Sightmark Wraith 4K max

[shovel leaner 7,648]

Out again last night SL 3 foxes 0 . A while back I drove into a field that is near some “unfriendly “ houses and there is also a paddock with a couple of very flighty horses that start galloping around as soon as I drive in . One night I counted 5 foxes in that field . I thought “ you know what , I’m going to leave them , it will spook the horses too much and bring unwanted problems my way “. Fortune favours the patient, and I’ve been chipping away at their numbers in an adjacent field which is well away from horses and houses . I can shoot away with no problems . And so it was that last night I shot my first fox of the evening in that field . I drove in and scanned with the thermal, nothing , then I noticed a very small heat signal right out in the middle , the field had recently had a rough disc harrow and a squeak got it to sit up and reveal itself as a Charlie and a front on chest shot at about 100 meters got me off the mark . I had a drive around a few more spots and although I saw another fox it didn’t present a safe shot as it walked the hedge line of a field with buildings behind. I made the pig farm my last place to visit and quickly spotted a fox on the far side of a 20 acre field and again no safe shot . It disappeared through a hedge , so I chanced a squeak and it reappeared, I did my best efforts at impersonating a dying rabbit but it just sat and looked at me , I scanned the rest of the field and I spotted another fox that showed interest . And this one was a safe shot . The fox had appeared by the slurry pit and bonfire , and had a bank with timber and rubbish strewn over it . I lined up the shot which was pushing the Wraith to its limit , I zoomed in to 4x mag and lined the crosshairs on it shoulder and squeezed the trigger, but instead of the usual hollow thud it made a crack and I could see it run off in a panic . I quickly scanned around with the thermal and the original fox was trotting across the field and a safe shot was on if I could stop it . “Oi” it stopped and had a look and I added number three to the tally. 
            I could see it’s lifeless form through the thermal and decided to go and look by the slurry pit for the other one first . I got out of the truck and scanned around with the thermal and couldn’t see anything. I then went “ old school “ and got my torch out , this revealed a different story . There was blood splatter all over the wood on the bank and a massive blood trail and what looked like very light coloured blood indicating a lung shot. A three year old could have followed the trail which led to a very dead fox in some long grass which hadn’t shown up in my spotter . I decided that I would take it over to the other fox and have a team photo for the write up . I put them together for the photo and noticed an injury to the second foxes back leg , I’d noticed it limping . 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by shovel leaner

[shovel leaner 7,648]

I’m off down Dorset in the SL “ snatch style caravan “ tomorrow . My Mrs said pick somewhere near the beach , so I picked Chesil beach , and I’m bringing my fishing kit . So much for romance .

           So I thought I’d better check the chicken farm before I go . I got set up on my favourite pile of blocks and started scanning with the thermal. A nice muntjac buck made his way towards me and I adjusted the ir on the wraith . It wasn’t long until I saw a fox  . Now this really gave me a good comparison to my old pulsar, as I am very familiar with how far I could effectively see and shoot in this field and I’m happy to say that the Wraith is head and shoulders above the pulsar. I clicked in the zoom and put the crosshairs on the shoulder and killed it very cleanly. Almost immediately another fox came out of the ditch next to it ran up to it and I thought this is easy but he didn’t give me a single second to get on him and he was off like a scalded cat . 
            A bit later my friend the little owl let me know one was around and I stopped looking at THL on my phone and my senses became heightened. Where was it ? The owl was going bananas, but I couldn’t see the fox . Then it appeared about 10 meters away . It nearly filled the screen up as I hadn’t adjusted the zoom back  . I shot it but it required a second shot to finish it off as I think the first  shot was low . 
             Anyway I thought I’d share my exploits for anyone who wishes to kill a couple of minutes while having a dump or in the middle of some boring TV program . 
           All the best , remember keep it real and play nice you lot . 

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

Enjoy the romance and the fishing

[Stavross 13,764]

Wish I’d kept that for my morning dump, but as soon as I seen the picture I couldn’t resist

Edited September 11, 2022 by Stavross

[Stavross 13,764]

1 minute ago, FOXHUNTER said:

Enjoy the romance and the fishing

If the caravan a rockin don’t come a knocking

[shovel leaner 7,648]

I looked at the picture and thought , the scope doesn’t look right ? The bellows eye piece fell off and I had to go back and find it .  

[shovel leaner 7,648]

I’ve been a busy lately, doing a fair bit of shooting a night . Now the weather has turned a bit and I don’t want to get a stuck/ filthy  truck or damage the drilling too much . I really needed to sort out something like a tripod or decent sticks . 
              I was in the local gun shop on Friday and spotted some Blaser quad sticks. They have a sort of pistol grip front that allows you to track . I got a rifle down off the rack and took it out the back of the shop . It was rock steady , light being made of carbon fibre , just over 2lb in weight, and the pistol grip allows you to move the point of aim laterally if you are tracking a moving animal about 30 -40 ft at 100 meters, without picking the sticks up and moving them . So I bought them , at what I later found out was an amazing price . About £40 cheaper than I’ve seen online since . 
            I took them out this evening to the chicken farm. A place where I always need sticks . I waited by the huts until about 8.30 . I walked around the back of the hut and looked up the bank towards the Xmas trees and saw movement through my thermal. I deployed the sticks and got the rifle on and sight turned on . Another look through the thermal and it was a fox trotting towards the hut . I had the wind in my face and it had no idea I was there . I flicked on the ir and steadied the sticks against my leg and the fox was trotting and I was able to keep up with it in a smooth motion by turning the grip . I whistled and it kept going “ Oi” it stopped. I pulled the trigger and heard the familiar thud . It always reminds me of the sound my mum made beating the living room carpet over the line . One dead vixen , one happy chicken farmer and a very happy owner of Blaser quad sticks . I am seriously impressed. 

[shovel leaner 7,648]

Out tonight for a good long session. The longer evenings are already starting to seem like an eternity, with nothing but absolute crap on the Television . 
          The ground has dried up a fair bit near me and I thought I’d drive the fields . We have Maize stubble still and cut silage and rye grass drilling , and also rape that was direct drilled into wheat stubble . So all nice and drivable , without causing any damage . I saw more deer tonight than I’ve seen in a long time . I have just acquired permission next to a traveler site with two  biggish fields that must total 40 acres . I swung in the field with the thermal scanning out of the window and not only was it crawling with rabbits but I counted 12 roe . What surprised me was the fact there were any deer at all . I would of thought the travelers would of run them with their dags . There I go stereotyping again Ben . But there was nothing I was after in them so I moved on . And that was the story of the night , I counted a total 35 deer , a few fallow and muntjac but mostly roe . I thought I’d try a field that is behind some big posh houses . It was still only about 9.30 so not too late and most people would be in watching the Television so I thought id chance it . I try not to draw attention to myself and if I think that I’m going to bring heat I don’t bother . I’m glad I did because as I drove across the rape drilling I spotted Charlie walking across the field in front of me I stop the truck and got out , I don’t know how I did it but the alarm went off as I opened the door to get my rifle out. I cursed myself and was sure id messed up , but i couldn’t believe the fox was still there but not only that he was getting closer . I tell you what , give me these daft suburban foxes any day . You don’t need me to explain what happened next , because the Wraith is so good it’s almost unfair . I even had time to tweak the focus and zoom in . When I went to pick it up I was surprised at the size of it . I’ve not shot a fox as big for a long time if ever . I will weigh him tomorrow. I will let you know his weight. Any guesses? 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

19.5lb.

[BenBhoy 4,706]

10kg 

[BenBhoy 4,706]

7 hours ago, shovel leaner said:

There I go stereotyping again Ben

No bother, I think its to do with your age! Besides, I suspect there is often a grain of truth in some stereotypes; example- when arrogant English w@nkers call me a sheep shagger!!

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

20lb

[shovel leaner 7,648]

1 hour ago, FOXHUNTER said:

20lb

Correct . I got on the bathroom scales , got my weight , then picked up the fox . It was flickering between 19.5lb and 20lb but was more 20lb so like any good fisherman I went with the highest.That’s my PB 

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

4 minutes ago, shovel leaner said:

Correct . I got on the bathroom scales , got my weight , then picked up the fox . It was flickering between 19.5lb and 20lb but was more 20lb so like any good fisherman I went with the highest.That’s my PB 

I think I have only had 4 foxes weighing 20lb and above with the heaviest being 23.5 lb

 

[shovel leaner 7,648]

3 minutes ago, FOXHUNTER said:

I think I have only had 4 foxes weighing 20lb and above with the heaviest being 23.5 lb

 

 

3 minutes ago, FOXHUNTER said:

I think I have only had 4 foxes weighing 20lb and above with the heaviest being 23.5 lb

 

That is a monster . My previous PB was 19lb . But around my neck of the woods they don’t tend to be more than  17lb . That dog fox I just shot was carrying a lot of weight , he’d probably just eaten someone’s chicken.