worlds apart

[si brown 8,486]

just been reading sd's post about the lucky and not so lucky fox..

and was thinking my last few outings couldn't be any more un traditional!

ive been thinning out a few foxs as the lambs are due any time, any way I was board night before last and the weather was terrible but I thought id chance it..

on arriving at a barn and yard bout a mile from where the lambing is done theres another field full of the next batches that often get visits as theres feeders in a copse in the same field and it pulls a few foxs in. 

any way I got out of the motor and thought wtf am I doing here, I dismissed going in the sheep field as I thought the thermal would be crap and I wasn't going to risk anything the visibility was that bad ill get lost in a field a bit further into what im saying 

so I jumped out of the tuck put the rifle on the stix just to see if it was worthwhile having a walk about and theres a bloody fox in my sights, I know this land like the back of my hand and know the shots safe as its a stubble field with a rising bank..

you can tell how long the scope was on by the battery level.... anyway it was trying to sneak up on the partridges and a quick squeak stoped him!

the image was plain to see it was a fox through the scope but it looks pap above. 

one down at a paced out 213yard

so I set off looking round another area that had no livestock in and saw another in the same area id taken two from the week before, easy shot maybe 100yard, watched it do a few yards and drop.. I set off to have a look in the next field above and thought its getting even more misty so called it a draw and went to go pick the second fox up, I spent bloody ages walking round in circles with the spotter glued to my eye that I walked into a hedge on the opposite side of the field to where I thought I was, it was only the rumble of traffic in the background that I could use to get my bearings and find my way back to the motor!

two from previous visit

earlier tonight my mate asked me to help him out on a pig farm where the piglets are getting snatched , my mates a full on traditional lad and is shotgun and lamp all the way but he wanted the pig pincher taking out so ive had him spotting for me tonight with the thermal and ive been shooting with the thermal.. the first fox didn't take much finding as the screaming piglet gave it away, ill freely admit to missing twice as it had the piglet in its mouth and wasn't hanging about.. my mate kept track of it with the spotter and after half an hour of ninja manoeuvres it was down

my mate was chuffed to bits as it was down but I was a bit pi55ed off seen as though id missed it twice,, so we carried on walking about with my mate loving his new toy for the night spotting every mouse and rat in Yorkshire, wasn't long till I got the"si theres one there" so stixs up an oy and a bang number two is down

it was only maybe a 60yard shot and my mates first hand experience of a thermal explosion, its been moved and rolled over

we'd about had enough but I saw something moving through the woods and asked me mate to have a squeak so he did but it didn't pull that fox but another that came crashing trough the brash I was stood next to and nearly took me out his days are numbered, my mate wants another thermal only night..

so not traditional in the slightest, maybe a bit more effective cos these had to be done... wonder if I could strap a thermal to a powder burner

[Stavross 13,795]

I’ve always wanted a pig farm, a lad I know has 2 he shoots just outside of York and he gets a lot of foxes from them 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

5 hours ago, Stavross said:

I’ve always wanted a pig farm, a lad I know has 2 he shoots just outside of York and he gets a lot of foxes from them 

I use to visit pig units. Out door ones. Lots of fox's but a pain in the rump to work. Then there is the mud and stink!

[Sausagedog 7,381]

Belting nightshift work Si.

Those fox's eyes look look like mine after a heavy drinking session!

Your mate using a shotgun and lamp. What shot? Tight chokes?

Does he do OK?

 

[si brown 8,486]

2 hours ago, Sausagedog said:

Belting nightshift work Si.

Those fox's eyes look look like mine after a heavy drinking session!

Your mate using a shotgun and lamp. What shot? Tight chokes?

Does he do OK?

 

cheers sd

my mate is bloody good with a shotgun, his dad was a proper old school keeper and he learnt from him,, 

he's a first light lad, he'll do the legwork during the day and turn up an hour before sunlight any time of the year.. that's why I'll only do winter on there with him, 

I dont enjoy getting up at 3am in the summer months:(

hes had all sorts of rifles over the years and just never uses them, i got him an nv spotter and he sold it as he didn't like it. 

this pig farm and a chicken farm are his two main shoots, to tell you the truth neither are crawling with foxs cos hes good at what he dose.. I recon hes done 30+ this year  

we've both gone onto steel shot over the last year.. he favours no1 shot in heavy loads for geese and fox through 1/2 choke and 4's through 1/4 for roost- decoying. 

that fox defiantly needed censoring   sounded like shaking a hot water bottle. 

[si brown 8,486]

8 hours ago, Stavross said:

I’ve always wanted a pig farm, a lad I know has 2 he shoots just outside of York and he gets a lot of foxes from them 

I shoot two more pig farms, both b&b I got them years ago through ratting with the air guns.. they all pull foxs in and are mint for rat nights when the weathers bad 

[si brown 8,486]

2 hours ago, Sausagedog said:

I use to visit pig units. Out door ones. Lots of fox's but a pain in the rump to work. Then there is the mud and stink!

your right, there sh1t holes.. this place is running sand and its like a swamp at the moment, the smells not to bad there as its in a massive vale and permanently windy..

its about 800 ache this place so a lot of ground to cover, there a shoot on this land to so the foxs will take the pheasants as well, nothing to do with us so if there munching pheasants there not taking piglets 

[Stavross 13,795]

We have a few pig units around us and they do attract foxes but the one time I went to York was an eye opener, where it was wasn’t far from some houses and the lad said they just keep coming, he lives in Doncaster and won’t give it up because there always foxes there, the greedy bugger won’t let me in on the action ether

[Dervburner 2,548]

55 minutes ago, si brown said:

your right, there sh1t holes.. this place is running sand and its like a swamp at the moment, the smells not to bad there as its in a massive vale and permanently windy..

its about 800 ache this place so a lot of ground to cover, there a shoot on this land to so the foxs will take the pheasants as well, nothing to do with us so if there munching pheasants there not taking piglets 

Don’t the people on the shoot control any foxes si ?

[si brown 8,486]

56 minutes ago, Stavross said:

We have a few pig units around us and they do attract foxes but the one time I went to York was an eye opener, where it was wasn’t far from some houses and the lad said they just keep coming, he lives in Doncaster and won’t give it up because there always foxes there, the greedy bugger won’t let me in on the action ether

I shoot on an estate near Driffield and there are lads from donny who drive all that way to shoot a few rabbits.. feck that, 20 mins drive is my top out. 

[si brown 8,486]

30 minutes ago, Dervburner said:

Don’t the people on the shoot control any foxes si ?

There’s a keeper at the pigs and there are keepers either side of the first place I went to.. I’m not into game shoots so I’ll just look after my man when the times called for

[villaman 9,980]

Nice outing &write up Si

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

Great write up and a few cleared up

[Sausagedog 7,381]

9 hours ago, si brown said:

cheers sd

my mate is bloody good with a shotgun, his dad was a proper old school keeper and he learnt from him,, 

he's a first light lad, he'll do the legwork during the day and turn up an hour before sunlight any time of the year.. that's why I'll only do winter on there with him, 

I dont enjoy getting up at 3am in the summer months:(

hes had all sorts of rifles over the years and just never uses them, i got him an nv spotter and he sold it as he didn't like it. 

this pig farm and a chicken farm are his two main shoots, to tell you the truth neither are crawling with foxs cos hes good at what he dose.. I recon hes done 30+ this year  

we've both gone onto steel shot over the last year.. he favours no1 shot in heavy loads for geese and fox through 1/2 choke and 4's through 1/4 for roost- decoying. 

that fox defiantly needed censoring   sounded like shaking a hot water bottle. 

I love getting up early and getting somewhere in the dark and waiting for it to come light. The rush watching Charlie work his way to you is priceless and it doesn't always work out but I love it.

[si brown 8,486]

3 hours ago, Sausagedog said:

I love getting up early and getting somewhere in the dark and waiting for it to come light. The rush watching Charlie work his way to you is priceless and it doesn't always work out but I love it.

My mates the same:)

and he’s got a lot more patience than me..

he’s just text me asking weather a thermal he's seen is any good

he’ll still use the shotgun but have a bit more notice if Charlie is on his way. 
bet he’ll have it sold within a month if he buys it:)