Good things come in threes

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Tuesday April 6th.

 

On my rounds of part of Dads farm I've been noticing plenty of fresh fox scat. One even has a bit of rope or part of a wool sock in it. A hogget died, we think of a tick borne disease, her carcass was completely gutted and cleaned out with a few major bones well chewed. With me half way through lambing and Dad's flock just starting to drop it was time to sort this situation out.

 

I contacted my mate John and we agreed to head out just as it got dark. Talk about timing, I'd no sooner put the last fork of dinner in my gob when he was knocking at the door. We set off back towards the area the hogget had been eaten in. Even though she was well stripped out I thought it a good idea to stay in that field and see what turns up. It's a lovely night out, mild compared to the weather of late, starry, plenty dark and there's a nice little breeze blowing.

 

John started to ramble about with the shotgun, he disappeared over the top of the ridge in the field while I stayed in the bottom third of it. After a while I spied two fast moving sets of eyes running up a hillock two fields away. The eyes don't belong to sheep.

 

The problem is, I'm far far away from those eyes and way downhill to boot. I don't think John can see them from where he is, and they're heading in his general direction. Feck this craic, I have to run uphill to see if I can make any decent vantage point nearer the unfolding action. When I get about three quarter way up the field I see John again, no sign of the foxes now and from the way he's walking about he hasn't seen them either. Now I have to figure out did they cross below him towards the hogget carcass, or, have they gone above him and maybe winded him.

 

I can see most of what's below me and I don't see any eyes, so I make my decision and head up over the ridge. John is going in the complete wrong direction and I'm in two minds, have they back tracked and he's following them, or has he just not seen them and is continuing to follow his own route!

 

I get up the top of the ridge and straight off I see two sets of fox eyes looking back at me. One vanishes while the other mooches about in some rocks. Unfortunately for me the closest place I can shoot from is covered in a thorny creeping gorse! After getting stuck about twenty times I've the first fox in my scope. It halts beside a rock to look at me, *BANG*

 

Problems reloading ensue. Dodgy ejector which causes me trouble now and then, what a time for it to strike. While I'm clearing the rifle, I spy a pair of eyes moving along a fence line to my right, basically something is getting the hell out of Dodge. By the time I've the rifle back in working order the other pair of eyes is well gone. More second guessing and doubt, was that the first fox, did I just wing it, shot looked good, second fox clearing off maybe. With the confusion I've lost track of where the fox was when I fired.

 

Anyway, I'm up and moving towards my right. I shine about and call a couple of times but there's not an eye to be seen on hill or bog. A couple of minutes pass and heading for the hogget carcass seems a good idea. Off I go and no sooner have I crested the ridge when I'm met by a lovely pair of eyes looking back at me from the middle of the field (I use the term loosely I hasten to add). The turbo kicks in and my fox is leaving at a rate of knots out towards the hill. I've this ones card marked and I've got it in the scope already. My reliable terrier yap! halts the fox in it's tracks long enough for a Vmax to take away it's cares.

 

I collect the fox, a vixen and walk back up the ridge. After some searching around I find the dog fox and pick him up too. By this time John has come from the far side of Dad's land. "What's wrong, what's all the flicking of the lamp about?", "Nothing's wrong, 'cept these two are kinda heavy to haul".

 

 

He'd not heard either shot and was quite unimpressed having missed all the action. He's been out five or six nights in a row near my own farm and not seen so much as an eye out there. I tell him the tale as to what happened and we head off home around 11.30, as I still have lambs to feed and check up on. John convinces me I should take the opportunity to have a shine around my own farm once I'm heading the way, and with that thought he's away off home to his bed!

 

After feeding my pet lamb and sorting out a set of twins I head up my own farm with lamp and rifle. I'm roughly half way through lambing my own flock, and will be happy when they've all dropped. As is my usual run I cross over into the neighbours to make use of their height advantage.

 

This is frustrating, I see a pair of suspect eyes about two hundred fifty yards from me out on the hill. No sooner have I spotted them than they're gone. I clip on the lamp and get down to use the scope and I see a fox vanish over the crest of a hill. I don't need another walk tonight, but since I've seen it now...

 

After hopping the fenced wall I'm out and over the hillock I saw the fox on. A bit of a walk later I see it's eyes in a pile of rocks not that far from me. Down onto another creeping gorse bush and I can see eyes and foxy looking ears. I hate taking head shots so I bide my time. After what was probably only twenty or thirty seconds, but felt like ten minutes, I seize the opportunity and take a neck shot as the fox raises itself up a bit. Nighty night and the third fox of the night, and second vixen, is in the bag.

 

 

Time for my warm bed!

[SHOTGUNSNIPER 47]

Well done JG....:clapper:

[waidmann 105]

sound job and a good write up there bud

 

atb for the lambing and the next outings.

 

waidmann

[the cheater 1]

3 out of 3 Well done John

 

Good read as per usual.

 

Wish i could get the time to get out after a few,but as there causing no problems at the moment,i,m going to try and leave them untill my shifts change in June.

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Thanks fellas I might venture out tonight to see if I can nab that fox which nicked one of a set of twins Sunday night on another farmer.

 

TC, no problems are a good thing! Besides, it'll be a lot warmer in June for delicate fellas like yourself to get out Any craic with ya besides work?

 

A couple of reasons I do what I do, hot from the oven

 

[dave1372 83]

Sounds like you had a great night.

[JohnGalway 1,043]

It was a great night Dave Pretty happy as I had to do a bit of work for each fox.

 

About an hour ago a local fella came knocking on the door, a lamb gone night before last, so hopefully we'll have another bit of luck tonight.

[dave1372 83]

It was a great night Dave Pretty happy as I had to do a bit of work for each fox.

 

About an hour ago a local fella came knocking on the door, a lamb gone night before last, so hopefully we'll have another bit of luck tonight.

 

Good luck then, I am still kicking myself from the one I missed last night ! Not only that the weather is improving here with a nice breeze but sods law I can't get out agin until next monday

[JohnGalway 1,043]

I think tonight may be my last night until Monday or Tuesday too Dave. Plus it's getting nice and dark.

[jenksi87 3]

nice shooting pal and top write up

[SNAP SHOT 194]

fair play john... nice one.

 

Snap.

[martin 332]

Keep at 'em John...........Martin

[hw100sniper 2]

Well done John and nice read you must be knackered tho out lamping as much and the lambing

[Yokel Matt 918]

Great triple bud

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Well done John and nice read you must be knackered tho out lamping as much and the lambing

 

Feckin right I'm knackered. I'm actually glad I can't go again for another few nights. Off out now to feed a pet lamb, then I can hit the hay myself!