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Fox and lambs


Dazza9t9
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Evening all,

im fairly new to foxing, having had some success in the past.

I’ve  got a fairly new permission which has a fair number of sheep lambs. The farmer rings me and tells me he has seen a large dog fox running across a certain field with a lamb in its mouth. This occurred twice. He got a photo of of the days.

So out I went covering the field in question, the farmer left a number of dead lambs out for me. That evening I shot one, however saw between 3 and 4 across a relatively small area. Unfortunately not shootable at the time.

I left the lambs in key areas, in a number of locations, including area where the fox was seen with the lamb in its mouth. However none of these lambs have been touched. A couple have been out for 6 days now, other than the crows, they have not been touched.

 

I did leave a rabbit on two separate nights in the corner of a field, these both went. I put a dead lamb in the exact location and not touched.

 

maybe I am wrong but I would have thought that Charlie would have loved a dead lamb. Am I wrong here?

ive been out a few more evenings but not seen a thing. I’m awaiting news batteries for my NV which will allow me to stay out longer into the night.

at a bit of a loss to why these lambs are not going, why I saw 3 or 4 one night then nothing again.

any advice would be great 

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If your putting a rabbit down then peg it down so a fox cannot grab it and do a runner, which if it is a vixen, they will do this time of year.  Not knowing the size of the area you are watching etc., I assume you are considering wind direction/scenting.  We often sit out , maybe three of us in high seats for foxes and I have observed a fox come in to a friends seat down wind and scent him 50yrds away, stop dead and choose another route without bening seen.  Time and patience I'm afraid. If you know the entrance points try a trailcam or two which will give you a time that the fox enters the field.  They are quite fond of dead squirrels and I use these to pre bait a spot if need be. Again peg it down so the fox has to struggle a bit or eat it on the spot but with vixen have youngsters to feed she will want to take anything away.

About all I can suggest, just keep on it as much as you can and hope your succesful.

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Thank you for your input that is great. As it stands I’ve not pegged the rabbits down as I’m looking to identify what is being taken from where. My next step is to start pegging down.

i just can’t understand the lambs not being taken by the fox.

I do consider the wind direction and scent, don’t always get it right but getting better. 

i am still trying to identify the exact routes, after seeing them and the farmer seeing them, I’m just perplexed with the no show and no touch of the lambs 

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Somethings to consider:

Is there another more readily available food source which a vixen will snaffle away?

Are you lamping, are they lamp shy and have been previously scared off.

Someone else local has already shot them.

Personally I'd peg down the bait, and put a trail cam on it, so at least you'll have a rough idea on timings and who is visiting.

I seem to recall that once the vixen goes to ground to give birth the dog fox will bring food to the Earth for her and leave it outside. Could it be the dog fox is getting his food elsewhere, and you saw the Vixen before she went to ground??

Its so frustrating when you think you have it all sorted, and the cunning little ******* some how evade your best laid plans. Good luck and keep at it.

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Have you tried eating a lamb, the bones are very tough compared to a rabbit or squirrel. I always slit the bellies of rabbits or squirrels unless they have been unzipped by the 17HMR. Definitely peg them. I’m fortunate on one of the farms to have a field stretching out from a bank topped with a hedge. Ideal vantage spot to stake out the field. I prefer to limit the range to 100m for night shooting and the 6.5x55 doesn’t take prisoners.

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