Chalking up Four

[Yokel Matt 918]

Popped out with Foxdropper last night to a place that’s a bit further afield than his other spots but holds limitless possibilities covering a large area and interspersed with blocks of mixed mature woodland , pasture and arable. It’s got DEER written all over it but they haven’t been seen in the numbers that used to frequent the place apparently with only the odd few pottering about so it was also an opportunity to gauge numbers for the fast approaching buck season and assist with a menace of another persuasion.

 

Word on the street was that the rabbit and hare populations were in no such short supply so we set off, FD with the rimfire and me with the .223 hoping to cater for both the coney and Charlie should the opportunity present itself.

 

It was one of those evenings where it looked and felt like the cloud base would descend and blanket everything at any minute but was just managing to hold off. It was also quite mild and still and we weren’t long out the truck before the feeling that, barring a change in weather, it wasn’t going to be a good night for the coney. Time to implement Plan B. After a brief squeak at the junction of two fields we caught some eyes from a fair way off showing some interest, then charging in. The fox came to about 50 meters but stopped under a pylon and was partially obscured but the twiggy stems of dead stingers, certainly not the friends of 40 grain .223 rounds. It looked like erring on the side of caution and waiting for a unobstructed bullet path was going to work against us as a puff of breeze caught the back of the neck and the fox scarpered into the hedge but, moving a short distance to peer up the other side we saw Charlie about 100 yards up and sat down. I needed a confidence booster after a recent, unexplainable easy miss (Yes Martin… that one) so it was quickly down on the dipod and the report was met with a satisfying thump at the other end. One Dog fox down.

 

 

Fields and fields later we were rewarded by the sight of three Roe (Doe and two followers) and solitary buck. Although I couldn’t make out the head, the solid frame looked promising so, without wanting to antagonise them too much we moved on happy to have seen them.

 

Moving on another pair of eyes came back to the filter in the form of a very wild fox in one of the few fields left still in stubble. The next time we picked them out it was a good 200 yards further away without stopping despite not attempting to call and having the what little breeze there was in our favour. We made on a flanking move in the next door field which quickly turned out to be a hell of a decision as it was young wheat and the earth was claggy and stuck to the boots like shit to a blanket. I had a thick shirt, thick jumper and barbour on so I was pouring and blowing out my arse by the time we got to the other end but it paid dividends as, with the breeze in our faces a few tentative squeeks saw the orange eyes appear a very long way off. Hats off to FD to the mouth calling as this was definitely no sucker, doing things one step at a time and was extremely cautions. At 70 yards and off sticks it was up to me and I was relieved to see him crumple to a chest shot. Not exactly a difficult shot in most circumstances but when you’ve waited that long for the opportunity, gone to so much effort to get the quarry there and had that much time to think about what a prick you look if you missed it your prone to snatch it. Another nice dog fox and well earned.

 

 

Over Hill and down dale we spot two more family groups of Roe before finally coming to a field where the rabbits were hanging out. Sadly they were having none of it and their red eyes and white tails created a strobe effect as they all legged it for the hedgerow without even one pausing before going in. Last time we were here a guy who shares the ground with permission to lamp with an airgun was out so we were singing his praises when I caught some eyes not 60 yards off infront of the hedgerow. A fox was squatting there in a small hollow with just the top of his head visible so, after exchanging the lamp for the sticks I put the crosshairs between his eyes and Crack – the satisfying noise of a solid nut shot. Yet another decent sized dog fox but with the onset of mange beginning to take hold. Not the prettiest of pictures but that’s reality for you.

 

 

I was half floating by this point having done a treble which was just as well as my legs were starting to feel it a bit but no time to rest and off we went again. We’d left the arable area and were on pasture now and another pair of eyes betrayed the curiosity of another cautions customer. I was stood ready on the sticks and he looked to be coming in ok but the fickle wind swung round which both we and the fox noticed at the same time and he broke off his advances and began to skirt away. He stopped broadside but a fair way off and we obviously had the same thought as FD started to say ‘if you…’ just as I fired. A faint thump was heard over the distance and the eyes were switched off - we paced it out at 165 yards which I was well chuffed with. Another decent sized dog fox and I won’t be forgetting that shot any time soon.

 

 

We saw another fox but the wind played a similar trick and this time there were question marks over the shot safety. That one either lived for another day or stopped me finishing what was a bloody good evening on a dull note by missing it!

 

Thanks again FD mate – quality.

[foxdropper 17,092]

You were on form mate ,for sure .Hopefully his chickens my have a bit longer in that free range set up now .The amount of worms we saw were an indicator of what they were on.Was good to see a few deer after a long absence and maybe we will get on a buck or two mate .7,000 acres in all that is ,apparently, but we dont do it all .Hell of a lot that is purely arable and hares but the day may come when we have to walk it all and leave when the sun comes up .

[martin 332]

See.........I told you you could do it Matt!

 

M

[brno17 5]

Good do boys and another great write up 4 less to worry about. good shooting Matt, feels good when it all goes right keep at em !!

[the cheater 1]

Excellent write up and good shooting/lamping fellas

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

Great work Tim & Matt especially at this time of year We struggle to even see a fox now never mind shoot any.

[Ratsmasher 36]

that last kill was a good looking fox to go with a cracking shot nice hunting

[earth-thrower 490]

No disrespect,but if it was myself, i would have refrained from displaying the third photo down.(considerate of you also,to give us more of a 'close-up' with this one )

[riflehunter583 58]

good nite out lad well done. what mod you using?

[salclalin 240]

No disrespect,but if it was myself, i would have refrained from displaying the third photo down.(considerate of you also,to give us more of a 'close-up' with this one )

 

Why shouldn't the 3rd pic be shown?.It's a Dead fox .Ok it is a Bit Graphic but thats reality.

 

Cracking Write up and Shooting Yokel Matt.

.

[Yokel Matt 918]

I think if we did an all-nighter I'd need to up the strength of that coffee FD, maybe do some training by dragging a tractor tire on a rope

 

See.........I told you you could do it Matt!

 

M

 

Looking more and more like that miss the other day was pilot error mate Bit of a bad habbit of mine on your ground mate

 

Good do boys and another great write up 4 less to worry about. good shooting Matt, feels good when it all goes right keep at em !!

 

Too right mate - nice to finish off with that long shot as well. Probably my longest shot off sticks that which I'm sure isn't a big deal for a lot of shooters and not something i'd normally attempt at that range but if looked & feld good and my confidence was up. Thats half the battle won

 

Excellent write up and good shooting/lamping fellas

Great work Tim & Matt especially at this time of year We struggle to even see a fox now never mind shoot any.

 

Seems to be no shortage of them round these parts mate despite taking good numbers from the same areas last year. FD got over 100 and I had 30 odd with over 20 of those on his ground. In some spots close to urban areas they almost come faster that you can shoot them which is a real issue for the farmers with lambs on the brain. I think some are unhelpfully 'relocated'...ie dumped.

 

that last kill was a good looking fox to go with a cracking shot nice hunting

 

Thanks mate - yep stoked with that shot and he was in good nik, the second one was a real score though as he was a big,wise old bugger with a few seasons under his belt and who'd been scrapping judging by the state of his chin. The third one with half a head had pretty rank mange in the tail and arse area.

 

No disrespect,but if it was myself, i would have refrained from displaying the third photo down.(considerate of you also,to give us more of a 'close-up' with this one )

 

Point taken mate - personally I don't find head shot pics so bad, its the sausage ones i'm not so keen on. The close up was to illustrate terminal ballistics of 40 grain ballistic tips via a practical entrance / exit pic.

 

good nite out lad well done. what mod you using?

 

The mod is a Predator 8 mate which I interchange between my .223 (in the pic) and my 6.5x55. They are strippably and pretty tidy although a little on the heavy side.

 

No disrespect,but if it was myself, i would have refrained from displaying the third photo down.(considerate of you also,to give us more of a 'close-up' with this one )

Why shouldn't the 3rd pic be shown?.It's a Dead fox .Ok it is a Bit Graphic but thats reality. Cracking Write up and Shooting Yokel Matt. .

 

[earth-thrower 490]

No disrespect,but if it was myself, i would have refrained from displaying the third photo down.(considerate of you also,to give us more of a 'close-up' with this one )

 

Why shouldn't the 3rd pic be shown?.It's a Dead fox .Ok it is a Bit Graphic but thats reality.

 

Cracking Write up and Shooting Yokel Matt.

.

Yes its ' reality ' ,and its down to personal preference,thats all.

[Sjt657 191]

Nice head shot !!!!!!!

[dymented 2,220]

good wright up and top photos as usual well done lads