Corona foxes

[shovel leaner 7,648]

1 hour ago, ianm said:

I have had them run in and bite the foxpro once or twice. One even ran in and jumped up to the caller whilst it was on a hide pole and bit it.

Doesn’t surprise me . I’ve had the caller going with the wind in my face and had a fox stood right next to me . Another time I was behind a Cotswold stone wall with the caller next to me , the fox ran up the other side and jumped on top and was face to face with me in broad daylight, I don’t know who was more surprised  

[shovel leaner 7,648]

I had a text message from the chicken farm “chickens killed in run “ yesterday. I got over to the unit at about 7.30pm . I set myself up on a flatbed trailer by the hen house , near to the kill sight . I decided to try the icotec 350 with the pheasant distress call , but nothing showed up . The doors on the house shut at 9.0pm so I gave it till 9.30 pm and called it a night , frozen to the bone . 
             I turned up again tonight and decided to walk around the unit spotting with the thermal. But didn’t see anything until the doors shut . I noticed a heat signature in the hedge on the far side of the hen house field . It doesn’t matter how many foxes I shoot I never loose that adrenaline rush and tremble I get when I first spot Charlie after a long wait . The wind was on my neck and I had to move position or it would be off . I ran around the other side of the unit and up to the far end , praying that it would still be there . I crept up to the end of the unit and peeped around the corner with the thermal. Bingo it was clear of the hedge and sat like a well trained gun dog , looking towards the hen house . The trouble was it had its back to the hedge and it wasn’t a safe shot , I just needed it to move along the bank a few yards . I set my rifle up on the sticks and waited, I didn’t fancy squeaking or doing anything to jeopardise the shot , sometimes a fox is so important that you can’t risk messing it up and it’s just a case of waiting it out . Sure enough after about 10 minutes the fox got up and moved along the bank . I whistled and it stopped to look at me , “whomp” it dropped and I could relax . I’d been concentrating and tensed up for a while and it was a relief to get this fox , a vixen . Hopefully now the killing will stop . 
       On a plus , I’ve been stocking up on eggs , must do a delivery to the neighbours.

[Stavross 13,778]

Good result I know what you mean about not wanting to call out to them, I’ve had them trotting along and not wanted to make a noise because you can guarantee they will do the opposite of what you want them to do, on more than one occasion I’ve made the decision to shoot them on the move 

[Alsone 789]

On 11/04/2020 at 13:18, shovel leaner said:

Doesn’t surprise me . I’ve had the caller going with the wind in my face and had a fox stood right next to me . Another time I was behind a Cotswold stone wall with the caller next to me , the fox ran up the other side and jumped on top and was face to face with me in broad daylight, I don’t know who was more surprised  

I had that happen to me once albeit I wasn't out shooting. I was behind some buildings with a shoulder high wall to the rear. I turned the corner walking within 2 feet of the wall, and there was a fox stood on the edge of the wall. Literally my face within 2 feet of his. We both stopped dead and stared at each other for about 30 secs before I carefully moved away. Normally not scared of foxes but when it's teeth are at face height, it makes you a bit more cautious. That was broad daylight as well.

[Alsone 789]

Just wanted to add for the topic, the official line is you can't catch Corona from animals. However, New York zoo has reported Corona in a Tiger as has China with domestic cats. Who knows. Then again, they said masks didn't work didn't they, but they're still clambering to get them for themselves. 

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

Nice result when a plan comes together,  always satisfying to get a particular culprit

[shovel leaner 7,648]

Saw the tractors going past yesterday signalling the first cut on the silage . They fetched it all in today so I thought I’d better go and have a look . Only about three fields on the shoot with silage this year .

I want to shoot a fox in daylight with my .243 , so I headed out to sit in the truck , tucked away in the corner of a cut field , but alas no show from Charlie. 
                As day light faded and day turned to night , the .223 came out of its case and I reluctantly put the .243 away “its time will come “. So I drove from the first field to the next scanning as I drove with the thermal, nothing in the second. I was starting to think it was going to be one of them nights . Through the gap in the hedge to the last field and slap bang in the middle was the very welcome sight of Charlie mooching around . I closed the distance to as close as I dared and swung the truck around broadside so I could shoot off the bonnet. I got out of the truck as quietly as by ageing arthritic and now slightly pot bellied frame would allow and turned the pulsar N970lrf on and waited the second or two to see if the fox was still there .... it was . I steadied the green dot on its heart and squeezed the trigger, thud , but instead of dropping it started spinning around and wriggling, a quick second shot was called for and it stopped moving. I picked up the thermal to have another look around but nothing so I drove to pick up the fox , I scanned as I drove and spotted another fox on the hedge line. I stopped the truck so I could repeat my previous off the bonnet shot . This fox was in a hurry and by the time I’d got set up he was half the field away. I started to squeak with my palm to my lips and did a not so bad impersonation of a rabbit in agony. The fox took the bait and turned and headed my way . The wind was in my face and this fox was committed , he definitely wanted that sad sounding rabbit. I let him get to about 70 meters and said “oi” , it stopped facing me and I lined t try he green dot in the centre of its bib . No wriggling from this one , it dropped stone dead. A dog and a vixen. 
            I drove around the estate again but I should of just gone home as I saw nothing else . I swung by the chicken farm on the way home to look at his neighbours field which had silage cut at the same time but all I saw was a solitary badger. 

 

 

 

[shovel leaner 7,648]

Text message this morning, “more feathers outside the hen house “ . Looks like the Mrs will be watching telly on her own again.

[Stavross 13,778]

They just keep coming, better to be out in the fresh are than bogged down with the depression of EastEnders or something as equally terrible

[Sausagedog 7,381]

I heard a chuck get taken last night. I had gone bed early and heard it.

[shovel leaner 7,648]

59 minutes ago, Sausagedog said:

I heard a chuck get taken last night. I had gone bed early and heard it.

Go get I’m sausage

[Sausagedog 7,381]

2 hours ago, shovel leaner said:

Go get I’m sausage

It's down to the lack of rain. There is little to no worms on top. The first two rabbit hatches are over. There is no easy pickings this spring so they are coming for the chucks.

[shovel leaner 7,648]

1 minute ago, Sausagedog said:

It's down to the lack of rain. There is little to no worms on top. The first two rabbit hatches are over. There is no easy pickings this spring so they are coming for the chucks.

You could be right . I’ve never been so busy at the chicken farm. It seems to be that they just keep coming in from who knows where . 
         We had a dry summer back a couple of seasons and I noticed badgers feeding in broad daylight. 
          I think that the chicken farm is losing his birds during the day before I get there . The hatches open at lunchtime, I think a daylight vigil would pay off .

[BenBhoy 4,706]

6 hours ago, Sausagedog said:

It's down to the lack of rain. There is little to no worms on top. The first two rabbit hatches are over. There is no easy pickings this spring so they are coming for the chucks.

Also I reckon quieter roads mean less roadkill to scavenge 

[BenBhoy 4,706]

6 hours ago, shovel leaner said:

I think a daylight vigil would pay off

.243