Yet another Fox

[SportingShooter 0]

I gained a new permission at the beginning of this week, A farmer friend of mine has a fox problem.

He keeps mainly free range laying hens, around 400 or so and has a small flock of sheep, which are late lambing this year and have only just started.

Its neither of these which are causing the problem, he also keeps ornamental or exotic poultry, Swans, Geese, All Kinds of Duck and some prize Chickens(Silkies, Brahmas, Buff Orpintons etc)

On Friday night, a fox managed to get into one of these pens and killed 30 of these birds including a massive Buff Orpington cockerel and a pair of American Blue Turkeys( at least thats what he called them).

This annoyed him and I bet he was kicking himself when he said no to me shooting for him last year, even though the guy he normally let shoot there hasnt been for more than twelve months.

This place was now heaving with foxes, but seen as its so small it is no place for a centrefire, the ground slopes down on both sides into a valley which is heavily wooded, the farm consists of 84 acres but more than half is woodland and the fields are very small, there is also a village to the north, aswell as a large amount of buildings scattered around the place along with other farms on the other side of the valley.

In my mind this is a difficult area to shoot even with a shotgun, so I opted for the HMR loaded with Winchester Supreme 17gr Vmax.

I shot the first fox there on Saturday night but it was very very thin and in my opinion was either very ill or a release of some sort.

And so on Sunday and Monday I baited another part of the ground with a few of the dead birds. They had gone tonight again and so I was fairly hopeful of seeing something, the only thing I didnt know was when he was coming.

I sat about 50 yards away from the bait, downwind on top of a bale of straw. I waited from dusk until around 10:30 and then I went for a walk around. These fields are sloping and small, and a wood runs along the bottom of them all and as a result it is very dark, especially tonight being overcast.

It is also virtually impossible to see into the next field as there are tall hedges and trees between each one.

The first field produced nothing bar the nice sight of a hare, they are beginning to increase again around here. The second field went the same way, these are the only two fields on this side of the valley, so I walked through the wood to get to the other side. A Little Owl frightening me half to death as I walked through in the pitch black.

I appeared out of the other side safe and sound, I flashed the third field and saw what I wanted to see, two bright Orange eyes staring back at me. Lamp turned off, I moved into position resting on a 4" fence post.

He was on the edge of my confidence with the HMR about 60 yards. I steadied myself, turned the mag up to x9 on the scope and flicked the lamp back on, he hadnt moved(very luckily I thought, but this is virgin territory).

The scope was now lined up on the top 1/3 of his head as I was looking slightly down on him. I steadied the rifle further and squeezed the trigger, Boom, with a very audible thwack.

I reloaded quickly just incase but there was no need, he had dropped on the spot and now lay motionless.

A dog in what seems good condition, what I would call a proper rural fox. The bullet had struck the top 1/2 of the head, gone through the brain and must have stayed within the body.

This may solve the problem if it is the rogue but this place is a haven, I hope not for much longer, at the moment another fox could just take its place.

There is one large field which is suitable for centrefire, this can be baited easily and has a few natural high seats, I think I will be using this a bit more in future.

This I hope will secure the permission for me for a while and no doubt i'll be there on a regular basis from now on.

My confidence with the HMR has certainly improved but it is not a true fox gun and this is the only permission where the centrefire is generally not an option.

I also hope to see an increase in the number of Hares and definately Rabbits(not many with us).

Regards

SS06

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Yet another good read Beats the shit out of all the photo's of dead foxes a moterway crawler could muster, if ye ask me.

 

Funny; When ye mentioned the sighting of the hare? In my own minds eye I automatically pictured one of our Irish hares! I'm going completely native here Saying that, ye ground sounds very much like mine too. Sadly, I lack any high seats, natural or otherwise. I just have the road. Strictly a bit naughty, sure. But I could see night time vehicular traffic well before it got within hearing range of any shot I might take.

 

Wasn't tonight a bit parky for sitting around on bales for so long? I guess the weather just hasn't reached ye just yet? Put a coat on when ye go out in the morning!

[shottyscotty 3]

I gained a new permission at the beginning of this week, A farmer friend of mine has a fox problem.

He keeps mainly free range laying hens, around 400 or so and has a small flock of sheep, which are late lambing this year and have only just started.

Its neither of these which are causing the problem, he also keeps ornamental or exotic poultry, Swans, Geese, All Kinds of Duck and some prize Chickens(Silkies, Brahmas, Buff Orpintons etc)

On Friday night, a fox managed to get into one of these pens and killed 30 of these birds including a massive Buff Orpington cockerel and a pair of American Blue Turkeys( at least thats what he called them).

This annoyed him and I bet he was kicking himself when he said no to me shooting for him last year, even though the guy he normally let shoot there hasnt been for more than twelve months.

This place was now heaving with foxes, but seen as its so small it is no place for a centrefire, the ground slopes down on both sides into a valley which is heavily wooded, the farm consists of 84 acres but more than half is woodland and the fields are very small, there is also a village to the north, aswell as a large amount of buildings scattered around the place along with other farms on the other side of the valley.

In my mind this is a difficult area to shoot even with a shotgun, so I opted for the HMR loaded with Winchester Supreme 17gr Vmax.

I shot the first fox there on Saturday night but it was very very thin and in my opinion was either very ill or a release of some sort.

And so on Sunday and Monday I baited another part of the ground with a few of the dead birds. They had gone tonight again and so I was fairly hopeful of seeing something, the only thing I didnt know was when he was coming.

I sat about 50 yards away from the bait, downwind on top of a bale of straw. I waited from dusk until around 10:30 and then I went for a walk around. These fields are sloping and small, and a wood runs along the bottom of them all and as a result it is very dark, especially tonight being overcast.

It is also virtually impossible to see into the next field as there are tall hedges and trees between each one.

The first field produced nothing bar the nice sight of a hare, they are beginning to increase again around here. The second field went the same way, these are the only two fields on this side of the valley, so I walked through the wood to get to the other side. A Little Owl frightening me half to death as I walked through in the pitch black.

I appeared out of the other side safe and sound, I flashed the third field and saw what I wanted to see, two bright Orange eyes staring back at me. Lamp turned off, I moved into position resting on a 4" fence post.

He was on the edge of my confidence with the HMR about 60 yards. I steadied myself, turned the mag up to x9 on the scope and flicked the lamp back on, he hadnt moved(very luckily I thought, but this is virgin territory).

The scope was now lined up on the top 1/3 of his head as I was looking slightly down on him. I steadied the rifle further and squeezed the trigger, Boom, with a very audible thwack.

I reloaded quickly just incase but there was no need, he had dropped on the spot and now lay motionless.

A dog in what seems good condition, what I would call a proper rural fox. The bullet had struck the top 1/2 of the head, gone through the brain and must have stayed within the body.

This may solve the problem if it is the rogue but this place is a haven, I hope not for much longer, at the moment another fox could just take its place.

There is one large field which is suitable for centrefire, this can be baited easily and has a few natural high seats, I think I will be using this a bit more in future.

This I hope will secure the permission for me for a while and no doubt i'll be there on a regular basis from now on.

My confidence with the HMR has certainly improved but it is not a true fox gun and this is the only permission where the centrefire is generally not an option.

I also hope to see an increase in the number of Hares and definately Rabbits(not many with us).

Regards

SS06

if you are shooting foxes then why not post a picture so we can see them? not that i dont believe you. what calibre rimmy 17 or 22 and what make ammo do you use in your other rifles Edited April 23, 2008 by shottyscotty

[SportingShooter 0]

if you are shooting foxes then why not post a picture so we can see them? not that i dont believe you. what calibre rimmy 17 or 22 and what make ammo do you use in your other rifles

I am not confortable with posting pictures of anything dead on the internet as they can be abused too easily, even with a rifle in the picture, they can be photoshopped, I do have photos of last night but ill just keep them for myself.

They only make a .17 HMR. I use Hornady 40gr Vmax and Remington 50gr Accutips in the .222.

[sounder 9]

good man lovely read there ss,enjoyed it ,nice to see you get more land this time of year, role on and keep them foxes at bay cheers sounder

[gilly-93 31]

nice one mate

[SNAP SHOT 194]

Nice read there SS, i'll be heading for a trouble spot tonight myself, for a few hours, beside my new permission, and if i get the problem sorted i'll get another 300 acres which is right next door to my previous permission................ around 700 acres side by side...............

the ground work pays of......... but there have been alot of late nights to get there.....

[Rudedog 0]

Nice read mate and well done.