that - 3 bagged when I wasn't really expecting any.

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Glad you are over your strop mate :lol: fantastic result as ever. 

I am assuming you are well past the 100 mark this year? 

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7 hours ago, WelshMike said:

 Fox fur it is then buddy. 

 

Me in fur is the stuff nightmares are made of 

Glad you are over your strop mate  fantastic result as ever. 

I am assuming you are well past the 100 mark this year? 

 

Cheers Mike. Just had a count, not quite up to 100 for 2017, currently on 97. Bit of a break in the middle though. Should crack the ton this year though. :good:

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17 hours ago, racing snake said:

 

Cheers Mike. Just had a count, not quite up to 100 for 2017, currently on 97. Bit of a break in the middle though. Should crack the ton this year though. :good:

Nicely done mate. I managed to break the 100 mark last year with 108 but have been a little bit less dedicated this year and have just hit the 60 mark. 

Hope the man flu clears up. My view with farmers and chickens is that if the chickens went in and the fences were decent the fox wouldnt cause any problems :lol: I keep telling one of my farmers that but with 55,000 chickens the stupid 1% still causes me a lot of hassle.  

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Out with Edd tonight in the wilds of Somerset. It was raining when we set out so decided to opt for locations where we could drive and sit in comfort. A good hour was spent spotting deer. hare and a couple of foxes from our elevated view point. The foxes were tempting but with only the girly rifle to hand no clear shot was presented.

About 2100 the rain had stopped and we decided to go for a wander. Scanning the trees with the thermal revealed a parliament of magpies roosting close to where we were walking. At the bottom of the farm we spot a heat signature that's either a badger or a fox. A quick scan with the NV confirms a fox which is now walking along the far hedgerow, bringing it closer to our position. It stops briefly at 130 yards and the girly gun drops it on the spot. We then spent a few min's trying to make sure we had a decent picture to post (note the nicely posed subject :))

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11 hours ago, oowee said:

Out with Edd tonight in the wilds of Somerset. It was raining when we set out so decided to opt for locations where we could drive and sit in comfort. A good hour was spent spotting deer. hare and a couple of foxes from our elevated view point. The foxes were tempting but with only the girly rifle to hand no clear shot was presented.

About 2100 the rain had stopped and we decided to go for a wander. Scanning the trees with the thermal revealed a parliament of magpies roosting close to where we were walking. At the bottom of the farm we spot a heat signature that's either a badger or a fox. A quick scan with the NV confirms a fox which is now walking along the far hedgerow, bringing it closer to our position. It stops briefly at 130 yards and the girly gun drops it on the spot. We then spent a few min's trying to make sure we had a decent picture to post (note the nicely posed subject :))

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Nicely done Grant, girly rifle is working nicely. Good presentation mate :good:

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I ventured out last night with it being a dark night for a change!

Wind was blowing and all looked good when I picked up eyes in the first field I looked in. Unfortunately the fox hadn't read the script and disappeared into a reed lined drainage ditch and didn't show again.

Pressing on I went to the far side of my permission to get best effect from the wind. On the far side it dips into a shallow valley which had bushes in the bottom. Cresting a rise I looked along the valley and picked up eyes at about 180 yards. Lamp off, on sticks, lamp on and wam call ready I picked up the eyes but fox looked like it was moving away. Good squeak and she stopped, turned, then headed back towards me picking up pace. Stopped squeaking and she slowed and stopped at about 70 yards and presented a front on shot, which I took, dropping her clean.

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Carried on but only saw a Badger before the rain came. Saw two more on way back but wouldn't come to call and slipped away at a distance. I think it would have been a promising night but for the rain. Still pleased with one though.

Apologies for the poor picture and presentation, must try harder.

Did you want the fur for your clothing project Mike?!! It may be wet and have a couple of holes in it so may not be any good for a best coat :).

Good stuff Grant. It looks like the rain hit you first as it was dry here until about 10.30 then it rained till 1 when I got in.

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7 hours ago, WelshMike said:

Nicely done Grant, girly rifle is working nicely. Good presentation mate :good:

i did have a moan because we have been shooting good numbers recently and he has not been doing his write ups :no: :lol:to be fair it was a very good shot last night and the wards we are using seem to work great with the thermal. one spots and one shoots. very strange how the picture can differ a lot on the  thermal in different weather  conditions. got a late one planned saturday so should have some pics hopefully. 

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Just had a call from a local farmer who has had all his chickens killed last night. Apparently the fox was shut in with hens last night and shot out when pen was opened this morning, the crafty swine! Any ideas on an approach?

I’m going out tonight to have a look about and asked if he leave the pen open as he has not removed the dead birds yet. Any ideas greatly appreciated as I would really like to help the chap out as he has helped me out recently?

Good to hear you are over the worst RS. Good luck tonight, hope you nail the chicken scoffer!

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26 minutes ago, Strongman said:

Just had a call from a local farmer who has had all his chickens killed last night. Apparently the fox was shut in with hens last night and shot out when pen was opened this morning, the crafty swine! Any ideas on an approach?

I’m going out tonight to have a look about and asked if he leave the pen open as he has not removed the dead birds yet. Any ideas greatly appreciated as I would really like to help the chap out as he has helped me out recently?

Good to hear you are over the worst RS. Good luck tonight, hope you nail the chicken scoffer!

Stake one down just outside in a shootable position so it has to eat it in place.

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2 minutes ago, bornfree said:

Stake one down just outside in a shootable position so it has to eat it in place.

Ah, good idea. Would you expect him to return over several nights, picking up birds?

I could bag up the birds and stake them out one at a time each evening so as to create a bait point and wait over them? 

Thanks Bornfree, I can see how the next few evenings will be spent now!

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1 hour ago, Strongman said:

Ah, good idea. Would you expect him to return over several nights, picking up birds?

I could bag up the birds and stake them out one at a time each evening so as to create a bait point and wait over them? 

Thanks Bornfree, I can see how the next few evenings will be spent now!

leave them exactly where they are do not disturb the area. just wait before dusk they will come back normally within 24 hrs. a lot of the times they will take a few away not far and partially cover them to return for later. if these are in the open then just stake them to the ground. a lot of the smallholdings i cover the landowners have learned from me to not clear the carcasses till the fox has been cleared up. you have to always remember the fox is not a crazed killer as many believe they are. he is a opportunist if they have easy targets in front of them they will take them to return later and collect. they live to there limits so any possible meal will be taken.i remember as a young lad losing all my bantams middle of the afternoon to a vixen i had to learn then the difference in why they kill so many, as they will return to there downfall. called one in this afternoon to the back of a row of houses not 20 yards from where we were stood. hungry looking vixen being mobbed by the crows and magpies but still intent on that easy meal right behind a row of houses in a fairly built up area

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9 hours ago, racing snake said:

Well, it was a cold but not terribly long wait for Charlie the chicken chomper. From getting sat down under a tree until squeezing the trigger as he came through the feild towards the farm was little over an hour. Bloomin long time when it's that cold though! No calling, just waited him out.

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quality as usual stu. whats with all that white stuff :lol:

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No snow here so we were on the prowl over several farms last night. Distracted by the deer at most of the places ( i need to get out more) we hardly saw any to get excited about. They were mostly passing through on a mission, crossing a road or just not interested and too far away. 

The last chance saloon came and looking over the gate saw on not 20yds from the gate. Something of a scramble then on our part as we attempted to quietly wade through the considerable mud to get to the gate to shoot. By this time the fox has taken a leisurely amble up the hill and obligingly sat down waiting for us to fulfill her destiny. We kindly obliged and down she went. The mud on this farm is unbelievable. Great ruts of the stuff with pools of water which makes moving about a test of both wellies and balance.

We left her there and went to the top of the hill, the wind was bitter cold andd i must confess to thinking only of going home. Unfortunately i spotted another in the bottom corner which moving in our direction looked like a banker. At 200yds it had a change of plan and bolted into the yonder.

Back to pick up the last one and I spotted a fox in the hedge above the one we had shot earlier. Calling would not tempt it out and soon it had melted into the bushes. Walking up the hill to collect the victim again we saw the fox taunting us from the hedge (cheeky *****) but it will have to wait for another time.

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