CALLING A FOX!

[Guest BIG FRANK]

NEED SOME ADVICE.

CALLED IN A FOX TONIGHT ON A FREINDS FARM FEKING FOX IS TAKING THE BIRDS.

SO I TOOK MY 2 YEAR OLD LURCHERS UP TO SEE IF THEY WOULD DO THE JOB!.

THEVE NEVER TOOK A FOX BEFORE TRIED ONCE JUST ON SPECK BUT IT GOT AWAY.

ANYWAY I CALLED THIS FOX AND IT CAME IN TO ABOUT 50M AWAY AND SAT THERE SO I PUT MY LAMP ON LOW AND TOOK THE BEEM OFF THE FOX SO I COULD ONLY JUST SEE IT.

AFTER ABOUT 2 MINS IT WALKED OFF BUT I COULD NOT LET THE DOGS OFF AS THEY COULD NOT SEE IT.JUST OVER A HILL.

AM I DOING IT WRONG SHOULD YOU LEAVE THE LAMP ON IT?

AM I CALLING TO LONG?

HELP NEEDED PLEASE!!.............I WANT A FOX! :wallbash: :blink: :hmm:

[J Darcy 5,871]

well....as long as the country your in is legal.... a few tips......

 

crouch low so theres no sillouette.

vary your squeak, dont get to loud,

don't leave the lamp on while you squeak, (i know some do, but i don't)

try and crouch with good background such as a hedge etc...

don't put the lamp straight on the fox, do a sweep of the field....for 2 reasons;

 

1, there may be another fox coming in behind you that you didnt know was there,

 

2 sweeping the field will scare the fox less than being illuminated immediately.

 

just a few tips.....that used to work for me ....prior to the ban. JD

[Nell 1]

This time of year, young silly foxes usually come running in when they hear the sqeak,

 

JD's advise is spot on (although I leave my lamp on when squeaking), the only thing I would add is make sure that your facing the wind, sounds to me like your fox caught wind of you, thats why it stopped coming.

 

Had you previously walked where the fox was coming? It might have picked up your scent this way.

 

Keep trying, you'll soon get the hang of it!

 

Edited to add: I also use a red or amber filter on my lamp. All these helped me catch many before the ban!

Edited August 24, 2007 by Nell

[Bosun11 537]

Both JD's & Nell's advice is sound, though pick a large field on your chosen ground.

I'm with Nell in that I used to use a red filter and kept the beam on during the call but keeping it low to the ground away from foxy's eyes, if you (not the dogs) can just make him out, thats enough. Foxes have a habit of not always running straight down the beam, better you can just make him out as he zig zags across and won't hit him in the eyes (slowing his progress) whilst doing a sweep of the beam to find him.

Keep your calling to minimal noise, by this I mean lowering the sound as the fox comes closer, keeping him interested and moving ever forward.

When you are ready and deam the critter is close enough to slip, hit him straight in the eyes with the beam, even though your filter is still on your dogs can now see them big ruby eyes and if they have run the beam on other quarry then getting on to those eyes should be no problem. Some, if using a production caller throw a louder squeek in as they hit his eyes with the beam, in theory confusing (and holding) him a little and giving your dogs an extra yard, has worked both ways for me so, the jurys out on that one!

So, your hounds are off and so should your filter be....... both you and they should be doing what you have done before........ just with a different quarry.

Just one thing...... have you thought about the end result?

Will your dogs take a fox?

Have they done it before (maybe you bought them full grown)?

Are you ready for the damage a fox can cause your dogs?

 

If you take all into consideration then.........

 

Cheers

[Guest BIG FRANK]

great advice guys i will have a go tonight if there is enough wind thanks again !

:notworthy: :signthankspin: :signthankspin:

[timmy k 593]

one thing missing which i noticed you say was "if theres enough wind" i personally dont like fox calling in the wind for a few reasons 1... makes the call harder to here and can be blown in all directions

2... wind, even when its blowing in your face can just as easily bounce of walls and hedges and carry yours and your dogs scent with it.

try going out on a calm dark night and follow the rest of the advice given one thing i do is use a dimmer lamp and not bother with the filter, put the dimmer as dim as poss and call away

[mark.a 0]

again its all good advice, foxes are inquisative and will come in to many different calls maybe yours needs to sound more convincing. When they are a bit cagey I allways go back to squeking off the back of my hand. Get out there and get some practice in on other foxes in different places to pollish up your techneque. Sometimes even if everythings right they will still not come in.

[Guest nitevision]

try to use a variety of callers,iv had more luck on windier nites,and i allways use a red filter,if its been on a lamp before then you have little or no chance of it coming in,what works for me may not work for you,best of luck.

[Guest bullterrier]

great read and really good advice all around lads ...john

[axle 63]

I point the lamp skyward when a fox is spotted and squeak it in, you can then tip the beam down slightly to catch a brief glint of the foxs eyes to check distance then you are ready to drop the beam at the right time.

[Guest BIG FRANK]

what a great forum this is i am new to this and reading it and using this info i feel like a pro now!

im of out now to try ill get my kit on lol

[martin 332]

I think everybody has their own little quirks when calling foxes,but,the basics are the same.I personally will change what I do on any given night,but,I almost always leave the lamp on the fox,unless it is really cagey,then I will sweep the field every 20-30 seconds.I only really use my own mouth to squeek,or,I might(rarely)use one of the long range calls from time to time.Just concentrate on the calling,as this is what gets them in,don't worry about doing it too loud,or on occassion very softly almost like a mouse,this sometimes brings them in so fast that you have to make a noise to stop them running into you,and,I don't mean just cubs either.Have a look at one of Pat Careys videos'The Warrener' you should pick up a few good tips from him.Just keep trying,Frank it'll come.I wouldn't be surprised if the fox you tried to squeek may have been lamped on a few occassions,that'll keep 'em right out.

[subaruwilly 8]

I point the lamp skyward when a fox is spotted and squeak it in, you can then tip the beam down slightly to catch a brief glint of the foxs eyes to check distance then you are ready to drop the beam at the right time.

why skywards and not to the floor between you and the fox ? your method would be better off carried out with the landowners permission

[Guest BIG FRANK]

WENT OUT TONIGHT BUT THE MOON DID TOO.LOL

SO I CAME BACK AND PUT THE LAMP ON ONE LAST TIME AND FUUK ME I LAMPED A BADGER LITTLE THING FIRST TIME I SEEN ONE COULDNT GET A PIC THOUGH

[subaruwilly 8]

WENT OUT TONIGHT BUT THE MOON DID TOO.LOL

SO I CAME BACK AND PUT THE LAMP ON ONE LAST TIME AND FUUK ME I LAMPED A BADGER LITTLE THING FIRST TIME I SEEN ONE COULDNT GET A PIC THOUGH

we easily saw between 40 and 50 of em on thursday night but we do cover alot of land and in one big field we counted 12