Too little too late

[shovel leaner 7,648]

The shoot owners sister lives on the estate and her kids keep a few fancy chickens, some peking bantams and silkies and some other weird looking things . She rang me up about a fortnight ago saying she had a fox bothering the birds and would I have a look around. Sure I said and sat out a few evenings but saw nothing then it had one of her fowl . So I stepped up my game and tried the electric fox caller with a few different distress calls ....again nothing . It took another bird and again I sat out three evenings on the trot well into darkness and using the thermal , and saw nothing. I have been shooting foxes around her place for years and the foxes always seem to approach from the same direction so I believed I was sat out in the right place . Yesterday it is now at the time of writing this I had a phone call that no one who controls foxes wants . The fox broke into the coop and killed the lot . The kids were upset and I felt ... a bit guilty, that I hadn’t been successful. Right , that’s it I thought, I’m going out and I’m going to get that fox . I got the ATV out and drove around then I had a sit out , then another drive around. Then as I was going past the front of the house I spied through my thermal the unmistakable outline of Charlie. I stopped the mule and got out . I rested on a garden wall and saw through my spotter a fox on the other side , It disappeared into a hedge , had I missed my chance ? I squeaked and squealed for all I was worth for what seemed like a long time , certainly longer than I would normally. Then just as I was about to concede defeat it appeared and a nice broadside shot at about 40 meters saw a milky vixen hit the wet grass . She was right next to an earth that had cubs in about 5or six years ago but I thought was no longer used . I could kick myself for not trying the other side of the property sooner . You think sometimes that you know what they tend to do and get complacent. I will now have to deal with the cubs which I hate doing . But rather that than them starve to death . 

Edited May 9, 2019 by shovel leaner

[Stavross 13,713]

I’ve had the same problem on the sheep farm in the past and as I tell the farmer “ you can’t kill them all” this is no consolation when they are taking livestock especially when the livestock is essentially the kids pets, one saving grace is at least the cubs will still be hanging around the earth but it’s still never a nice job 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

Yeah, the prevailing winds have been from the east lately and it may be why her approach changed! She may of smelt you lying in wait!

Those cubs are on meat, they won't starve now. They will live on muck if they have to. They just won't be as smart...but smart enough!

They will be out on top soon.

They may also have the dog or aunt assisting yet!

The amount of stuff a Vixen can kill is scary. I once shot a smallish given carrying a full sized rabbit and a large hen pheasant in her mouth at the same time!

Whilst it is easy to become emotional about the cubs it is still fact that the Vixen has and will without any consiounce take anything. All meadow pipets, larks, pheasant, partridge, ducks, moorhens, curlew and of course livestock.

As rabbit numbers drop due to idiots allowing disease in the fox will also suffer, suffer by having to compete more for survival and thus exposure to humans.

Experts again!

[Gav 1,708]

Glad we don't have the litttle buggers here, rabbits making a come back slowly after VHD, I dare say with the red terroists about they wouldn't have made it!

My ma has chucks, gooses and ducks (not bad in a one bedroom bedsit ), and its the white tail and golden eagles that are her bain, still I'd prefer them to the elusive mr fox.

[Baldcoot 2,352]

S,L every day is a school day and we dont stop learning till they nail the lid on .You got the red baarsteward and learned a lesson ,yes its not nice and my friend lost all his to the slaughter method 12 dead chickens but only 1 taken for fox lunch but you know it aint happening again atb 

[shovel leaner 7,648]

One of the reasons I didn’t check that side is , when there was a litter there last I had dog walkers , horse riders , and farm workers all telling me , “ you know there is a litter of fox cubs in that hedge “.And to be honest I wasn’t that bothered about doing them in until the mother took a signet off the lake then the boss issued a fatwa . Hopefully it should be easy enough to deal with them . I’ve got some rabbit traps that I bait with pigeon, works well on hungry inquisitive cubs , I will also wait out to see if there is another fox helper to feed them . 

[Baldcoot 2,352]

Trouble with mr n mrs dog walker is they forget fluffy ikkle puppies they arnt ,those red rats become big snarly chuck killers such is nature .When theyre young mummy isnt feeding them with baby formula and that,s t he problem education about the country is whatever the vegan,s of countryfake tell them on a Sunday evening.

Such a pity real country folk are not allowed anywhere near to explain the truth about Foxes in the henhouse ,Badgers eating lapwing and plover eggs whilst chewing on Hedgehog jerky.And how quickly a flock of piggins will strip a field of crops ,costing the farmer ,time and money and ultimately putting the price up for their weekly shop .

After all meat comes in polystyrene trays and is nowt to do with them cows in the filed ,rant over and breathe

[shovel leaner 7,648]

2 hours ago, Baldcoot said:

Trouble with mr n mrs dog walker is they forget fluffy ikkle puppies they arnt ,those red rats become big snarly chuck killers such is nature .When theyre young mummy isnt feeding them with baby formula and that,s t he problem education about the country is whatever the vegan,s of countryfake tell them on a Sunday evening.

Such a pity real country folk are not allowed anywhere near to explain the truth about Foxes in the henhouse ,Badgers eating lapwing and plover eggs whilst chewing on Hedgehog jerky.And how quickly a flock of piggins will strip a field of crops ,costing the farmer ,time and money and ultimately putting the price up for their weekly shop .

After all meat comes in polystyrene trays and is nowt to do with them cows in the filed ,rant over and breathe

One of the best rants I heard was (Ted  Nugent on Vegans ) if I knew how to put the link up I would do it , type it in on YouTube he is on the Joe Rogan podcast and it is excellent!! 

[Rabid 1,936]

So, whenever I get the nod, first thing I do is set a trail cam up, they are creatures of habit, and rather than sitting out for nights on end, I get an idea when and where they are moving, get out an hour earlier and it’s usually job done in two hours

[Gav 1,708]

1 hour ago, shovel leaner said:

One of the best rants I heard was (Ted  Nugent on Vegans ) if I knew how to put the link up I would do it , type it in on YouTube he is on the Joe Rogan podcast and it is excellent!! 

Oh i rant and rave all day every day at every thing and any thing, some times someone agrees with me but not often, I guess its my age as all I get from the Mrs is rolling eyes, I did tell her to see an optician, but alas she still rolls them at me, must be love?

[Sausagedog 7,381]

19 minutes ago, Gav said:

Oh i rant and rave all day every day at every thing and any thing, some times someone agrees with me but not often, I guess its my age as all I get from the Mrs is rolling eyes, I did tell her to see an optician, but alas she still rolls them at me, must be love?

So you don't get the I'm married to a nutter stare then?

[Gav 1,708]

12 minutes ago, Sausagedog said:

So you don't get the I'm married to a nutter stare then?

I think thats what the rolling eyes mean?

[Longshanx 832]

On 10/05/2019 at 20:42, shovel leaner said:

One of the best rants I heard was (Ted  Nugent on Vegans ) if I knew how to put the link up I would do it , type it in on YouTube he is on the Joe Rogan podcast and it is excellent!! 

Here you go @shovel leaner

Is this the one? Thus is a great rant and talks a lot of sense.