whats the most damage youve had to livestock from a fox

[flint67 2]

last year i fell asleep in the armchair and didnt shut up the birds , woke up at 11 and out of 72 xmas geese i had 36 dead or dying , i had to neck about 6or 7 of them myself , they were lying there flapping . . As they were all sold at £40 to £50 each , those 2 charlies cost me £1500 to £1800 in one night. I dug 9 in 3weeks with one terrier , it was early autumn and none were home so i had to draw covert with the lurchers. . and me smashing through the woods with a spade in each hand to get them to ground, then drop the terrier in , very hit and miss , plenty of blank days , but i was like a man possessed !!!

[FightTheBan 1,147]

At cubbing time i had a phone call off a woman who has a croft and keeps about 30 rare breed sheep.

Every night, a newborn lamb was being taken. I tried everything from lamping, snareing, waiting first light, waiting last light. All to no avail. By this time the tally was up to 9 lambs(which was a significant loss to her) and she was getting desperate.

So i went out with the terriers and walked just about every wood in a 3-4 mile radius (after getting farmers permission).

Every known fox earth wasnt holding, and i was in a long strip of woodland on a steep banking with the terriers. All i could find were rabbit burrows, which my wee russel bitch does not mark, but she kept drawing me to this particular rabbit burrow, and i kept pulling her away. You could hardly fit your fist down it, nevermind a terrier (or so i thought). I put my arm in as far as i could, and pulled out a half eaten black lamb. Bingo. There was two holes, one was barely noticeable, under an old oak tree and the other was made of rock, and a very very tight squeeze either end.

After excavating the entrance hole a bit, my wee russel bitch dug herself in and met her quarry. The vixen was a nasty fuker and wouldnt bolt, so after a shallow dig, she was pulled out along with 7 healthy cubs (needs must).

 

The moral of the story is, trust your terrier, and i have done ever since, she is a belter.

 

Anyway, after all that, she had another lamb taken that night (it was obviously the dog fox and i presumed he had another vixen with cubs somewhere). He was eventually found in a dry stone drain that runs under the railway line.

 

Sorry to bore all of you, but it was quite an interesting week where i learned alot about fox behaviour and my young terrier. Cheers

[steviemann 5]

At cubbing time i had a phone call off a woman who has a croft and keeps about 30 rare breed sheep.

Every night, a newborn lamb was being taken. I tried everything from lamping, snareing, waiting first light, waiting last light. All to no avail. By this time the tally was up to 9 lambs(which was a significant loss to her) and she was getting desperate.

So i went out with the terriers and walked just about every wood in a 3-4 mile radius (after getting farmers permission).

Every known fox earth wasnt holding, and i was in a long strip of woodland on a steep banking with the terriers. All i could find were rabbit burrows, which my wee russel bitch does not mark, but she kept drawing me to this particular rabbit burrow, and i kept pulling her away. You could hardly fit your fist down it, nevermind a terrier (or so i thought). I put my arm in as far as i could, and pulled out a half eaten black lamb. Bingo. There was two holes, one was barely noticeable, under an old oak tree and the other was made of rock, and a very very tight squeeze either end.

After excavating the entrance hole a bit, my wee russel bitch dug herself in and met her quarry. The vixen was a nasty fuker and wouldnt bolt, so after a shallow dig, she was pulled out along with 7 healthy cubs (needs must).

 

The moral of the story is, trust your terrier, and i have done ever since, she is a belter.

 

Anyway, after all that, she had another lamb taken that night (it was obviously the dog fox and i presumed he had another vixen with cubs somewhere). He was eventually found in a dry stone drain that runs under the railway line.

 

Sorry to bore all of you, but it was quite an interesting week where i learned alot about fox behaviour and my young terrier. Cheers

 

 

Well done

[FightTheBan 1,147]

Forgot to add the final tally on the lambs was 11, and one that had to be dispatched as it was a mess by the time i caught up with the dog fox.

[steviemann 5]

last year i fell asleep in the armchair and didnt shut up the birds , woke up at 11 and out of 72 xmas geese i had 36 dead or dying , i had to neck about 6or 7 of them myself , they were lying there flapping . . As they were all sold at £40 to £50 each , those 2 charlies cost me £1500 to £1800 in one night. I dug 9 in 3weeks with one terrier , it was early autumn and none were home so i had to draw covert with the lurchers. . and me smashing through the woods with a spade in each hand to get them to ground, then drop the terrier in , very hit and miss , plenty of blank days , but i was like a man possessed !!!

 

That's a lot of damage!!! No wonder you were posessed.

[william slater mcgregor 2]

sometimes the dog fox keeps bringing food to the den even after the vixen and cubs have been dealt with atb

[marky r 25]

and thers idiots out thre that love foxes i must admit the only thing i love bout them is trapping, digging or seeing one bounce in on the lamp when your squeeking them and slipping the lurcher lol.

 

the most damage iv had from one small vixen is it got over a 6foot fence and killed all my game hens and a good game cock (the last of some well bred birds) the night after got in to the laying hens and killed every single one dint even take one just killed them a week after caught it in a cage trap now i sett the cage trap all the time.

[Guest busterdog]

Took a terrier job on in Shropshire a few years back and on the first days cub hunting we were on a estate were the keeper was known to shoot the shit out of the place, i introduced myself and got on with the day, after a bit of leg pulling about his night time activity we struck up a little rap-ore and he hung around having the craic. After not finding for a few hours he drifted of to feed his birds a little later than usual, ten minutes later he was back slathering at the mouth efin and jefin at everyone. It turned out whilst he was hanging around watching us two fox cubs were in one of his pens helping themselves to his young poults, i can't remember the exact number but it was "200" plus, you can bet the lamp was shining that week

[hogs head 19]

yes lads i feel soory for all with livestook taken but did any one here of this happen a famer called me said foxesgtaken lamds so went out and tried every were nottig with the dogs so we went lamping not a fox in sight on the way home we seen a bager after taken a lamd the famer said he heard of it but neaver seen it the bager was after pealing it coat off like a stocking and eatting it you all no wat happen next

[GET THEM OUT (.)(.) 39]

yes lads i feel soory for all with livestook taken but did any one here of this happen a famer called me said foxesgtaken lamds so went out and tried every were nottig with the dogs so we went lamping not a fox in sight on the way home we seen a bager after taken a lamd the famer said he heard of it but neaver seen it the bager was after pealing it coat off like a stocking and eatting it you all no wat happen next

 

carefull, , it was many moons ago wasnt it,

[TheBrock 11]

350 pheasant poults in 1 night

["Earth!" 503]

yes lads i feel soory for all with livestook taken but did any one here of this happen a famer called me said foxesgtaken lamds so went out and tried every were nottig with the dogs so we went lamping not a fox in sight on the way home we seen a bager after taken a lamd the famer said he heard of it but neaver seen it the bager was after pealing it coat off like a stocking and eatting it you all no wat happen next

 

it belched and got on his way??

[Squirrel_Basher 17,102]

Some time ago i had a call from a rather upset lady who runs a chicken farm .I did the foxing at the time and still do .She explained that the automatic shutters had failed to close on shed one so a man was despatched to sort it .He,on his arrival had seen a fox chasing chickens around the stoned up area outside the shed and eventually chased one bird into the shed .He had shut the shutters quickly thinking he had done a good job but yes youve guessed it .I arrived to find the lady and farmhand in deep discussion about his future on the farm and the doors still shut .I brought the .410 and the .222.The shutters cannot be lifted one at a time ,all or nothing so i opted to go in from the interior door .Inched the door open quietly ,the lights were on and what a mess.To say there was carnage would be an understatement .Just inside the door was a pile of dead ,sweated birds ,a huge pile on the left of the door and bodies strewn about everywhere with charlie curled up in the far corner .Withdrawing ,i explained and was told to shoot it with whatever i felt necessary .The distance was about 50 meters so the .410 was out .Unsilenced rifle in enclosed space with only straw for a backstop.Killed him and brought him out .In the morning they picked up 52 dead birds killed directly by charlie and 3600 smothered through panic .I explained to all it would of been cheaper to sacrifce one than to shut the bugger in .

Edited December 23, 2009 by foxdropper

[hogs head 19]

yes lads i feel soory for all with livestook taken but did any one here of this happen a famer called me said foxesgtaken lamds so went out and tried every were nottig with the dogs so we went lamping not a fox in sight on the way home we seen a bager after taken a lamd the famer said he heard of it but neaver seen it the bager was after pealing it coat off like a stocking and eatting it you all no wat happen next

 

carefull, , it was many moons ago wasnt it,

too right

[hogs head 19]

yes lads i feel soory for all with livestook taken but did any one here of this happen a famer called me said foxesgtaken lamds so went out and tried every were nottig with the dogs so we went lamping not a fox in sight on the way home we seen a bager after taken a lamd the famer said he heard of it but neaver seen it the bager was after pealing it coat off like a stocking and eatting it you all no wat happen next

 

it belched and got on his way??

that after it ask for sailt and pepper

Edited December 23, 2009 by hogs head