sandersj89 Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 Brian kindly came up to my syndicate’s ground this evening to try and sort out some of the foxes we have, I have struggled for range a little as I only have a HMR at the moment. I have had some success but needed a little more range. So Brian turned up at mine for 5pm and we head off after loading up my car with the kit. I could not find my lamp leads so only had one lamp between the 2 of us. (call to Deben required in the morning as I fear it got dropped out of the car on my Boxing Day shoot). Get to the car park by the shoot hut and sorted ourselves out and head into the first field planning to drop of some smelly sardines and sprinkle some horse hoof bait around in front of a high seat. Brian swings the lamp around as we walk and spies a set of eyes at the edge of the wood, this is literally 3 mins after setting of. The eyes duck back into the wood and I start calling on my hand as Brian scans the edge of the wood, we can see the eyes move away from us a little along a bank just inside the wood so I set up my shooting stick to give Brain a stable shot if needed. The fox moves out to the edge of the wood behind the pig wire fence and sits up nice allowing the shot to be taken, range no more than 80 yards, probably less. One fox down clear as day in the lamp. We walk over but could we find it, spent a good 20 mins searching in the brambles, ditch, wood. VERY frustrating. There is no way it could have got away at that range so maybe fell into the ditch or manages to run on adrenalin a few yards into the wood. I am going back in day light tomorrow to have another look as I saw it drop and would love to find it. So, only been there a few minutes and decide to move off and drop some of the smelly stuff in front of a high seat and head off for a mooch around before coming back to sit up and wait. Out over another field then cross the main farm track and I tell Brian to swing his lamp over the next field and there is another set of eyes, they duck through a gate 150 yards away so we walk along the track to get nearer and to check the next field. Swing the lamp over the next field and nothing and it seems Charlie has made a run for it, clamber over the gate into the field we saw the eyes and Brian scans again and bingo, eyes way out in the distance, 250 yards maybe. Trouble is the wild is on our backs. A quick conversation and we decide to try and call it in using a wounded hare call on my mobile phone. Again I set the sticks up and start the call on the phone, Charlie seems to be interested and starts to run in, right up the beam of light from the lamp. Brian decides it is fine to go down on the bipod and I stand behind calling the fox in. At about 120 yards it stops and Brian takes the shot, lovely sound as it drops. This time no messing around, we walk out and there she lies, a vixen in lovely condition. The brush on her is very full and she is very very dark in colour. Brian placed the shot cleanly right in the middle of her chest, perfect. We carry her part way back to the yard and then move on to see if there are more about. Walk a couple of fields and then see another set of eyes a long way away. Head towards them and they are near a high seat. We get up into it and scan again but the eyes have moved off a bit and no amount of calling, hand calls, mobile phone calls or Wam calls would bring it back. Sat there for 20 mins and nothing doing so get down back onto firm ground to swing by another field we have seen them in before heading back the seat we primed with bait earlier. Nothing doing there so head back to the baited seat. As we walk up to it Brian swings the lamp back over the field we shot the first fox in and see a reflection, a few mins calling but no reaction….not surprising as it was a reflective strip on a fence post…Ooops! Get up into the seat and sit back to wait, occasionally calling with the wam or my phone. 30 mins and we get a set of eyes of to one side. I start calling and they come into us but crossing to our right, the angle is all wrong as branches from the trees get in the way of the shot though it was in range…grrrrrrrr No way for it to come over to us but we swing the lamp back to left and there out in the distance is another set of eyes, I start calling and they move in a bit but then sit up, just too far. We keep trying but then the lamp starts to die…..aarrrgghhhhhhh. Why did I loose my lamp leads??:good:?? No chance of a shot so we have to call it a day. Still, two foxes in the bag but at least 2 more to sort out. This is the second one shot, a fine example of a vixen in her prime: Brian, many thanks for a very enjoyable evening and for taking the time to help me out. We will sort a return match out very soon to try and sort a couple more out, I like that field between the two woods! Jerry (Now where is that variation form, need to chop in my .22LR slot for a centre fire) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 Well done,enjoyed that Got 1 myself tonight and same as you,i dropped 1 the other night at 80 yds,but it got up and struggled into the wood.Ididn,t pick it as it was not our wood,so only had a quick search. GH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyCM Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 Great write up, thanks for sharing + good result. Hope you find that one in the morning, it's easy to miss them in the dark if you are looking just a little off where they drop - done that plenty of times myself. Time not shooting them is never wasted, at least you can plan another approach for the ones seen and not bagged Cheers AndyCM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 Enjoyed the read well done to both of you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 Good on ye lads Well told story that. Sure is a lot of black in that vixen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazza Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikkamark Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 Well done sanders and s,l thats a really dark looking fox alright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 Well done guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandersj89 Posted December 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 Thanks guys, Went back this afternoon to search for the first fox we hit but no sign of it, very thick undergrowth and a ditch though. If I had a dog I suspect we would have found it. Axe, next time I will give you a shout and you can come for a walk! Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuck1 Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 Great write up as always Jerry. Nice work. Don't get me started about lamp trouble.......! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v-max Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 Seen a fox today when beating with a black under side like your there very nice well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flash Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 well done sussex lad and sanders, shot that rifle at the bisley meet, very nice rifle to shoot. cheers flash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleabag Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 can you give me the link for the distress calls on your mobi please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandersj89 Posted December 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 can you give me the link for the distress calls on your mobi please No link I am afraid, the keeper on my shoot bluetoothed them to me. Drop me a pm with you mobile number and I can try and text them to you. Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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