How Early

[Haiddheliwr 1,911]

It is strange DC as Neil said I slow down and rubberneck all creatures great and small. Moved to an area where you get a lot of pheasant roadkill and if I see Charlie on the side of the road God help anyone behind me they better have good brakes lol

[Haiddheliwr 1,911]

I think we can all agree that this year has certainly been an exception!! What we all have been used to has definitely been different this time around. It has to be weather surely????

[johnrussell84 2,765]

 

 

Good wee video mate, I had a call the other day with a farmer says fox tried to take a lamb in daylight he seen the whole thing even when shouting says it didn't spook to easy, asked me to come up the weekend, not looking forward to it at all

its not nice bud but its what you have to do to keep permo we have not really stopped due to call outs, i have a few sheep on myself this this year and it really makes you look at things differently when you look at things thought the farmers eyes. but like you say pal its not a nice task

Wasn't mate got the culprit and the farmer belled me just the other day to say things have went quiet which is great, I know where the other litter is but they're way out of sight and keeping the heads down

[stop.end 4,079]

I was over on Athol estates on Monday the 18th April micro chipping a few of the keepers dogs all the keepers are hard at it waiting out at night and checking dens this time of year one of the lads had had a litter 2 days before ....now these cubs must of been a very early litter ....up this way the hill lads do not check dens until the 15th of April for 2 reasons that is when the heather burning stops and by that time you can near guarantee that most vixens will of dropped by then ....im not a fan of pics of cubs but these cubs must be around the 2 month mark which would of made them born mid Feb which is very very early on the low ground never mind the hill ...also the dog was in with them I have not spoken to him since then but have sent him a message as im in Vietnam to see if they got the vixen

13046074_10208038740019704_542963841_n.jpg

MIK I think cubs would be like pups as in if its a small litter like the vixen only has 2 cubs instead of 4 say, , they have the best of milk for a few weeks on tap before she will be away her self mooching... or just to get out of there road for a few hours...then best of her spoils when she comes back... so best of grub and no vying between cubs would grow substantially fatter, better bone structure and quicker coat growth than the average fox cubs that have been struggling.... so may look more maturer than they actually are. best way I always try and tell the age of a terrier, lurcher or fox is its teeth can a tell a story like, size of them, colour how far they are set in the gums etc... ive dug big what would think was adult foxes...2-3 year old because of pelt and size when actually lips were lifted teeth were very fine pure white and not set fully in gums yet so at a guess maybe 14-15 months if.... and dug small weedy and big specimens of both sex that were smaller in poorer condition or fat healthy condition & more terrier savvy, but had yellow teeth, teeth missing, well set in gums, and had life scars.... and only the left wing of a corvid will gain a GC points so no point cutting of both!...

[Mary 352]

I know it's still very cold at the moment, but after cubbing early and with a good run of weather and good supply of food, would these foxes breed again in the same year?

[strongbow 149]

having hunted foxes all my life with hounds,terriers,lurches, I'll even admit to shooting the odd one or two even though not being a shooting man. The more I hunted them the more I respected them. I spent just as much time watching them as I did hunting/killing them. The bad had to go and the good could stay, then come the winter the one that ran well were left yet the bad that looked for every rabbit hole died.even if you class them as a pest or a sport? They also have to survive, just like us humans, we all we all want the best for our families. One thing I did learn about them the more i killed the less i wanted to kill...it will come to us all with age, it's called human nature along with Mother Nature.

[fat man 4,740]

 

I was over on Athol estates on Monday the 18th April micro chipping a few of the keepers dogs all the keepers are hard at it waiting out at night and checking dens this time of year one of the lads had had a litter 2 days before ....now these cubs must of been a very early litter ....up this way the hill lads do not check dens until the 15th of April for 2 reasons that is when the heather burning stops and by that time you can near guarantee that most vixens will of dropped by then ....im not a fan of pics of cubs but these cubs must be around the 2 month mark which would of made them born mid Feb which is very very early on the low ground never mind the hill ...also the dog was in with them I have not spoken to him since then but have sent him a message as im in Vietnam to see if they got the vixen

13046074_10208038740019704_542963841_n.jpg

MIK I think cubs would be like pups as in if its a small litter like the vixen only has 2 cubs instead of 4 say, , they have the best of milk for a few weeks on tap before she will be away her self mooching... or just to get out of there road for a few hours...then best of her spoils when she comes back... so best of grub and no vying between cubs would grow substantially fatter, better bone structure and quicker coat growth than the average fox cubs that have been struggling.... so may look more maturer than they actually are. best way I always try and tell the age of a terrier, lurcher or fox is its teeth can a tell a story like, size of them, colour how far they are set in the gums etc... ive dug big what would think was adult foxes...2-3 year old because of pelt and size when actually lips were lifted teeth were very fine pure white and not set fully in gums yet so at a guess maybe 14-15 months if.... and dug small weedy and big specimens of both sex that were smaller in poorer condition or fat healthy condition & more terrier savvy, but had yellow teeth, teeth missing, well set in gums, and had life scars.... and only the left wing of a corvid will gain a GC points so no point cutting of both!...

 

Gun Clubs in the south take both wings,magpies,grey crow,both wings.

[stop.end 4,079]

left wing only... why would yoube bringing 40 wings...when u only have to bring 20 left wings of the corvid.. birds only have 1 left wing!

[foxdropper 17,092]

There's a cat amongst the pigeons lol fox dropper you have really shown your unintelligent regarding the fox on this thread find it hard you like shooting a animal you have little knowledge of. crosshair I realise hunting is band and pheasant cost 40 a bird are you glad hunting is band because it really sounds like. Do gamekeepers realise birds of prey take pheasant and it's band to shoot them also don't insult my intelligence lovely boy

On an intellectual scale ,this post amongst others of yours is on a minus .You are a sheep that follows ,no brain of your own .You have taken nothing from this thread and given nothing whereas I ,a mere mortal have learnt that the fox in other areas behaves different to ours in general.I have nothing against hunting ,spent many a day with them but certain individuals have voiced opinions about serious control therefore causing a rift .I'm glad you know all there is to know about foxes FB because life in general has seemed to dealt you a short straw .

[neil cooney 10,415]

 

I was over on Athol estates on Monday the 18th April micro chipping a few of the keepers dogs all the keepers are hard at it waiting out at night and checking dens this time of year one of the lads had had a litter 2 days before ....now these cubs must of been a very early litter ....up this way the hill lads do not check dens until the 15th of April for 2 reasons that is when the heather burning stops and by that time you can near guarantee that most vixens will of dropped by then ....im not a fan of pics of cubs but these cubs must be around the 2 month mark which would of made them born mid Feb which is very very early on the low ground never mind the hill ...also the dog was in with them I have not spoken to him since then but have sent him a message as im in Vietnam to see if they got the vixen

13046074_10208038740019704_542963841_n.jpg

MIK I think cubs would be like pups as in if its a small litter like the vixen only has 2 cubs instead of 4 say, , they have the best of milk for a few weeks on tap before she will be away her self mooching... or just to get out of there road for a few hours...then best of her spoils when she comes back... so best of grub and no vying between cubs would grow substantially fatter, better bone structure and quicker coat growth than the average fox cubs that have been struggling.... so may look more maturer than they actually are. best way I always try and tell the age of a terrier, lurcher or fox is its teeth can a tell a story like, size of them, colour how far they are set in the gums etc... ive dug big what would think was adult foxes...2-3 year old because of pelt and size when actually lips were lifted teeth were very fine pure white and not set fully in gums yet so at a guess maybe 14-15 months if.... and dug small weedy and big specimens of both sex that were smaller in poorer condition or fat healthy condition & more terrier savvy, but had yellow teeth, teeth missing, well set in gums, and had life scars.... and only the left wing of a corvid will gain a GC points so no point cutting of both!...

 

In the South it's both wings from Grey Crows and Magpies, not all Corvids.

LOL, if I had said one wing only, you'd have said both.

Also, have you dug many 2 and 3 year old foxes ? That's good going when you consider the average lifespan of a fox is 18 months. They must have no predators up your way.

[neil cooney 10,415]

left wing only... why would yoube bringing 40 wings...when u only have to bring 20 left wings of the corvid.. birds only have 1 left wing!

Wrong again, I attend the vermin count every year and it's both wings.

[neil cooney 10,415]

 

I've got to say lads, this is a truly fascinating and insightful thread! It really demonstrates how in touch and knowledgeable countrymen are with their quarry. I was particularly intrigued by this theory that a dominant vixen will keep others out of heat and allow them to kick about until next spring, which fits perfectly with my experience.

 

I find that where keepers are understanding of the hunts, the hunts are perfectly understanding of the keepers! This hatred between hunting folk and shooting folk only exists when one or both are ignorant and selfish towards the other.

 

Cracking thread for the most part.

I wont even reply to that other idiot.

I've done a lot of hunt terrier work Born Hunter and any Huntsman will tell you that one good fox is better than several bad ones. Very very rare for a pack to blank in a days hunting.

I popped into a neighbour today to say hello (and drink a few glasses of Brandy) and when I got home there a while ago I checked my phone and had a miss-call.

On my voicemail was a message from an old woman out the road, out of breath, shouting down the phone to me that the fox was after been in her yard, killed a few hens and was now crossing the garden with a hen in it's mouth. That was around 4 pm.

What's the solution ?

If I was to take that other idiots advice I should go out tomorrow morning and educate that woman and explain to her that I'll wait 'til the cubs are adults and the weather is cold and then I'll sort her problem for her.

Maybe I should compensate her for her loss, just like the Masters did a hundred years ago ?

Or maybe I should do what those of us who know how the countryside works and just get on with the job.

 

Out this morning before 6 am. Scene of the crime is a load of feathers and nothing after that.

All earths look unused (I had no terrier with me) and the only other sign is where a couple of Hares have been having some "jiggy jiggy".

So hopefully it was an opportunist fox because if it's a nursing vixen that's travelling far and she's going to become a problem then I have a lot of land to cover.

[foxbolter 447]

Jiggy jiggy is that what clowny and fat man do on their travels . foxdropper be getting jealous mind. You seem very good at contradicting yourself foxdropper

[fat man 4,740]

left wing only... why would yoube bringing 40 wings...when u only have to bring 20 left wings of the corvid.. birds only have 1 left wing!

I did,nt make the rules the nargc did and thats what we were told by our GC i know it sounds silly but thats the way it is.

[fat man 4,740]

 

There's a cat amongst the pigeons lol fox dropper you have really shown your unintelligent regarding the fox on this thread find it hard you like shooting a animal you have little knowledge of. crosshair I realise hunting is band and pheasant cost 40 a bird are you glad hunting is band because it really sounds like. Do gamekeepers realise birds of prey take pheasant and it's band to shoot them also don't insult my intelligence lovely boy

On an intellectual scale ,this post amongst others of yours is on a minus .You are a sheep that follows ,no brain of your own .You have taken nothing from this thread and given nothing whereas I ,a mere mortal have learnt that the fox in other areas behaves different to ours in general.I have nothing against hunting ,spent many a day with them but certain individuals have voiced opinions about serious control therefore causing a rift .I'm glad you know all there is to know about foxes FB because life in general has seemed to dealt you a short straw .

 

FD we have an old saying here,very hard to educate pork.