Fox and rabbits

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

Saturday night I had a quick hour out local and called in this vixen with dog fox mating call.

 

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

Last night saw me venturing out with the HMR for some rabbits. This is the 1st time out with it since Stav kindly cleaned it for me and I zeroed it

I have never really had much confidence in this rifle but last night I shot great with it with a lot of shots around the eighty to ninety yard mark. It was windy with gusts up to 20 mph and drizzly and a lot of the rabbits very shy.

I saw a fox early on about 100 yds away sat looking at me but due to the poor sight pic and gusting wind I wasn't confident with the shot so let it go.

The 1st rabbit I shot I left at a gate to pick up later , when I eventually went to pick it up around 2 hours later Mr fox had helped himself to it  , I felt happy that I had supplied his supper 

Ended the night with a respectable bag and cant wait to get out with the HMR again as have a new found confidence in it.

[Daniel cain 42,796]

what do you do with them? eat/sell them?

Shame your so far away,I know a load of Lads with BOP's that are always willing to pay for stuff that's been shot in the head,I sell them everything I ferret or lamp with the runner

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

Just now, Daniel cain said:

what do you do with them? eat/sell them?

Shame your so far away,I know a load of Lads with BOP's that are always willing to pay for stuff that's been shot in the head,I sell them everything I ferret or lamp with the runner

They are basically dog food or fox bait. Wish I had somewhere to sell them.

Remember in the 90s I couldnt sell enough in the local Working Mens Clubs for £1 each , couldn't get enough.

Used to come back from Scotland with a 100 or so after lamping , getting back home at dawn then skinning them all and be all sold at lunchtime.....couldn't be arsed with that now.

 

 

[Daniel cain 42,796]

taken over a 1000 in a week up in Scotland,ferreting with longnets etc....sell half up there,game dealer would come and collect, take the rest home for dog/ferret/ bird food....shame it's gone the way it has up there

 

 

 

 

[foxdropper 17,092]

Any pics Sean ?

[Stavross 13,711]

Lovely stuff all it needed was a good clean and a zero and now the little HMR is back in favour 

fair play to you for doing the right thing by that fox, plenty would of taken a wild shot at it

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

12 minutes ago, Stavross said:

Lovely stuff all it needed was a good clean and a zero and now the little HMR is back in favour 

fair play to you for doing the right thing by that fox, plenty would of taken a wild shot at it

Got more respect for the fox mate , I didnt want to risk wounding it . I've shot a few with it but no more than 50 yds

Also I havent used the rifle much and wasn't confident so off he went.

Thanks for the clean has made a difference

 

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

1 hour ago, Daniel cain said:

taken over a 1000 in a week up in Scotland,ferreting with longnets etc....sell half up there,game dealer would come and collect, take the rest home for dog/ferret/ bird food....shame it's gone the way it has up there

 

 

 

 

I have found memories of rabbitting in the Borders , went for around 20 odd years before RHD wiped them out.

Before that you couldn't make a dent in them , we feretted, shot and lamped them killing thousands.

Each year was the same even after myxy had hit.

[foxdropper 17,092]

I remember being up there stalking and seeing waves of rabbits running in .Couldn’t take my eyes off them tbh .

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

30 minutes ago, foxdropper said:

I remember being up there stalking and seeing waves of rabbits running in .Couldn’t take my eyes off them tbh .

We took it for granted back then , waves and waves of rabbits running off fields.

The farmer hated them that much he used to pump the warrens full of slurry.

The crop damage was insane.

I remember one day I just walked about with the shotgun with my terrier flushing rabbits from cover , I shot 77 that day , brilliant times never to be repeated.

 

 

[foxdropper 17,092]

50 minutes ago, FOXHUNTER said:

We took it for granted back then , waves and waves of rabbits running off fields.

The farmer hated them that much he used to pump the warrens full of slurry.

The crop damage was insane.

I remember one day I just walked about with the shotgun with my terrier flushing rabbits from cover , I shot 77 that day , brilliant times never to be repeated.

 

 

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

We used to drive about in the farmers old Defender . My best night was 213 and that was only half the night , I stopped shooting as it got boring , I know that sounds insane but true.

If I'd continued all night probably could have shot 4 to 5 hundred.

 

[Daniel cain 42,796]

2 hours ago, foxdropper said:

Any pics Sean ?

not a thousand at the same time,as the dealer was collecting every 3 days...caught 138 from 3 horse paddocks in around 4 hrs on the first day using the longnets,mile up the road first place we knocked...lamped it 3 nights later had 47..been to some places over the yrs,but that one place we stayed that time  was something else..probably never see such numbers ever again mate

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

 

Just now, Daniel cain said:

not a thousand at the same time,as the dealer was collecting every 3 days...caught 138 from 3 horse paddocks in around 4 hrs on the first day using the longnets,mile up the road first place we knocked...lamped it 3 nights later had 47..been to some places over the yrs,but that one place we stayed that time  was something else..probably never see such numbers ever again mate

Which part of Scotland?

Edited January 30, 2023 by FOXHUNTER