Foxes .??

[old'un]

On 20/10/2022 at 12:28, wabbit warren said:

two of us shooting three smallish farms (one shoot) have shot 179 foxes this year

thermal is a big game changer 

the other week i was out and didnt even see a fox (i was in shock) 

i saw 2 tuesday night and got 1 (a big dog in prime condition)

we cant work out where there all coming from

Makes you wonder what's pulling those numbers to that small area, what food source is there?

[wabbit warren]

Game birds plus wild duck and ground nesting birds

we also think they are dumping them from London

there's a couple of ethical pest control companies which wont destroy trapped foxes 

saying that  they act like normal foxes as in coming to a call and so on

so we just keep banging away and adding up the numbers 

[old'un]

32 minutes ago, wabbit warren said:

Game birds plus wild duck and ground nesting birds

we also think they are dumping them from London

there's a couple of ethical pest control companies which wont destroy trapped foxes 

saying that  they act like normal foxes as in coming to a call and so on

so we just keep banging away and adding up the numbers 

Is there a good head of rabbits on the land?

[FOXHUNTER1]

2 hours ago, wabbit warren said:

 

we also think they are dumping them from London

there's a couple of ethical pest control companies which wont destroy trapped foxes 

 

As I said drop offs , it's totally unnatural to have that many foxes in a small area .

[old'un]

34 minutes ago, FOXHUNTER1 said:

As I said drop offs , it's totally unnatural to have that many foxes in a small area .

Many moons ago I shot 4 foxes within a couple of hours, and confirmed at least another 3 on the same small farm of 150 acres, the farm had a disused railway embankment running through it which was heaving with rabbits (now long gone) and was pulling a lot of foxes from the surrounding farms.

Not a big shooter of foxes, but if I was, I dare say I could have shot a lot of foxes on that farm but I doubt it would have been near 179 in 10 months, that's near 18 foxes a month, as you say a lot of foxes for such a small area.

[jall25]

On 22/10/2022 at 10:59, FOXHUNTER1 said:

Where are you located mate as those numbers are unreal.

I struggle to get 40 to 50 a year off around 15 permissions covering thousands and thousands of acres.

Best year ever was shooting 84 and that was being out nearly every night covering even more ground.

We simply have a low density compared to down South ...always been the case.

Wish we had numbers like Kent or Essex..

 

 

Do you use thermal Foxhunter ? 

Im surpised by the low numbers on that size area 

I used to shoot next to an industrial estate and golf course where they had the scraps from people lunches etc and i could get 40/50 year from 2 spots 

Does anyone else shoot the land too maybe ?

[FOXHUNTER1]

8 minutes ago, jall25 said:

Do you use thermal Foxhunter ? 

Im surpised by the low numbers on that size area 

I used to shoot next to an industrial estate and golf course where they had the scraps from people lunches etc and i could get 40/50 year from 2 spots 

Does anyone else shoot the land too maybe ?

Combination of thermal , nv and lamp.

Honestly there is a massive difference in population densities between North and South.

I have been shooting foxes for 30 years and it has always been the same. If you clear a farm of the resident foxes it takes forever to repopulate not like down South. 

Where are you based ?

[oowee]

On 22/10/2022 at 10:59, FOXHUNTER1 said:

Where are you located mate as those numbers are unreal.

I struggle to get 40 to 50 a year off around 15 permissions covering thousands and thousands of acres.

Best year ever was shooting 84 and that was being out nearly every night covering even more ground.

We simply have a low density compared to down South ...always been the case.

Wish we had numbers like Kent or Essex..

 

 

Good news with numbers so low you don't need to shoot any / so many? There are lots here in Somerset but I tend to only shoot them if there is a problem. I also have some farms that want to leave them for the hunt and others that just like them. Maybe try backing off for a couple of years and just deal with the problem ones and you will have lots quickly enough. 

[FOXHUNTER1]

Just now, oowee said:

Good news with numbers so low you don't need to shoot any / so many? There are lots here in Somerset but I tend to only shoot them if there is a problem. I also have some farms that want to leave them for the hunt and others that just like them. Maybe try backing off for a couple of years and just deal with the problem ones and you will have lots quickly enough. 

Doesnt work like that here mate.

You guys are spoilt with your numbers , wish I had the same problem as I love foxing.

 

[jall25]

3 hours ago, FOXHUNTER1 said:

Combination of thermal , nv and lamp.

Honestly there is a massive difference in population densities between North and South.

I have been shooting foxes for 30 years and it has always been the same. If you clear a farm of the resident foxes it takes forever to repopulate not like down South. 

Where are you based ?

Derbyshire - prime ex hunting country actually

What are you shooting over up there is it moorland or pasture ? Or a shoot or two ?

I mainly shoot on our own medium sized shoot and our local Turkey farm - in the winter you can see the foxes coming from the local village (large village) to the Turkey farm or shoot 

[FOXHUNTER1]

1 hour ago, jall25 said:

Derbyshire - prime ex hunting country actually

What are you shooting over up there is it moorland or pasture ? Or a shoot or two ?

I mainly shoot on our own medium sized shoot and our local Turkey farm - in the winter you can see the foxes coming from the local village (large village) to the Turkey farm or shoot 

Arable and sheep farms and used to do a few pheasant shoots plus golf courses.

I've heard Derbyshire has plenty foxes it just seems to be the North East which is poor.

Honestly if I go out and see a fox I'm happy never mind shooting one.

I have had some great nights in the past shooting 5s 6s and a couple of 8s.

Best night ever was last month actually where I invited my mate to shoot on my best ground and he shot 11 but that is an exception to the rule.

 

[jall25]

5 hours ago, FOXHUNTER1 said:

Arable and sheep farms and used to do a few pheasant shoots plus golf courses.

I've heard Derbyshire has plenty foxes it just seems to be the North East which is poor.

Honestly if I go out and see a fox I'm happy never mind shooting one.

I have had some great nights in the past shooting 5s 6s and a couple of 8s.

Best night ever was last month actually where I invited my mate to shoot on my best ground and he shot 11 but that is an exception to the rule.

 

11 is a lot !

Respectfully i wonder if sometimes when you have so much land to shoot over sometimes you dont see the wood for the trees

Most of my shooting is done on bait piles or muck heaps and this is where the foxes come to rather than me chasing after them 

We have a deer syndicate just up in the borders though and do see foxes on all visits 

[FOXHUNTER1]

9 hours ago, jall25 said:

11 is a lot !

Respectfully i wonder if sometimes when you have so much land to shoot over sometimes you dont see the wood for the trees

Most of my shooting is done on bait piles or muck heaps and this is where the foxes come to rather than me chasing after them 

We have a deer syndicate just up in the borders though and do see foxes on all visits 

The 11 we shot was in the Borders but that is a one off as I don't shoot this ground regularly due to the distance. 

All my foxes are shot using the Foxpro, without calling would get even less.

We simply dont have the population around here.

[scutt]

Does Derbyshire have a good population of rabbits ? .My patch in the Borders has seen a decline in rabbit numbers and foxes .

could be a link.

[oowee]

2 hours ago, scutt said:

Does Derbyshire have a good population of rabbits ? .My patch in the Borders has seen a decline in rabbit numbers and foxes .

could be a link.

I am not so convinced that foxes eat so many rabbits as people think. I have seen and sometimes heard them catch them but I often see a fox trot through a field of rabbits with neither too concerned about the other. I suspect they would predate heavily on the young when still in burrows and maybe young when first out of the burrow. This could be a foxy ploy but I have been out maybe 30 times over the last 60 nights and seen lots of foxes but none after rabbits. They seem to eat far more carp and worms than anything. 

[Rewulf]

5 minutes ago, oowee said:

I am not so convinced that foxes eat so many rabbits as people think. I have seen and sometimes heard them catch them but I often see a fox trot through a field of rabbits with neither too concerned about the other. I suspect they would predate heavily on the young when still in burrows and maybe young when first out of the burrow. This could be a foxy ploy but I have been out maybe 30 times over the last 60 nights and seen lots of foxes but none after rabbits. They seem to eat far more carp and worms than anything. 

My own observations back this up.

Foxes just stroll past rabbits , neither bats an eyelid, if they predate on them , its because they are ill injured, or the fox is absolutely starving.
I think its just too much effort for the fox.

[old'un]

12 minutes ago, oowee said:

I am not so convinced that foxes eat so many rabbits as people think. I have seen and sometimes heard them catch them but I often see a fox trot through a field of rabbits with neither too concerned about the other. I suspect they would predate heavily on the young when still in burrows and maybe young when first out of the burrow. This could be a foxy ploy but I have been out maybe 30 times over the last 60 nights and seen lots of foxes but none after rabbits. They seem to eat far more carp and worms than anything. 

Sounds a bit fishy to me.

[scutt]

just that dead or mixy bunnies could provide easy pickings for foxes. Not saying that a fox would live on bunnies alone but could have been a large part of their diet on my permission in the borders cos when I have seen the population plummet from hundreds of bunnies to next to nowt makes me wonder.

Yes I have seen foxes stroll past rabbits and hares. I do think the young of both would be easy prey. 

[30-6]

About 2 weeks ago I took the farmers son out to show him nv and thermal.

There is a field that always has a fox crossing so is always worth a look. I looked through the spotter, turned to him and asked if there were calves with the cows in there. He said only cows. I could not be 100% sure, it was a bit misty affecting the quality of the thermal, but there was a cow lying down and I'm sure there was a fox with it's two front legs up on the cow. To be honest I don't think the cow would tolerate this.

On our way back past this field a fox was trotting through the cows.

Bold fox or my imagination ?

[Rewulf]

18 hours ago, 30-6 said:

there was a cow lying down and I'm sure there was a fox with it's two front legs up on the cow. To be honest I don't think the cow would tolerate this.

On our way back past this field a fox was trotting through the cows.

Bold fox or my imagination ?

Often seen foxes amongst the cows, never seen one with its legs on one , but if the cow is down , they tend not to want to get up unless its something serious.

Foxes dont have much to worry about with cows , especially at night , their superior vision and speed, give them the edge , and cows tend to be pretty non confrontational unless there are new calves about.

[oowee]

20 hours ago, 30-6 said:

About 2 weeks ago I took the farmers son out to show him nv and thermal.

There is a field that always has a fox crossing so is always worth a look. I looked through the spotter, turned to him and asked if there were calves with the cows in there. He said only cows. I could not be 100% sure, it was a bit misty affecting the quality of the thermal, but there was a cow lying down and I'm sure there was a fox with it's two front legs up on the cow. To be honest I don't think the cow would tolerate this.

On our way back past this field a fox was trotting through the cows.

Bold fox or my imagination ?

Not seen that. Often they jump on bales and sit and watch me so I could imagine it's possible. 

[30-6]

Rewulf,

One of the farms I go to lost their old sheepdog to cows. A bit blind and deaf wandered into cows with calves and paid the ultimate price.

On the same farm, couple of years ago I was looking out onto a field from the farmyard, a fox tried to walk through cows with calves and like you say they sent it packing.

The farmer always warns me about them, their not Friesan's ( black and white), is it Belgian blues and Holsteins ? They can be a bit feisty.

Edit to say - may have the breeds wrong, but they definitely are feisty.

Edit again to say heard him mention Limousine breed. 

Edited October 27, 2022 by 30-6

[jall25]

18 hours ago, 6.5x55SE said:

 

 

On 25/10/2022 at 09:28, scutt said:

Does Derbyshire have a good population of rabbits ? .My patch in the Borders has seen a decline in rabbit numbers and foxes .

could be a link.

No we have very few - but we do have several shoots and a turkey farm or two !

I have seen the odd fox chase the odd hare but they soon realise the game is up - they are far more inclined to chase game birds like a dog would - they keep on chasing until the bird lands and then go again - in the dark - Its incredible to see it - I once had one do it and it brought the fox to me - It will never do it again.

As i watch the foxes they mainly patrol the hedgerows looking for partridge, nests and mice/voles

Just now, jall25 said:

 

No we have very few - but we do have several shoots and a turkey farm or two !

I have seen the odd fox chase the odd hare but they soon realise the game is up - they are far more inclined to chase game birds like a dog would - they keep on chasing until the bird lands and then go again - in the dark - Its incredible to see it - I once had one do it and it brought the fox to me - It will never do it again.

As i watch the foxes they mainly patrol the hedgerows looking for partridge, nests and mice/voles

I think because it was all hunting land - its ideal for the foxes with spinneys and coverts all over 

[ShootingEgg]

On 02/10/2022 at 14:39, oowee said:

I was out last night and counted well over 20 fox and over 40 deer. Plenty about. 

Me and a mate have bowled over 30 plus in last month, so definitely got a population around us Oowee.. I am finding that they are not interested in calls at the moment, they look as if to say yeah I hear ya, but then just carry on their business.

[oowee]

21 minutes ago, ShootingEgg said:

Me and a mate have bowled over 30 plus in last month, so definitely got a population around us Oowee.. I am finding that they are not interested in calls at the moment, they look as if to say yeah I hear ya, but then just carry on their business.

That's good going. 👍