Young lambs versus fox

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Sunday April 18th

 

What with my course, travelling, farming and shooting I've not been getting much shut eye. A couple of nights ago a ewe had twins on part of my Dads farm. All was well, good ewe with plenty of milk for them, as they'd been fed for the past while after our disaster of a winter. Lambs were up and about and sucking.

 

Then this happened.

 

 

And this...

 

 

I rang my shooting buddy John, we agreed it must be a dog fox. Thinking a vixen would bring the entire lamb/s off with her for either her own cubs or a relations cubs. I figure the ewe left the lambs asleep to graze and our villain knocked them off at the one time, instead of killing one and returning for the other.

 

We had been out here already (same night as that ewe had the twins), as a ewe had turned up at the trough for feed with blood about her tail, but, no lamb in tow and none to be found in that part of the farm. Stayed out until the juice went in the batteries, and saw zilch.

 

Tonight the plan is to be on station for 11.30pm, and stretch out into the night as long as we can. We didn't think our fox was coming early. Conditions are brutal for shotgun, which is what John uses. It's too calm, too bright, and the ground doesn't make it possible to move silently. So, John is the night beater really, not bothered about making noise, walking about to rise a fox in my direction or keep an eye on places I can't see then signal me.

 

I'd picked out my spot for tonight during the daytime. It gave me a pretty much 300° view around the hillock I was on. In front of me there's a path running left right with fox scat on it, to my left there's a path running towards me with scat on it. To my right I can see a long small ridge and a marsh. Behind me, I can't see much, but John is the other side of that hillock so it's covered too.

 

After the usual goings on, getting cold, bored, fed up, watching John's lamp move about, turning ewes eyes into foxes eyes for the third time I spot what I'm looking for. It's 1.18am, so we've been there just under fifty minutes. There's a set of eyes cresting the ridge off to my right, walking on towards me through the neighbours land which is in the middle of all our land. The fox comes on along the fence, crosses through it and then another and turns to the left as I'm looking at it.

 

While watching this I've moved 20-30 yards towards the fox and can go no farther due to the marsh. It's not at all bothered by the lamp thank God. As I settle for the shot it stops beside a large rock and the Mr. Hornadys deadly, accurate & dependable Vmax removes this lamb killer from the farm. I never did range it, probably between 150 - 200 yards somewhere, dog fox with a lower K9 missing, broken off some how.

 

 

That's one down. Two more foxes to be accounted for on Dad's farm yet, both suspects in missing lambs, as well as two neighbours with fox predation problems, God knows when we'll have the time to get to them! Nothing coming easy this year !!

[Treacle Trackpad 6]

And there are still folk who reckon foxes don't trake lambs. Well done John, get the other two and you've earned some kip

[gerron 13]

wouldnt it be great if one of the national papers would take interest in a story like that with pictures as evidence, then maybe the public would understand !

 

might be worth giving them a ring but i doubt they would take interest !

[dave1372 83]

wouldnt it be great if one of the national papers would take interest in a story like that with pictures as evidence, then maybe the public would understand !

 

might be worth giving them a ring but i doubt they would take interest !

 

Not unless they have been coated in volcanic ash then you can get on the news!

[blackfox 9]

Good Shooting

[rizla1 122]

good result mate,

[njc110381 0]

Nice shooting John. It's good to hear you got one of them. Even if there are more to contend with you've certainly helped the cause!

 

Does anyone really believe that an adult Fox can't or wont kill a newborn Lamb? They're not that big are they, and any predator that can take a large Buck Rabbit or Hare should be able to take down a Lamb just as easily.

 

I spotted two Foxes when I was out last night but I scared them away! It was light and I pulled the truck into the field to look for bunnies. Nearly run the bloody Fox over and he legged it into the hedge closely followed by (I assume) a vixen. The farm nextdoor is Lambing now too so I could do with getting them!

[DABCHICK 58]

THESE KILLERS HAVE TO BE TAKEN OUT : HAVE KNOWN CUBS BORN STONE THRO FROM LAMBING AND HAVE NEVER BOTHERD WITH THEM JUST FEEDING USUAL RABBITS BIRDS ETC, WAS REMAINS OF LAMBS OUTSIDE BUT WERE STILL BORNS THAT WERE TAKEN OFF MIDDEN BUT IT DOES HAPPEN FACT REGARDS DABBER

[Sky09 8]

well done mate hope you get the others soon

[black lab 3]

All the best John in your fight against Charlie hope you dont get anymore problem's mate, it's a sickener when that happen's

You cannot be there 24/7 John, and i bet you wish you could.

your's Wullie.

[flytie 1]

Well done John, about may last year i saw a fox laying sunning itself, laying on it's back in a field of ewes and lambs. The lambs got closer and closer and all of a sudden it jumped up onto its feet and had a lamb, quick as wink! Some do and its best to get rid of them as quickly as possible.

 

This year i have seen one penn and one cygnet taken by foxes, not a sight I ever thought i would see, let alone twice. Both times there were swans grazing well out into fields of wheat, well away from the river. Both times i was out with the dog at first light.

 

ft

[RicW 67]

"The foxes have as much right to be there as you have." Discuss in 500 words. Then read my sig.

 

Ric

[JohnGalway 1,043]

"The foxes have as much right to be there as you have." Discuss in 500 words. Then read my sig.

 

Ric

 

There's 583 words in my report, consider it submitted

 

Got to do a 2,000 (or is it 1,000) essay on foxes as a mammal project. Wonder should I include those photos...

[Urban Fox Control London 8]

Maybe the newspapers need to be informed of this so that the balance is address.

 

When I go to residential properties where pet rabbit's have been taken or attacked by urban foxes, I encourage the homeowner's to write to their local MP's and contact their local newspapers with photographic evidence of their families trauma.

 

I have even encouraged school's that I have attended to do the same, but it alway falls on deaf ears, surprise surprise.

 

National Newspaper's are not interested as it make's them look like 'supporters' due to public opinion and they may loose newspaper sales.

 

The national's could run a story on how the killing of lamb's affects the prices of lamb and why the farmers get such a bad deal with no compensation.

 

'Rogue Pest Control Companies' that catch and dump urban foxes in rural areas add to this problem as the hungy foxes will go on the rampage killing anything that moves, including newly born lambs, game birds and endangered species & eggs.

 

I once had a call from somebody in South Wales asking if I knew anyone that was trapping foxes in Bristol and dumping them in Wales ?????

Edited April 19, 2010 by Urban Fox Control London

[derry boy 2]

Well done with the old charlie John, he certainly looked like he was getting some good feeding from somewhere. I must say I really like your rifle setup. What type of machine is that.

 

ATB

 

Derry boy