Fox club

[oowee]

FH1 some good nights out

RS you win the prize for a mixed bag

 

I shoot hares on some farms where there are plenty or where i have been asked to shoot them.

 

Just bought myself a thermal spotter so no doubt it will be a while before i work out how to use it and get one in the bag. cant wait!!!

[pestbry]

Which thermal spotter did you buy Grant ?

[oowee]

Pulsar helion xq38f

There is an interesting review of the 50's on rifle shooter.

[racing snake]

Good night again Mark. Top work mate.

 

Grant, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it after a few days. Let us know how you're getting on with it.

 

Another few hours on the hill last night. Farmer had seen a fox up behind the farm a day ago, so despite already knocking off 15 in a month of this farm they're still coming in. Decided against calling again last night. Was a pleasant evening so just geared up and decided to have a walk around half of the permission (it's too big to do in one night if work the next day). Didn't have to walk far for the first one though. Just got up behind the farm, into the first field and spot a fox in the thermal working its way up the hedge. Heading away from me but on the sticks still very much do-able. Got the gun on the Primos and gave him a shout and he comes to a standstill side on, and down he goes.

 

 

Worked my way over to the boundary on the far side and had a sit down for an hour overlooking one of the sides of the forestry which butts up to a neighboring farm. Over the course of the next hour I see 3 separate foxes come out of the wood, work their way down the side of the farm, run through the yard and over the bridge that they must be using to cross the river. Little *******! Can't shoot them here as it's over the boundary, but I'm patient - they'll stray on my patch sooner or later. Headed back towards my farm for a quick walk around before heading home. I spot a fox near the calf shed working a slope so quickly get on the track and head it off. I waited at the gate and thought it would work its way down to me, and sure enough after a brief wait she comes over the brow of the slope. Let her get down the slope 20 yards for a good backstop then gave her the bad news.

 

 

Still a lot of work to be done on the hill before lambing, and with this farm lambing outdoors I want it as clear as possible by March. With this farm and another that backs onto the hill I'm up to 24 foxes in just over a month of this hill. Reckon I'll get 50 off this hill by March. Had a call off the farmer today to call in when passing - payment gratefully received!!

 

Edited September 18, 2017 by racing snake

[pestbry]

Ive had the xq50 spotter now for 4 months, game changer in my eyes

[FOXHUNTER1]

Well done RS and a nice present for your hard work. There must be some foxes around them parts.

[racing snake]

Well done RS and a nice present for your hard work. There must be some foxes around them parts.

 

Cheers Mark. That hill's like a tramp's vest,

[oowee]

Stuck in tonight Reading your write up RS made the night more interesting. Back out Wednesday night new toy in hand i hope.

[bumpy22]

Stuck in tonight Reading your write up RS made the night more interesting. Back out Wednesday night new toy in hand i hope.

new ground more important

[Archie-fox]

Good night again Mark. Top work mate.

 

Grant, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it after a few days. Let us know how you're getting on with it.

 

Another few hours on the hill last night. Farmer had seen a fox up behind the farm a day ago, so despite already knocking off 15 in a month of this farm they're still coming in. Decided against calling again last night. Was a pleasant evening so just geared up and decided to have a walk around half of the permission (it's too big to do in one night if work the next day). Didn't have to walk far for the first one though. Just got up behind the farm, into the first field and spot a fox in the thermal working its way up the hedge. Heading away from me but on the sticks still very much do-able. Got the gun on the Primos and gave him a shout and he comes to a standstill side on, and down he goes.

 

 

Worked my way over to the boundary on the far side and had a sit down for an hour overlooking one of the sides of the forestry which butts up to a neighboring farm. Over the course of the next hour I see 3 separate foxes come out of the wood, work their way down the side of the farm, run through the yard and over the bridge that they must be using to cross the river. Little *******! Can't shoot them here as it's over the boundary, but I'm patient - they'll stray on my patch sooner or later. Headed back towards my farm for a quick walk around before heading home. I spot a fox near the calf shed working a slope so quickly get on the track and head it off. I waited at the gate and thought it would work its way down to me, and sure enough after a brief wait she comes over the brow of the slope. Let her get down the slope 20 yards for a good backstop then gave her the bad news.

 

 

Still a lot of work to be done on the hill before lambing, and with this farm lambing outdoors I want it as clear as possible by March. With this farm and another that backs onto the hill I'm up to 24 foxes in just over a month of this hill. Reckon I'll get 50 off this hill by March. Had a call off the farmer today to call in when passing - payment gratefully received!!

 

 

Morning, can I ask what set up your useing please?

[racing snake]

Morning, can I ask what set up your useing please?

 

Hi AF, I use a Tikka T3X .223, Armasight Drone Pro X15, XL-R-M IR illuminator and a Pulsar XD38s thermal spotter.

[Archie-fox]

 

Hi AF, I use a Tikka T3X .223, Armasight Drone Pro X15, XL-R-M IR illuminator and a Pulsar XD38s thermal spotter.

Thanks mate, I'm thinking of some new night vision so will take a look...

[oowee]

Thanks mate, I'm thinking of some new night vision so will take a look...

You will need a large wallet

Out with the catapult tonight

[racing snake]

You will need a large wallet

Out with the catapult tonight

 

 

Good luck Grant. Having a bit of a mooch out myself tonight too.

[racing snake]

Bit of a mad dash for me tonight. Needed to check the two farms on the big hill but not a lot of time tonight so would have to be a quick hour on both. Called at the first farm; a relatively small acreage but backs onto the big hill and has already produced 8 for me since August. Quick dash up to the end field without seeing anything about. Got the caller set up and took my place under my usual ash tree and ran the caller. Literally 2 minutes and a fox comes through the hedge on the right and jogs down towards the caller. Quickly got it on mute, picked him up in the scope and dropped him. Chunky fox too, in fine fettle, a good sized dog.

 

 

Quickly got the gear together and my way back to the yard. Spotted a fox crossing the bottom field as I walked back but the cows were freaking out because of me, running round, so no safe shot. It'll wait. Quick drive a few miles round to the hill. Not enough time to walk even a quarter of the big permission, so I just walked the bottom edge over to the neighbouring farm where I'd seen those the other night. No sign of anything in the area so after an hour or so I make my way back to the yard. Almost went straight to the car, but just thought I'd drop onto the track and check the field by the calf sheds. Just popped my head round the corner of the hedge, quick scan with the thermal and I spot a fox not 50 yards away mooching about under a tree. Quickly got the gun on the gate and put it down. Small vixen, the 55 grain had done a massive number on her at that range and because of her size. Put her better side to the camera. Two more off the hill. Weather forecast for the rest of the week isn't stellar, but hopefully back out at weekend. Got some other permissions that have been a bit neglected over the last month or so that need a visit!

 

Edited September 20, 2017 by racing snake

[Dougy]

Well i finally managed to get the X hair on a couple of Fox's last night.

The weather was pretty good in comparison to the previous night, mild temperature very little wind (but not in my favor coming from right and behind) A call to the Keeper and a little info with regards to any sightings of Fox's or fresh pheasant kills put me in the right spot for a sit out and call. Within 1/2 an hour a head appears over a hill then disappears into a small valley, only to show again a little further away. A front on view of a white bib was all i needed.Just under 100yds

After retrieving that one i sat back on the truck and had a couple of minutes, i then tried a call again, i spotted a Fox some distance away, previously pinged at 350yds so i needed to get this one in closer.

I turned up th volume on the caller on full, the Wam was blasting over the hills and far away but Mr Fox was not interested, too busy mousing. I watched it pounce into what seem to be a crop of clover, over and over again, but paid no attention to the call. It did start to quarter towards me so did close the gap a little, i decided to take the shot. dropped on the spot with a nice square head shot from 286 yds

Good results and a happy keeper.

 

[FOXHUNTER1]

Good results RS & Dougy

 

I wasn't going out last night but had some rabbit carcasses to put out as a bait station on a spot that normally produces using this method.

This farm has been very poor this year , in fact I've only shot 1 fox off it and haven't seen any others.

I took my torch with me but no rifle as didn't expect to see anything , anyway I dropped off the smelly bunnies and headed back to the car which is only a matter of 150 yds.

I turned round and lamped back to be greeted by a fox on the bait already

I quickly jumped in the car , went home and grabbed the rifle and headed back confident that the fox would still be having his supper.

He was but had moved up the field , I eventually managed to get a shot at him , heard the strike but was a runner

Now I had to search with my red torch which isn't the easiest , I eventually found him 100 yds away lying stone dead in a bit boggy ground .

 

This is how I found him , quite lucky really

 

 

 

It is quite amazing how far they can run with their intestines hanging out .

[Dougy]

Another 2 tonight. 1 sneaking behind me along a hedge. It must have winded me as it ran off into the field, as usual stopped for a look back.

Big mistake 230 yds and folded.

. The next one came in from my left and behind, that one sat out at 200 and caught a 53grn vmax in the boiler room.

Edited September 22, 2017 by Dougy

[FOXHUNTER1]

Nice one Dougy , getting a few grassed now

[oowee]

More good work there lands if some a bit messy

 

Out last night with Bumpy. First isolated and reliable field of wheat stubble and a chance to use the new thermal. Spotted one at about 250m. Nothing to the call so watched him work his way up the hill towards our position. Light on and down he went. Tried to use the thermal to spot him and saw him trotting up the hill only to realise it was a different one and now heading for the hills.

 

Next farm no access as we did not have the gate codes

 

Off to the next unlikely field up a track middle of nowhere. Muck on the stubbles not a fox in sight Bumpy starts the call. Fox running in 200m. Steady steady. Down the hill it runs at speed. Light on bam it's down. Fox coming from the right and another over the hill steady light on bam another down. Second one has stopped and another comes from the right running in. Light on and bam that one is down. Ready for the next one mooching our way and Bumpy has to reload (three shot mag what sort of fox shooting gear is this??? ) Light on as its running but not sure of the shot so bumpy holds fire. Not easy to see the back stop even with the hill behind, the cattle in the distance. Two more spotted coming in but then realise they are roe. Of the six we saw on that field we had three in an action packed 20 mins.

 

Off to the next field. Spot one straight away (looked to be coming out of the pub car park lol). No shot. Work our way around this one is surely in the bag at 100m. Light on and its off. Running along the hedge with cattle in field behind. No stopping that one determined to get away.

Off to the neighbouring field. Drive in the gate and see two more foxes no shot as houses in the distance and its fairly flat. We drive over the hill to the next field and spot one at about 350m working the stubble. We are out of the truck and in pursuit and close the gap to 120m. It's close to a country road and we want to get it in a bit closer to be sure of the back stop. Bumpy is calling and it sets off towards us. As it closes the gap it starts to try to get down wind of us. disappearing over a brow to emerge sky lined. Cheeky *** sits no more than 40m away on the brow looking towards us. I swear the thing was laughing. Nothing we could do but watch until it moved away.

 

PS it looks like tyre tracks on the pelts but they are marks from the pick up liner (honest guv )

 

[Dougy]

 

Last 1 for this week.

Big dog Fox playing with a pheasant. Headless and 1/2 eaten pouncing on it in layed wheat. Dropped at 130yds.

[racing snake]

Nice shooting gents. How are you finding the thermal Grant?

 

Night on the big hill last night. No work today so had plenty of time to cover the entire permission if I put a late one in. Started off working my way left of the farm at low level, then at the far end made the punishing climb up and came back across the top boundary. Didn't see a single fox on my walk. Got over to the opposite end of the permission, still high up on the hill, and decided to run the caller for an hour, sitting under a tree where I'd already taken a decent number of foxes that came up from the lower wood area. Got set up under the tree, the foxpro about 100 yards below me on a fence post and ran the caller for a while. Not much sign of any action initially, but after an hour or so I see a fox over to the right, but didn't seem very interested in the caller. He was mooching around in the field but not really paying too much attention to the caller, so I put it on mute to see what he did. After ten minutes or so he works his way through the gate but I was starting to think he was going to drop down the hill away from me (he was already a fair chat away). Got him in the scope as he stood in the gateway, reckoned by his size on the scope he was going to need some hold-over if the shot was going to be taken, but not a lot. Placed the corsshairs about 4-5 inches above his back and squeezed the trigger. Didn't hear the round strike but was happy to see him crumple on the spot. Using a fixed mag scope regularly is really helping develop stadiametric ranging abilities to a confident level. Really happy with that. Called it a night at 5:00 with nothing else seen. Definitely making progress.

 

 

 

Point to point grab of the shot. I know I harp on about how challenging this cover is to hike, but just to put it into context, the drop from where I was shooting to where I dropped the fox, in 240 yards it drops down 198 feet (60m)!

 

Edited September 24, 2017 by racing snake

[FOXHUNTER1]

Good work fellas. Did better than me last night. Farmer rang to say he was cutting 3 fields so I decided it would be rude not to have a look.

On arrival he was still cutting so I decided to go to the bottom field which he had already cut and spied a fox straight away.

This is where the fun began as the rows of straw that were lying were pretty high so each time I lay down for a shot either the fox moved or I couldn't see it clearly.

After a game of cat and mouse I eventually could make out its head and bib at around 100 yds great I thought this one is mine.

Fired and no thump had a look and a clean miss

Don't know how as it was a straight forward shot ................who knows may have hit some straw on the way

Saw another fox in the next field but couldn't get on to it as was very bright and still last night so once the rest of the fields are cleared I will need to get back.....

[oowee]

Thermal is great RS. Takes some practice to know what I am looking at. Firstly that you dont have to look too hard, if it's there you can see it. At first I was trying to see stuff in the gloom which was not there (if that makes sens). Also if it moves its fairly clear what it is but when its sat still I am trying to work out if its a fox at 150 or a deer at 250. Also on fri we could see what looked like a tortoise or even a large turkey which turned out to be the remains of a bonfire

What colour pallete do you use? I am using hot black in the night which seemed ok but swapped to hot red for the deer today.

[racing snake]

Thermal is great RS. Takes some practice to know what I am looking at. Firstly that you dont have to look too hard, if it's there you can see it. At first I was trying to see stuff in the gloom which was not there (if that makes sens). Also if it moves its fairly clear what it is but when its sat still I am trying to work out if its a fox at 150 or a deer at 250. Also on fri we could see what looked like a tortoise or even a large turkey which turned out to be the remains of a bonfire

What colour pallete do you use? I am using hot black in the night which seemed ok but swapped to hot red for the deer today.

Yes it takes a bit of getting used to for sure. At first, for me the biggest issue was badger/fox. They're a similar size but you soon start to instantly recognise their idiosyncrasies even at range. It's kind of beneficial if you can confirm 100% with an IR scope, but a bit trickier if you're shooting with the lamp as you've got to put the lamp on to confirm. That can send a fox bolting.

 

I use white hot palette mate, have done since the day I bought it.