walshie 2,804 Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 My lad and I had decided to go out very early yesterday after a few reynards. He was the shooter. I was lamp man. 3.45am we set off and arrived at the farm just before 4. It was a weird morning. There was a massive moon, but hidden behind really thick cloud which made the whole sky look like day was going to break any time, rather than 3 1/2 hours later. Even the birds were singing. Do you reckon they were fooled by this light sky? Or do they always do that but I can't hear them from under my duvet? The first fox we saw sat staring at us, somehow knowing he was safe with the farmhouse directly behind him. We manoeuvred round so we could shoot parallel with the house instead of at it and the fox moved with us so he always had the house as a backstop. As I've said to my son before, the disappointment of not taking the shot is a lot better than the possibilities of taking an unsafe shot. We left him to it and went to the next field. It was only a few minutes when we saw another fox. He was completely oblivious to us and the lamp and was walking from left to right in front of us at about 100 yards. Ben took aim, I squeaked to make the fox stop and the 223 spat its 53gr night-night pill. It was dead before it hit the ground. Perfect boiler room shot. We saw a couple more but at ridiculous ranges, then another was sat watching us from the base of a hill with just its head visible. Bang! Right between the eyes. About 10 minutes after that we saw eyeshine coming from a wooded area. Ben aimed, but the fox turned behind a tree just as he pulled the trigger. We waited a while but it didn't show itself again. We started heading back to the truck, and after a few paces I turned and had a quick shine with the lamp again. The fox had come out of the trees and was following us, but unluckily for him, he didn't have any trees between him and us. A few seconds later and the third fox of the morning bit the dust. We walked a bit more, but nothing was around so we decided to head home for breakfast and medals. Two dog foxes and a vixen in a couple of hours. They were all in great condition with thick winter coats and not the scrawny little runts you see so much these days. Ben was made up (I assume at having such a good lamp man). Well worth getting up at stupid o'clock. Quote Link to post
Tremo 138 Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 Well done Walshie. Good write-up mate. Yes, odd moonlight this week. I was out Wednesday night and it was quite bizarre. It was just like walking around at dawn, even though it was midnight. Perhaps that why I didn't get a shot off. P.S. - Good to see that you are getting into the Christmas spirit! "Ho, Ho, Ho!!". 2 Quote Link to post
peterhunter86 8,627 Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 Fairplay walshie. Quote Link to post
forest of dean redneck 11,190 Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 Quite a few foxes about then, I found robins will sing throughout the night. Quote Link to post
peterhunter86 8,627 Posted December 16, 2016 Report Share Posted December 16, 2016 Quite a few foxes about then, I found robins will sing throughout the night. They will sing more in darkness around this time of year as its pairing up time. 1 Quote Link to post
The one 8,397 Posted December 19, 2016 Report Share Posted December 19, 2016 No picts ? 1 Quote Link to post
walshie 2,804 Posted December 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2016 No picts ? Why? Don't you know what a dead fox looks like? Quote Link to post
delswal 3,817 Posted December 19, 2016 Report Share Posted December 19, 2016 Thought maybe you would have posted a pic with your lurcher........titled shot and retrieved sounds like a good morning outing, Quote Link to post
walshie 2,804 Posted December 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2016 No chance. My lurcher doesn't get up before breakfast. Quote Link to post
low plains drifter 9,463 Posted December 19, 2016 Report Share Posted December 19, 2016 Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these sunken eyes, and learn to see Quote Link to post
j j m 6,481 Posted January 15, 2017 Report Share Posted January 15, 2017 well done mate Quote Link to post
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