perseverance

[quicksilver 0]

I had called out to one of my permissions about 4 weeks ago to zero my .223 and test some home loads. When i arrived the farmer next to my permission was about half way through cutting silage in the field next to the area i use as a range. Not wanting to cause any ill feelings i left the rifle in the jeep and took my GWP bitch for a run up the hill. I was sitting at the top of the hill on the edge of my permission when another farmer that i had been wanting to ask for permission stopped to open a gate. I got talking to him and told him that i shoot foxes on this land but often see foxes moving on his adjacent land and would he mind if i kept a look out for foxes on his land as well. He told me to work away as he is a sheep farmer.

 

I walked on down the hill over towards an area that holds a lot of rabbits, i wanted to let the dog work some cover and burn off some steam. Lying in the sun was a small vixen that i suspected had been taking some hens from the farm. Typical i see more foxes when i don’t have the rifle with me. The farmer called the next day to say that he lost a duck the night before and could i try and get the culprit. I called up around 2000 that evening and just as i was opening the gate there was the vixen heading up the lane and out of sight.

 

I didnt see any other signs of her that evening so i said i would call out the following evening. As i was coming up the lane i came across a chicken wing that wasn’t there the evening before. As i rounded the corner there was the vixen sitting out on a bank keeping a eye on two cubs. I setup the sticks and cursed being caught in the open with no chance of a prone shot. I knew the range was over 220m as the fox was sitting at the same spot i use for a backstop on my range. i let rip with a 60gr vmax and was just about to congratulate myself on a job well done when the vixen and cubs headed off into the cover showing no signs of being hit with my shot. Now i had to tell the farmer that i saw his culprit but the bad news was i missed and probably wouldn’t get another chance anytime soon.

I called out the next week to see if my luck had improved. No sign of the fox on the lane or usual spot on the hill so i headed up for a walk around. It was getting dark at about 2245 and i stopped to call for a while. After a few minutes a group of magpies started to cackle with some purpose about 300 meters away. I setup the sticks again and hoped it was a fox on the move disturbing the magpies. A few minutes later my vixen made her way over the top of the hill and stopped about 50m away. This time no mistake , the 60gr vmax dropped her on the spot. I was glad to finally drop her due to the damage she had been doing. The cubs i seen with her were well up and i will try to round them up ASAP.

 

[martin 332]

Always best to keep plugging away 'QS' as you proved,good luck with the cubs too.

 

Martin

[akton 15]

Great story mate well put ,just the way I like it,keep up the good work