Back at them

[shovel leaner 7,648]

We have just had the 2nd silage cut here, and it’s for me a good chance to get around the shoot and start to make a dent in the fox population. I’ve been finding litters and doing my best to deal with them . I’ve had a go with the terriers and been trapping, but now the gloves are off and I will now be nocturnal for a while. I have decided that with all the kit I take with me for a nights foxing I needed a special bag to put my binoculars, thermal spotter , bullets , torch , latex gloves etc . Instead of them rolling around the seat and taking me two or three trips to load up and unload the truck . When I get it I will show you all . Last night I shot two cubs and a dog fox , all in the same area . I shot the dog and panned around before I picked it up and saw a cub by the wood , I closed the distance a bit and shot it at about 120 meters, I waited a minute and saw another cub and shot that too . All within 10 minutes. I wish I’d gone home then , because I drove around for another 2 hours and didn’t shoot another fox . Anyway , they finished silageing and I was out again . I thought I’d wait at dusk near to where I’d shot the dog and cubs the night before . 10 o’clock and it was just getting too dark to see through my binoculars and I got the thermal spotter out , I could see a fox moving in the wood , I kept watching it and at the same time , got the rifle ready. It didn’t take long before it walked clear of the wood and gave me a shot . I waited a while to see if any more joined it but none did so I picked it up , just a smallish cub . I know it’s a shame but that cute little cub will soon be a poult killer . Then I went on to the cut silage , nothing on the first three fields, I was starting to think that there were no foxes coming out tonight, when my thermal picked up a heat source. I pulled into the field and turned the engine off and got the rifle out , good it was still there and wasn’t interested in me . Number 2 in the bag . It was a vixen , by the look of her she had had cubs but she was drying up . On again and another lap of the estate. Back to the first fields where I’d drawn a blank earlier and I spotted a familiar shape running for the hedge , I closed the distance down a bit and gave some squeaks , it popped out of the hedge and closed in fast , I shouted” Oi “ and it stopped in it’s tracks face on . I dropped it at about 50 meters. I drove into the next field which is the other side of a small orchard from where I’d just shot that last fox which was a large dog . And there was another fox preoccupied feeding. I drove as near as I dared but something told me this one was a bit warier than most . I tried squeaking but it just looked at me . I used my laser range finder on my scope and it was 184  meters. Well I’ve been shooting well with my home loads so I felt confident to make the shot , “whomp”, the bullet found it’s mark , I continued to watch through the scope as it’s tail twitched , then it got up and ran half tumbling and falling straight to a thick hedge in the orchard, i went to pick it up but couldn’t find it , I will be back in the morning to find it , hopefully I will , otherwise it doesn’t go in the book ,” thems the rules “!!! I’ve added a picture of tonight’s foxes , I do hope that it doesn’t upset any antis or vegetarians who may read this post , so just to show that I’m “all about being inclusive “ , there is the picture of a lettuce I shot  earlier. 

[tomburras 2,721]

Very interesting write up cheers!

[Sausagedog 7,381]

Nice lettuce, heart shot?

They must of eaten everything !

Have you seen any wild chicks?

[Stavross 13,720]

Cracking write up, you have inspired me to get up to the shoot tonight and if the missus says anything I’ll be telling her shovel leaner is a saviour of the countryside and that’s what I aspire to be

[shovel leaner 7,648]

2 hours ago, Sausagedog said:

Nice lettuce, heart shot?

They must of eaten everything !

Have you seen any wild chicks?

I’ve seen one clutch , but it didn’t last long , everyday their numbers dwindled . I think it’s a combination of poor parenting and too many corvids having a go . Still time to see some more though it’s still early . Another problem I find is cock birds bothering and trying to tread the hen when she leaves the nest to feed . 

[shovel leaner 7,648]

The new bag arrived this morning, amazing, I only ordered it on Friday , that’s Amazon for you . It’s called a Nighthawk hunting bag , first impression is it’s not very good quality, about the same sort of quality as Jack Pike stuff . I normally get stuff that will last,  but this is just going to sit on the passenger seat . I’m going to stick some Velcro on the bottom to stop it sliding off the seat . I’m also going to cut some hardboard to make the bottom rigid . I like the pockets and size though. In case you are wondering I wear plastic gloves when I pick up dead foxes now as I can’t stand the smell on my hands , sometimes no matter how much you wash them it won’t go . A mate said he loves the smell and wipes his hands on the pillow so he can dream of the moment you break through on a dig and you get that waft of fox smell filling your nostrils which is exciting I suppose, each to their own . 

[David.evans 5,323]

n870 SL and ppu soft point ? good result mate 

im out the week end  200 acres cut and no moon  should be interesting 

atb 

[David.evans 5,323]

ive has the ad40 on my caller and never done any good with it do you yse it much ?

[shovel leaner 7,648]

Just now, David.evans said:

ive has the ad40 on my caller and never done any good with it do you yse it much ?

N135 and sierra 1320 semi points. I have used the “quiver critter “ and it seems to work on cubs . Their natural curiosity I suppose, weather or not it would have worked on them with just the caller I will never know . Maybe these things are as much about attracting the shooter with too much money and not enough sense ?

[Sausagedog 7,381]

Just a thought if you like a waft of fox on the air to get you excited you could pick your nose after picking a fox up.

Keep you going all night that......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

2 hours ago, shovel leaner said:

I’ve seen one clutch , but it didn’t last long , everyday their numbers dwindled . I think it’s a combination of poor parenting and too many corvids having a go . Still time to see some more though it’s still early . Another problem I find is cock birds bothering and trying to tread the hen when she leaves the nest to feed . 

We use to bump allot of cocks off for that reason and in the good old days shoots crows all the time.

Edited May 28, 2019 by Sausagedog

[Stavross 13,720]

29 minutes ago, shovel leaner said:

The new bag arrived this morning, amazing, I only ordered it on Friday , that’s Amazon for you . It’s called a Nighthawk hunting bag , first impression is it’s not very good quality, about the same sort of quality as Jack Pike stuff . I normally get stuff that will last,  but this is just going to sit on the passenger seat . I’m going to stick some Velcro on the bottom to stop it sliding off the seat . I’m also going to cut some hardboard to make the bottom rigid . I like the pockets and size though. In case you are wondering I wear plastic gloves when I pick up dead foxes now as I can’t stand the smell on my hands , sometimes no matter how much you wash them it won’t go . A mate said he loves the smell and wipes his hands on the pillow so he can dream of the moment you break through on a dig and you get that waft of fox smell filling your nostrils which is exciting I suppose, each to their own . 

Nice man bag, it beats having pockets stuffed full of gear

[shovel leaner 7,648]

I don’t tend to do much on foot , apart from the chicken farm . So it’s nice to have everything organised now , hopefully my days of gear falling off the seat and rolling around the footwell are over .

[shovel leaner 7,648]

Just been back to look for the fox that made it to the hedge. Couldn’t find it and believe me I tried . I walked up and down the hedge and scoured the bottom of it .... nothing . I crawled through a gap to be greeted by ( I’m 6.2”) nettles up to my chin . I climbed a dead tree and looked for flattened areas to check, but they just turned out to be deer seats . I did however find the whereabouts of a litter of cubs , who are I believe now orphaned. So , as they say ....”every cloud “!!

[Stavross 13,720]

Good to find the cubs if you have taken the adults out, I hate the thought of them starving to death this time of year