fox shooting with shotgun

[pest hunter 151 15]

i have only just started to shoot foxs with my 12b but i fined it realy hard to get them into range. I use a small hand held squeeker you blow into but it just dosent attract any foxs yet the farmer tells me he has huge problems with them why wont my squeeker work

[watchman 256]

i have only just started to shoot foxs with my 12b but i fined it realy hard to get them into range. I use a small hand held squeeker you blow into but it just dosent attract any foxs yet the farmer tells me he has huge problems with them why wont my squeeker work

where abouts are you mate :whistling only joking they will get used to all the callers after a while mate,you may not be the only one out there trying to get them in :thumbs:try long range squeeker then when they start coming in change it to a small mouse type

Edited January 13, 2010 by watchman

[waidmann 105]

wind and movement are a real givaway.

 

its not easy to get a fox under 40m at the best of times.if you can find someone near you to show you how to use the caller that may help.

good luck

[pest hunter 151 15]

thanks lads

[Blakloks 5]

get a pack of hounds

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Shotguns are made for windy dark nights. Callers don't always work, fox may have just eaten, or isn't interested in the sound, or you hit a wrong note and he doesn't like the sound of it.

 

Find their paths, where you know they like traveling. Wait on a good vantage point OFF the horizon and AWAY from village/town lights. The idea is to get your fox coming towards you. Where the dark windy night comes into play is you can then very quietly try to get closer. The wind should ideally be coming from the fox towards you, NEVER from you to the fox. The wind hides some but not all noise, I've ran at foxes on real windy nights. The dark, well that's obvious

[Squirrel_Basher 17,102]

Not knowing you or your methods mate ,i would say its you and your methods that arnt helping .Are you serious trying to call foxes into shotgun range in the snow .I take it you are stood in the middle of a field ,calling,No back drop ,switching the light on and off to gauge the distance of matey .

Right ,thats out the way so heres what i do that should have foxes crawling up your trouser leg regardless of whether they are squeak shy ,lamp shy or both .

Learning to call with your hand is the first major thing ,without it you wont succeed .Master this and the night is yours .The tones ,the volume and sound created can all be varied with practice ,something that is limited with any bought call .

If you are calling dry eg without first having spotted charlie then think about where you are calling from .Choose a place where you have maximum vision but definately get a background ie a hedge ,bush ,wall .Foxes are extemely good at making out silouettes at night .Remember, its a sport to us but their very survival depends on it.

If theres no snow ,then start with a good ,far reaching call and keep scanning with lamp .When you see one ,keep the lamp on but at its feet ,not in its eyes .Lower the tone of the call .To blast a sound at an aproaching fox is to lose it for sure .

As he comes in only call softly if he stops ,he will know exactly where the noise is coming from by then .

In snow i wouldnt bother with the lamp,just get tucked in somewhere to break your outline .You will see charlie plainly at a distance of maybe 100 yards.No movement now as your gun should be in the shoulder already .Let him come but only shoot at a fox head on if he is under 20 yards as experience has taught me that no vital organs are struck at this range head on.Wait until your fox turns sideways and he will at some point if only to create an escape route if things go tits up for him .This is the time to shoot a fox with a shotgun as the vital organs are on show.Goes without saying that you need to be downwind of where you THINK the fox will appear from .

Good luck mate

Edited January 13, 2010 by foxdropper

[edge007 11]

Its not a tommy squeeker is it?

[Squirrel_Basher 17,102]

Just to say in reply to Johns post that ive called several foxes with food already in their mouths .Hunger i think may sharpen their aproach but is does not stop it if their well fed .The desire to cache ,hide food is what drives the fox ,makes him a survivor .

[JohnGalway 1,043]

I'm off to sharpen my knives

[Deker 3,491]

Good advice from many, especially JohnGalway and Foxdropper.

 

I know a bit about the fox but Foxdropper has certainly opened my eyes when I've been out with him He does seem to have a way with the call!!

[adamthomas64 1]

foxdropper when you say call with your hand do you mean literally that, you will have to excuse my ignorance fox shooting is something i am just getting in to i thought the electronic callers were the way forward, if you could explain some more it would be very much appreciated,

 

atb adam

[pest hunter 151 15]

thanks all grate advise

[whippeter69 88]

Simple answer mate, try a variety of calls. Not all calls will work for all foxes. And we are coming into the breeding season for fox's at the moment and they do not respond to rabbit distress noises as well as they normally do. If you have the spare cash buy on of those electric calls that have a range of calls from rabbit to fox bark, they should sort you out

[Deker 3,491]

foxdropper when you say call with your hand do you mean literally that, you will have to excuse my ignorance fox shooting is something i am just getting in to i thought the electronic callers were the way forward, if you could explain some more it would be very much appreciated,

 

atb adam

 

 

I'm sure FD will get back to you but to clarify a bit I believe he is suggesting mouth/hand, not just hand!

 

You can make all sorts of squeaks, calls with your mouth/hand, that's all I used for years until a couple of years ago, after standing in the pouring rain, in the freezing cold with a gale force wind blowing, out of nowhere a fox turns up, I did everything I could to get some sort of a squeak out of my mouth but nothing worked, so I decided to get a caller.

 

Got a FOX CALL, doesn't work any better than the hand/mouth, but I can usually make it work even when I am shivering to death!!