Foxes

[CorkyJohn 808]

Just a question for the folk who shoot foxes at this time of the year. When you shoot a vixen which obviously has cubs & is heavy with milk how many of you even consider the cubs? I would like honest answers to this as when people are bragging of shooting foxes they never mention if the cubs were located & dealt with or left to starve?

[fitchet 788]

there is a few wannabe terrier men who kill vixens this time of year and leave the cub to starve i have shot a young fox that was around some geese pens but i would never kill a vixen with cubs

[CorkyJohn 808]

How can you tell a vixen has cubs looking through a scope when lamping?

[fitchet 788]

How can you tell a vixen has cubs looking through a scope when lamping?

most definet way to make sure you dont kill any cubbing vixens is to not lamp this time of year

[fitchet 788]

How can you tell a vixen has cubs looking through a scope when lamping?

most definet way to make sure you dont kill any cubbing vixens is to not lamp this time of year

[blackfox 9]

Just a question for the folk who shoot foxes at this time of the year. When you shoot a vixen which obviously has cubs & is heavy with milk how many of you even consider the cubs? I would like honest answers to this as when people are bragging of shooting foxes they never mention if the cubs were located & dealt with or left to starve?

 

 

I personally try not to shoot any foxes this time of year because of the cubs, i have been out before this time of year after a call from a farmer about a problem fox, ive gone out with the lamp and rifle, lit up the farmhouse with the lamp and had a walk round, then let a couple of shots off at rabbits. Then if asked by said farmer if id hit anything if he heard the shot, i answer yeah!

 

 

And, remembering that the money from lost stock to foxes isn’t coming out of my pocket, that’s what people that aren’t farmers have to remember, i recall back to a few years ago when a heifer had a very early birth in the field, had trouble calving and the calf became stuck, the next morning the famers came across the cow, the calf (half stuck) had been half ripped apart, and the rear end of the cow had been ripped to shreds, needless to say that that animal must have had the most horrific night trying to fend off the foxes.... needless to say it the cow was disposed of.

 

Lets just remember the ifs and buts

[FightTheBan 1,147]

Corky i put a post on here a while agoasking the very same question, and it seems there are pleanty of honest and decent lads who do follow things up correctly.

 

And your right you cant tell the difference through a scope, which is why you should not be shooting foxes at this time of year unless it is genuine pest controll (IMO).

 

The probability of a sooked vixen above ground is far less than it being a dog, but you cannot tell.

 

The simple answer is if its genuine pest controll then it will happen all year round, always has and always will (and should!).

If its simple a bit of fun, then the rifle can stay in he cabinet untill the back end.

 

 

FTB

[FightTheBan 1,147]

"have been out before this time of year after a call from a farmer about a problem fox, ive gone out with the lamp and rifle, lit up the farmhouse with the lamp and had a walk round, then let a couple of shots off at rabbits. Then if asked by said farmer if id hit anything if he heard the shot, i answer yeah!

 

 

And, remembering that the money from lost stock to foxes isn’t coming out of my pocket, that’s what people that aren’t farmers have to remember"

 

 

Whit!

I dont know if i read it correctly, but the key word there is 'problem fox', ie the farmer phoned and asked for your help. So why turn up and make a rip roaring cuunt of the job.

You wouldnt get any joy this end if that was your attitude.

 

FTB

[FightTheBan 1,147]

there is a few wannabe terrier men who kill vixens this time of year and leave the cub to starve i have shot a young fox that was around some geese pens but i would never kill a vixen with cubs

 

 

Too true.

Theres terrier lads you dont see all winter (maybe to cold or wet for them i dont know) who are all of a sudden out once the cubs are dropped(just before showing season ).

 

FTB

[CorkyJohn 808]

I understand the need for pest control on shoots/farms & just hope the folk who do shoot foxes do their utmost to deal with cubs or get someone in to help. This isn't a dig at the shooters as I understand there's dogmen who will do the same. My dealings with keepers over the years has shown that most will happily dump the vixen in the hedge & leave the cubs unless they are old enough to cause bother.

[blackfox 9]

"have been out before this time of year after a call from a farmer about a problem fox, ive gone out with the lamp and rifle, lit up the farmhouse with the lamp and had a walk round, then let a couple of shots off at rabbits. Then if asked by said farmer if id hit anything if he heard the shot, i answer yeah!

 

 

And, remembering that the money from lost stock to foxes isn’t coming out of my pocket, that’s what people that aren’t farmers have to remember"

 

 

Whit!

I dont know if i read it correctly, but the key word there is 'problem fox', ie the farmer phoned and asked for your help. So why turn up and make a rip roaring cuunt of the job.

You wouldnt get any joy this end if that was your attitude.

 

FTB

 

Sorry for the not very clear post.

 

I shall just set this straight, that cow incident happened BEFORE i got into Centrefire rifles!! And as i say problem fox, i know farmers that would label a fox a problem fox just because thay fecking saw one!!! not that it was anywhere near their livestock!!!

[foxlamper 5]

this years been really bad on our farm with the lambs with the foxes taking 11 live lambs and 3 deads, so far i have shot 3 foxes (2 dogs and 1 vixen) and neighbouring farms are still reporting they have seen foxes about.