Foxes everywhere tonight

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Niall sent me a text around tea time, that being 6pm ish, not that that's the best time for tea, who am I to make a fuss. Was I up to anything tonight? I knew what was coming next. We might head out for a look. It so happens I wasn't doing anything tonight, and just also happened to have a fully charged battery! I headed out to Nialls, laden to the gills with calls, rangefinder, bullets, all the paraphernalia associated with the job.

 

First spot we lamped was belonging to Nialls Dad. I think the last time we had been there together we were lucky to get out alive, surrounded by foxes on all sides coming out of bushes, from behind walls, you name it, there was a fox hiding in it. Tonight was a different story, only horses to be seen.

 

We went on to check a large piece of land which belongs to the brother of a friend of mine. Niall wasn't too keen, saying how he'd never seen or heard of foxes there. However, I had seen foxes there this year. Hadn't shot any as they didn't want to play ball, but I figured it was worth a look. This place is quite handy, as there's a private paved road running through it, so we could not only lamp from the car but shoot off the roof as well, no legal issues to worry about!

 

Reaching the end of the road we turned and headed back. We'd not driven two hundred yards when Niall spotted a fox way away. Serious distance, across a bog, across a lake, across another bog and halfway up a hill. Given the ground and wind it would have been a pure waste of time walking out to him.

 

We stayed put. I turned on the caller for a while and got pretty much no reaction. Turned it off after a few minutes and whipped out my secret weapon. A mouth call I'd used before, which brought a kill on it's initial outing. Now, I'm not sure whether I sounded like a distressed rabbit, or a strangled cow fart, but I do know a second fox liked it a lot!

 

It appeared over a round hill about 400 yards out, and proceeded to make great haste across the face of the hill. We lost sight of the fox for a few nervous seconds. It has to travel across an expanse of cut away bog which gave our intrepid fox quite a selection of cover in the shape of high banks which in turn hid marshy cuts.

 

Niall picked up the fox again crossing us left to right moving rapidly along a high bank. It must've winded us, had to the way it travelled, but it either didn't give a damn or though it was safe enough. Just as Niall had picked it up that time I had spotted a second fox, closer in but farther to the left of the one we were tracking. As Niall was concentrating on the far out fox I said nothing and picked it up in the scope. I dropped the fox which also turned out to be an unpleasant experience for Niall, who's head was directly below the muzzle, the roof of the car was in-between but I've been there, it's not the nicest!

 

We called and scanned around for another five minutes, never did see that second fox again. I figure the one I shot was around the 200 yard mark, looked quite small on 8x. Another one who should have brushed more regularly, vixen by the way.

 

 

 

"The Chipper" was now on my mind. But, we decided we'd have plenty of time to visit a very productive valley first. The farmers here have been complaining about the number of foxes lately. I'd seen five in a very short time one night before Dwighet had visited.

 

Niall picked up a fox way out on some flat bog near a river. I knew a good hill to shoot from and we made for it. My mouth call didn't seem to do the job this time, but the electronic caller was just the ticket. From four or five hundred yards away our fox rocketed in.

 

We had a little dilemma as there was a long lower hill in front of us, which would hide the fox from about 250 yards out to 60-70 yards out. If you can think of this, out fox was coming in at 12 o'clock, the wind was blowing from behind us to say 10 o'clock. I had thought the fox would come around under the hill in front of us and pop out near enough 10 o'clock. We were pleasantly surprised when it appeared at 11 o'clock through some rushes on the hillock in front of us. It came in to within 2 yards of a large rock and stopped for a look. Niall was in charge of the Remington and took a messy headshot at 53 yards. Entered just inside the right ear taking a large chunk of brain with it, exited back of the head and re entered and expanded more in it's back. Real messy! I can't remember if this was a dog or vixen, I think vixen.

 

 

I picked up another fox farther out from where we shot this one. It was doing a lot of arsing around, going this way and that. At a small lake it turned 90 degrees and started heading across us left to right. Niall and I made for a hillock we thought would be good for a shot, sure enough when we reached it our fox was well within range.

 

I was lamper again and followed the fox as best as I could see it. It sort of settled a little on some real broken up bog. Niall took his time and a shot rang out extinguishing the foxy eyes. That was 178 yards, a dog fox I think. Photo of both below.

 

 

Farther up this valley Niall spotted a fox real close in. The problem was he was only showing a small part of his head from behind the weather worn top of a peaty hill. We tried squeaking but it was having none of it, eventually flicking it's tail and making off farther up the valley. We moved off in hot pursuit....

 

I still can't get over how calm this one fox was about having a lamp on it. We had already had the spot on it for a while close in. Now we watched it strolling around from hillock to hillock just over a hundred yards away. Niall again was the shooter and took his time. I was plugging my right ear and holding the mouse squeaker in the same hand, mental note, point the bloody thing away from ear next time. This shot was a hell of a bang, easily the loudest of the night as he was shooting into a steep incline. This fox was a beautiful vixen in excellent shape, around 100 yards away.

 

 

We saw a good number more foxes tonight. They'll have to keep for another night though!

[BEARINATOR 2,871]

You had a good night there mate, 4 less killers in the bag:clapper:

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Yeah I'm very happy with it, and Niall enjoyed the night a lot too! We might give them another crack tomorrow night if the weather is as good as tonight.

[BEARINATOR 2,871]

Been foggy over here mate or is that because I'm not text to a river:icon_redface:

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Not been foggy here since Dwighet came up, mind you it's a risk in this weather isn't it. Pain in the ass when you get lovely weather and the fog comes down in the evening.

[Deker 3,478]

Another great read John..and I know very well what you mean about the above head shot with roof between....I've been there with Mr L and my boy both over my head ....... interesting experience to say the least.

 

The rains stopped for a while and out last night myself got a handful of bunnies and saw 3 foxes but not a shot off at any. They were all VERY twitchy last night, one in particular, and a big fella, caught him in the beam for an instant and he turned and dissapeared in a blink!

[bignoel 14]

pretty much the same here got a handfull of rabbits spotted 3 foxes no shots thou still there for another night .

[black lab 3]

Sounded like a good night out! the weather over here has been PEA SOUP for the past two days, and cannot wait for it to clear up, then i will get out and give "Charlie" a bit of a blast, and hopefully say "Hi" to a few Roe's.

[SNAP SHOT 194]

Well john you had a better night than me.... lol after the bulb incident..... i was most..... to say the least....

 

nice to see you getting out..

 

 

Snap.

[donkdaniel 236]

NICE ONE MATE WERE OUT TONIGHT!!!!!!

[dave1372 83]

Luck of the Irish as they say! You sound like you are having a great time, whilst we are all getting lousy luck and loads of bad weather.

 

Keep it up, great story and photos.

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Luck of the Irish as they say! You sound like you are having a great time, whilst we are all getting lousy luck and loads of bad weather.

 

Keep it up, great story and photos.

 

Swings and roundabouts though isn't it Dave. Give it time and ye'll have the good weather and it'll be pissing it down here

[hiluxmk3 1]

Nice winter Foxes...and a good read, i actually thought i was there, as you had your rangefinder with you can you use it and get the distances your shooting them at, i am always keen on ranges Foxes are being shot at.

 

cheers hiluxmk3