kennym Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Hi I'm a pigeon & rabbit shooter & I always eat what I kill, If I'm honest I do this to justify the killing to my self....... the truth is I love the hunt I always have I can be as cold & calculated as is necessary but when its over a touch of remorse creeps in, its just the way I am..... and ..... well I kind of like it that way. Recently I have been shooting the farm of one of my shooting partners oldest friends, we recently had a conversation about foxes he hates them and said he was glad he has no fox problem especially because of the Christmas geese he's doing as a little side line, Told him I thought he had foxes down by the river bank but he was convinced it was badger. anyway to cut the story shot (OK shorter) I did see a badger set (clean always freshly dug) but was quite surprised to see loads of foxes holes (smelly with carcases & **** all over) very close to the badgers, (I'm no expert but I thought the two would stay apart) anyway over the weeks we'd noticed its been growing at an alarming rate ..... SO when we were done pigeon shooting we slipped in the heavy number 3s & went for a look see ......now I've never hunted fox so the plan was I would hid in the river bank in site of a well trodden animal trail & my mate would get 400 yards up wind of me on the other side of the river bank and start making his way back to wards me, we figured all the fox kills had been made on the bank side which were full of rabbit holes & roosting birds so there was a good chance he would be hunting there, its only a small beck but with deep banks, my mate (willc) stayed high on the bank and I would only shoot down we both knew were each other was so there was no chance of an accident, I was only a mater of minuets till Charlie came to wards me I hesitated but them let him have it, I hit him first shot (15 yards) but had decided before hand to give him it all, so he got all three shots of my semi, he was still twitching so as I was on the opposite bank & it would take time for me to cross he got three more!....... the truth is the last thing I wanted was any suffering When I got to him ..... well lets put the damage & the pest status to one side ..... what a beautiful animal he was & I did feel a bit bad..... BUT I said to my self we get to shoot on this farm & we cant just have it our own way, we have to do a service to the farmer in exchange for shooting permission especially with free geese running around a penned off Field during the day and a field full of young lambs........needles to say the farmer was over the moon & gave orders to shoot on site ....so it looks like the first wont be the last an added bonus is I'd been thinking of an fac for a rimfire but had been a bit shy in asking the farmer to sponsor it I don't think theres any problems there now!..... so if I get stuck with the forms I'll be back onto that mine of information baldrick for some advice. OK for those of you who've made it to the bottom I have questions How do you cure a fox tail? my issuing force is different from the force covering my shooting grounds which ones caliber restrictions for fox applies? anyone else have to balance the love of the hunt with a bit of guilt fox shooting with a shot gun cant be this easy was I jusy lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy33 Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Hey, I think its good you feel some remorse it shows that your human, it can be difficult to justify but like you say we provide a service as pest controllers and there will allways be a ****ty side to any good job. The other side is wild life has to be managed and sometimes the rule of the gun has to prevail. Caliber wise for a rifle i'm informed 223 is required in Staffordshire but this can be differant across the country, some will allow 17hmr, but i would say stick with what your feo tells you this way no comeback. With a shotgun it will allways be difficult because of range, i hav'nt managed to shoot a fox yet i did'nt fancy it with a shotty, my fac is in now so hopefully it will soon come through :blink: , where i shoot there's been no control so the fox rome freely during the day so bit of a shock coming. Anyway happy hunting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazza Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 You gave it three no 3's at 15 yrds and didn't kill it? Should have been stone dead with the first one. Dog or vixen? Any young about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennym Posted June 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 You gave it three no 3's at 15 yrds and didn't kill it? Should have been stone dead with the first one. Dog or vixen? Any young about? OH YEAH it was dead alright, but I have had bionic hares get up & run after taking a pounding, so it got a bit of overkill,i saw it twitching so it got some more....as I said I was on the opposite bank so I wanted to be sure......it looked like chopped liver... I'd say it was an adolesant about two & a half foot long nose to brush err forgot to look at its tackle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libs Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 6 carts of #3 from >15 yards..... Is there a tail left to cure?? :blink: Well done, your doing a service! Remorse is natural but some, like myself, choose to lock it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennym Posted June 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 (edited) 6 carts of #3 from >15 yards..... Is there a tail left to cure?? :blink: Well done, your doing a service! Remorse is natural but some, like myself, choose to lock it up! Thats all i could find that & a pile of chopped liver.....I'll know next time Edited June 5, 2009 by kennym Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Just so you are aware a fox and badger will share the same sett......this only becomes a problem if the badger has young in which case she will push the fox out...... Regards, Gixer1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/red_fox.html See above link, it explains all about "vulpes vulpes".....some interesting reading and includes the points about them living with badgers.... Regards, Gixer.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 for your other question: Your issuing force would grant the conditions on your certificate, i.e. determine what is appropriate for fox. The local force for your permission would decide what can be used on the property. The local force is who you'd be dealing with should you be checked while shooting. If your local says that an HMR is fine for fox, but the local to your permission disagrees then you could have problems. Check with the permissions' local force to see what they approve for fox and use that as your guide. Thanks Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DustyIrl Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/red_fox.html See above link, it explains all about "vulpes vulpes".....some interesting reading and includes the points about them living with badgers.... Regards, Gixer.... Thanks for link gixer, was finding it hard to get me head around the two of them together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 for your other question: Your issuing force would grant the conditions on your certificate, i.e. determine what is appropriate for fox. The local force for your permission would decide what can be used on the property. The local force is who you'd be dealing with should you be checked while shooting. If your local says that an HMR is fine for fox, but the local to your permission disagrees then you could have problems. Check with the permissions' local force to see what they approve for fox and use that as your guide. Thanks Rick Not actually true Rick. A fac is a legally binding document and if it says you can shoot fox with your .22rf, as mine does, then you can irrespective of which licensing area you chose to shoot in. However back to the OP's question regarding which caliber he should chose for fox and presumably rabbits I would consider a .22wmr, .22Hornet or a .223 depending on how much rabbit you want left !. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexm Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Hey, I think its good you feel some remorse it shows that your human I agree, its a normal, healthy reaction and shows you have respect for the quarry. Well done on your first fox! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I'd say it was an adolesant about two & a half foot long nose to brush Well, there's the Dog, Vixen, & the rest of the litter left, Your Farmer will want rid of the rest...!!! BJ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennym Posted June 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Well, there's the Dog, Vixen, & the rest of the litter left, Your Farmer will want rid of the rest...!!! BJ. Yes in a big way, it was a suprise to him ......At first I thought he'd be bound to have some clue ....but on reflection he spends every woken hour working if not on his farm hes cutting silage or fenceing or transporting for someone else, he is a man who is genuinely busy all the time trying to make a living... I'm sure I was luck to find a fox on my first try and be able to get in shot gun range.....things are looking up for my FAC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickb Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Well done on a well written and interesting read fella :blink: I`ve not shot a fox either, and will no doubt have the same feelings, good to know I`m not the only one out there ATB Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flytie Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I do not think you are the only one to feel a little sadness when shooting. I have always felt the same, either when looking at a fine salmon I had just killed for the table, or when looking at the way the feathers shine on a cock teal as it is laid on the samphire. A well written and thoughtful tale There is of course the sadness you feel when you realise that you have to drag a fallow buck 300yds up a steep bank to get to your vehicle. A slightly different sadness, but no less poignant. ft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windy Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I agree with the sentiments of the post. I wholly subscribe to the idea of eating (or finding some use for) the game you kill. Obviously not the case for rats and the like! Clearly certain pests just have to be controlled. I abhor the situations where on some of the big estate shoots for mega bucks, I have heard of loads of pheasant being lobbed into death pits after the rich folk have flown home. For me that is wrong, but just my opinion, and I'll live by it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennym Posted June 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 so how do ya cure a fox tail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkeye Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 kennym i notice from your info you are from Cleveland the same as me and they will only allow CF for fox i used to have it on my HMR then they contacted me about 2 yrs later to say it was a mistake and they removed it at my last renewal... I use either a .22 hornet or my 223...!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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