Will the foxes run out?

[mikeyboy 7]

this a subject im always on about. where i live we get a lot of people going out on a night purley for foxes. most of the land is crop land and foxes are not a pest too the farmer. the blokes that do it have no respect for the quarry and just do it for the numbers. this year in the last 2 months he has shot over 100 foxes. as soon as the places are cut they are out shooting the cubs. now this year i went out the other night and drove around four places and have not seen a single fox, the first time ever. even the land owners now are getting annoyed one has shot all the hares on his ground. i think the rate they are going they are seriously going to damage the wildlife. not all the rifle men are like this i know but seems more and more are now.if a place has livestock or a shoot i see the need but not on all the places they go. its disgusting what they are doing and should be ashamed. have some respect for the quarry you hunt, without them we would have no sport

 

atb mike

[NO1 13]

my opinion is most trigger happy shooters are failed doggy men

[Guest busterdog]

not a chance of running out, far less people hunt or shoot now, compared with 50 or 60 year ago, back then everyone in country had hens and sheep to look after for food, snaring was big then

 

 

 

 

Fifty or sixty years ago you'de of been chucked out of your agricultural job for killing a fox, even game keepers had to leave them alone.

[Dosser 52]

dont let this turn into a slanging match because its a good thread. imo if things carry on as they are i think we will see large areas where the fox is very rare if not non existant.

[woody 99]

a mate of mine as shot about 30 foxes in the last few month on one farm.dont think you will see much on there this season.best of it i have got permission on there

[Guest busterdog]

I have the odd nights lamping and own a few rifles but in no way would i or could i go balls out to kill old charlie. The few mates from around the country i have down for a night out can't beleive their eyes when i take them out, it's like a fookin desert after the last cut. I have a saying that i give them that ask to come lamping around here " I'll give you a pound for every rabbit we see and a tenner for every fox", i don't think i'de be to out of pocket at the end of the night and i'de let you pick the direction of the walk.

It's all well and good saying you'll never get on top of them but the rifle boys are growing day by day and these are testing times for charlie, they are being killed in ever growing numbers.

[dave a 24]

running a fox at night with a good lurcher is sport,shooting with a rifle is not.there was a post months ago in i think the deer stalking section of two little fat boys who had shot a whole litter of small cubs and then described what happened as "battle",they thought they were so brave.there is times of course when foxes need to be shot but shooting huge amounts on the lamp is not good.

[jac 12]

I have a fondness for the fox and dont hunt them. last year I watched two cubs grow up. i often met them on a rabbit hunt. this year there is one cub. I enjoy watching them and they know my dog wont chase them so the adults sit and watch us as we pass by.

i agree a fox should be killed if it is a problem. but i dont see the need to kill them otherwise.

[#1poacher 8]

please come to carlisle and see there is hardly any foxes later in the season and finding them you have to travel far

[JR Yipp 111]

i know an estate that is just over 5ooo acres. they kill an average of 15 litters a year every year (for at least 30 years), and lamp all year round for others, the area surrounding it is also shot and controlled for a good radius.

 

there is no way that the fox numbers are reducing.they are survivors. any amount of culling will not get rid of them. loss of food or habitat or disease would be there their only downfall.

[Ideation 8,216]

i know an estate that is just over 5ooo acres. they kill an average of 15 litters a year every year (for at least 30 years), and lamp all year round for others, the area surrounding it is also shot and controlled for a good radius.

 

there is no way that the fox numbers are reducing.they are survivors. any amount of culling will not get rid of them. loss of food or habitat or disease would be there their only downfall.

 

To say ANY amount of culling will not get rid of them is just silly.

[danw 1,748]

since I took on this shoot I have killed around 100 fox a year off 3000 acres this year I have taken over 100 already most keepers I have spoke too say that they have killed more this year than most.

That said we are killing them as a job and not a sport there has to be a balance between control and eradication and I think some just don't know when enough is enough.

[Ideation 8,216]

since I took on this shoot I have killed around 100 fox a year off 3000 acres this year I have taken over 100 already most keepers I have spoke too say that they have killed more this year than most.

That said we are killing them as a job and not a sport there has to be a balance between control and eradication and I think some just don't know when enough is enough.

 

Exactly mate. . . . also keepers etc have other things to do than go out 5 nights a week shooting foxes all night, sportsmen are often more zealous than keepers in their shooting. Keepers also tend to keep down other folk shooting etc, whereas farmland is often a free for all with multiple groups targeting the same land. Many pieces of land are shot over everynight of the week.

 

There is also another thing about shooting foxes at night with a rifle on big flat land. . . . . its f*****g dangerous. . . . . . ..

[JR Yipp 111]

i know an estate that is just over 5ooo acres. they kill an average of 15 litters a year every year (for at least 30 years), and lamp all year round for others, the area surrounding it is also shot and controlled for a good radius.

 

there is no way that the fox numbers are reducing.they are survivors. any amount of culling will not get rid of them. loss of food or habitat or disease would be there their only downfall.

 

To say ANY amount of culling will not get rid of them is just silly.

 

silly but true. they have tried and tired and still have the same numbers of litters.foxes clearly found their natural level. theyare not doing it for fun , they are doing it profesioanlly to get rid of foxes on that esate. its not just this easte either, it happens up and down the country.

 

culling will obviously reduce numbers(till nxt year) but in no way will make foxes "run out"

 

 

there is a very well known phrase, "the more you kill the more will be there next season"

Edited September 5, 2010 by JR Yipp

[Guest alastair]

i know theres alot of charlie where i shoot,but if we keep carefull care of the pheasants not many get taken.the problems all about permission,we have shooters calling up the farmer in the morn saying,yup had a great night shot over 100 rabbits,or took 12 fox,all bullshit so they can get exclusive rights.for instance a butcher come pro ferreter with purse nets and 2 ferrets tells farmers wife he took 134 by himself in a day.or they shoot 6 farms all night then show farmer all the rabs and say they shot all of em on his land.any way the rspca/councils are helping us cause they release recovered town foxes in the country.