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Fox, caught in the act


Elma Fud
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Whilst out lamping last night we managed to cull two more brushers as they mooched about the pig farm.

 

The first fox (dog fox) was taken at a range of about 150 yards as it crossed a grass field on the way to the pig huts. After picking up the fox and taking it to a track so that it can be collected later we spotted another fox (vixen) out in one of the pig paddocks. I tried to get the fox to stop so that I could shoot it, and then came the unexpected. A fully grown sow chased the vixen away, typical :sly:

 

After waiting a couple of minutes to see if she would come back we decided to move on. Moving around a corner again we spotted another fox. This fox was carrying something away from one of the pig huts. I readied the rifle and shot it at a range of about 130 yards on closer inspection it had raided one of the sows in farrow.

post-11-1110714623.jpg

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Are you still shooting many vixens?

I seem to be shooting only dog foxes at the moment, believing that the vixens are now holding up to pup

Since Sunday the 20th of Feb I've shot 5 vixens and 2 dog foxes off the pig farm.

 

I saw one more vixen last night. She always went through cover when the light went on her. I'll try putting out a snare to see if I can pick her off before she goes to ground.

 

Last year we shot 46 foxes off the pig farm considering its only two large grass fields and one field with pig huts. :sly:

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Nice Going E,F.

can you tell us the set up you use as I'm on my way to getting a .222/.223 soon. :sly:

I use a .243 Remmington 700 Police (Heavy Barrel) 3-12 x 52 Tasco Titan scopes, using home loaded 100 grain bullets.

 

We use a 4x4 to get around the farm working two lamps. When we spot a fox we turn our lamps off and try and close the gap. Checking on the fox’s location every 10 - 20 secs. I never drive more than 10 mph when getting in close to a fox. I believe if the engine is on tick over I won’t scare the fox away. Should the fox walk off our ground then hopefully it's not been scared by the lamp and vehicle engine noise and we can have another chance of a shot later.

 

We tend to leave fresh shot foxes out in the middle of the pig huts as an additional attraction for the foxes. On occasions we’ve seen visiting foxes come up and sniff their dead brethren. then CAA BOOM ..... :lol:

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Good shooting Elma...

 

Just goes to show the damage that Foxes can do when the sows are in Farrow.

 

I have shot on a pig farm near me for the last 15 years and this sort of thing is a very common problem which " Fox Lovers are not aware off"

 

I used to have some photos which I took of the carnage after a fox or foxes had raided a Black Headed Gull colony for eggs. They had killed and decapitated about 200 or so sitting gulls, not eaten any of them... just did it out of spite.

 

FM.

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EF,

nice shooting mate, like the others say, it just goes to show that these pests can be real problems in certain areas.

 

I shoot a pig farm myself, I only shoot pigeons over the fields but I'll be asking if theres any foxes about.

 

It looks like you will have that land owners consent for the rest of your days Elma.

 

Great pictures, one of them is massive, have you weighed it?

 

The PM

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Apparently these foxes (as evidenced!) grow massive- because of all the hormones the farmers give the piglets to grow into plenty of sausages and bacon. The foxes eating the piglets get a concentrated dose, and you can see the results. Very high protein diet as well of course! I'd say that fox has snacked on a LOT of porkers in his time. Good effort mate.

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Apparently these foxes (as evidenced!) grow massive- because of all the hormones the farmers give the piglets to grow into plenty of sausages and bacon. The foxes eating the piglets get a concentrated dose, and you can see the results. Very high protein diet as well of course! I'd say that fox has snacked on a LOT of porkers in his time. Good effort mate.

Funny you say this Teal:

 

There is a fox beat we do often and a couple of years ago my cousin shot a dog fox weighing in at 28 pounds. On the same beat 2 weeks later my uncle and I were doing it for woodcock when a big dog fox ran out in front of me and I polaxed him with a 7 1/2, this fox weighed in at 24 pounds (my biggest fox so far).

I thought at the time this was strange to have two huge foxes on the same beat in such a short time but maybe there was a pig farm close by.

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Apparently these foxes (as evidenced!) grow massive- because of all the hormones the farmers give the piglets to grow into plenty of sausages and bacon. The foxes eating the piglets get a concentrated dose, and you can see the results. Very high protein diet as well of course! I'd say that fox has snacked on a LOT of porkers in his time. Good effort mate.

As you quite rightly say, some foxes are massive.

 

Over the past year I've taken some huge dog foxes off the pig farm. I have some hand held scales that I use to weigh shot deer. I will start weighing some of these foxes and see if there is a trend with pig farms against those which I shoot on other farms/estates.

 

The only problem is I've now shot most of the big boys and the ones I pick up now tend to be visitors.

 

Who knows the results maybe interesting to someone :)

 

EF

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Who knows the results maybe interesting to someone :)

 

EF

I for one would be very interested in your findings, also at the same time how about over all length, (nose to tail bone). There may just be something about pig farms and foxes.

Best regards,

Feather.

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Apparently these foxes (as evidenced!) grow massive- because of all the hormones the farmers give the piglets to grow into plenty of sausages and bacon. The foxes eating the piglets get a concentrated dose, and you can see the results. Very high protein diet as well of course! I'd say that fox has snacked on a LOT of porkers in his time. Good effort mate.

saying that teal a friends permission is over run with rats and he keeps pigs no kidding these things are as big as cats

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Elma,

 

Good work Matey, what other posters have said about foxes killing just for fun I have found to be true - a mate of mine kept free range hens a few years back - a fox got in one night and killed 32 out of 35 in the pen - only two of those killed were eaten - I reckon foxes are the only animals on this planet, (apart from us Humans), that kill just for fun..!!

 

Keep up the good work.

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I reckon foxes are the only animals on this planet, (apart from us Humans), that kill just for fun..!!

Cats, Mink even otters. I bet a few more critters could be added to this list before to long.

 

Otters, I bet I get some feed back from this one.

 

I used to live up by Fort William when the tide turned on a local sea loch, sea trout could be found on river banks with only one bite taken out from the gill area.

 

EF

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