killing vixens with cubs

[richmcgin 32]

you would be surprised how much of a chance they do have even when the cross hair is on them, i could give you many accounts of times when i thought i had a fox bang to rights but the variables stacked up and the fox won the day. but i totaly agree about the wrong ammo and wrong distance which in my opinion means wrong shooter. with all that said i think it much more humane to shoot a fox dead than chase it round the countryside for hours on end.

 

Excuses excuses your just a shit shot !

f**k it iave been sussed.

Tegater I know what your saying but each of us has there own moral set, i think that this arguemnet go go on and on but iam not going to enter in to that, but if any of you think that it can carry on like it is forever your wrong look at the ban, who ever thought that would happen back in the 80s.

or in the 60s did you think the badger would get protection ???. we need to guard what we have or it will be gone.

[Ideation 8,216]

At the end of the day, no true 'country man' would want to see them all eradicated. Controlled yes, but not wiped out. Fair do's if you are on sheep ground, on the hills, then they need controlled all year round, but for the vast swathes of arrable that folk shoot over . . . . . . for sport,. . . . . i think they should stay their hand.

[paulus 26]

At the end of the day, no true 'country man' would want to see them all eradicated. Controlled yes, but not wiped out. Fair do's if you are on sheep ground, on the hills, then they need controlled all year round, but for the vast swathes of arrable that folk shoot over . . . . . . for sport,. . . . . i think they should stay their hand.

hunting ban opened the floodgate mate pure and simple, things need controlling if there causing a problem, not because there a certain animal

[Ideation 8,216]

At the end of the day, no true 'country man' would want to see them all eradicated. Controlled yes, but not wiped out. Fair do's if you are on sheep ground, on the hills, then they need controlled all year round, but for the vast swathes of arrable that folk shoot over . . . . . . for sport,. . . . . i think they should stay their hand.

hunting ban opened the floodgate mate pure and simple, things need controlling if there causing a problem, not because there a certain animal

 

Yup.

 

Thats the mentality that gets me mate, folk who think foxes are vermin and all vermin must be eradicated on sight.

 

It's like someone once said to me, a weed, is just a flower out of place.

 

At the end of the day the fox is an essential and great part of our natural eco system, and the true wild / rural fox is on the decline, i used to regularly see them out in the fields in the day from my house windows etc, and put them up regular when out with the dogs. But now, if you see one every six months local to me, you are lucky. Even during mating time, you might hear one, maybe total silence, where you used to hear them dotted about.

 

Things changed in a big way in 2005, after that, they brought in the night vision, caller and rifle.

[paulus 26]

At the end of the day, no true 'country man' would want to see them all eradicated. Controlled yes, but not wiped out. Fair do's if you are on sheep ground, on the hills, then they need controlled all year round, but for the vast swathes of arrable that folk shoot over . . . . . . for sport,. . . . . i think they should stay their hand.

hunting ban opened the floodgate mate pure and simple, things need controlling if there causing a problem, not because there a certain animal

 

Yup.

 

Thats the mentality that gets me mate, folk who think foxes are vermin and all vermin must be eradicated on sight.

 

It's like someone once said to me, a weed, is just a flower out of place.

 

At the end of the day the fox is an essential and great part of our natural eco system, and the true wild / rural fox is on the decline, i used to regularly see them out in the fields in the day from my house windows etc, and put them up regular when out with the dogs. But now, if you see one every six months local to me, you are lucky. Even during mating time, you might hear one, maybe total silence, where you used to hear them dotted about.

 

Things changed in a big way in 2005, after that, they brought in the night vision, caller and rifle.

and a whole new oppertunity for deben and lightforce opened up

[Yokel Matt 918]

Farmer: A bloody fox has had a load of my chickens, lambs, ducks etc - please shoot the b*****d.

 

You: Sorry mate, there's a possibility it may be a vixen with dependant cubs and its not fair on them. If you don't mind i'll wait a couple of months until the cubs are dependant and then hopefully, I can sort them before they wipe the rest of your flock out.

 

Farmer: What about my stock in the meantime?

 

You: Errrr

 

Farmer: Sling your hook - i'll find someone else.

 

[Ideation 8,216]

Farmer: A bloody fox has had a load of my chickens, lambs, ducks etc - please shoot the b*****d.

 

You: Sorry mate, there's a possibility it may be a vixen with dependant cubs and its not fair on them. If you don't mind i'll wait a couple of months until the cubs are dependant and then hopefully, I can sort them before they wipe the rest of your flock out.

 

Farmer: What about my stock in the meantime?

 

You: Errrr

 

Farmer: Sling your hook - i'll find someone else.

 

 

We know this. We are not dumb. But not EVERY foxis a chicken killer. Plenty of lads shoot over huge swathes of arable land etc.

[TWOTWOTHREE 152]

Too true matt,in the past my fowls would have agreed to as they have been taken in the day time and night, on all my permissions they are detested 365 days a year so if I want to keep it I shall obey the last command,is it sport or pest control,lively hood,for me it's a bit of them all,but each to their own,

Atb 223

 

["Earth!" 503]

i seem to spend to much time this time of the year looking for and dealing with cubs that the rifle boys have left to starve after shooting the vixen

 

Had 2 litters to try and find a couple weeks ago on a neighbouring shoot after the lad had shoot 2 milky vixen.

i found 4 earths holding litters and spent the day reloacting them as i didnt know if these belonged to the 2 that were shot ..

A job i hate, poor little babies

[Sirius 1,391]

Control, education and managment is key, and for keepers and alike foxs should be given very little quater and shooting a vixen has to be done to keep you permission sometimes. BUT the lads with a rifle and some random permission, who just shoot because they CAN are the ones I have a real problem with, they are just uneducated.

 

I have had accidents and killed milky vixens and I have seen plenty shot, I even called them in myself, but it never makes me happy and I certainly dont enjoy doing so.

 

Hunting and shooting is conservation and managment and should never turn into a ticket to shoot anything anytime.

It's education people need, especially some of the 'gung ho' shooters.

Edited April 23, 2012 by Sirius

[kenny14 656]

IMO people who enjoy killing for killings sake are not true sportsmen (and though they're the ones constantly mentioned, it's not solely shooters, though that's not what this thread is about), but I do believe that if vixens and cubs are not dealt with at this time of year, then the problems they can potentially cause are huge. A farmer could lose a lot of income, a keeper could even lose his job. The list could go on, but whether it's safeguarding stock, to keep permission or job, if we're going to kill vixens and cubs it's our duty to do our utmost to see that it's done in the most humane manner possible.

 

Personally if my fox control were done purely for sport then it would be common sense to leave the cubs till later, therefore providing me with more quarry and more 'sporting' shots, but in reality if I were to do this then I'd soon have nowhere to shoot.

Edited April 23, 2012 by kenny14

[richmcgin 32]

Kenny 14 are you shooting for protection of your livelyhood, if not and like me you do it for no reward and respond to the calls from land owner to protect their livelyhood then you do it for the sport. a lot of good relivent views on the subject have been aired and it is easy to see both sides of the subject, i still hold a view that it is different for sport shooters than it is those that do it for a living, I know that i cant ignor the farmers call if i want to keep the land and i just hope its not a nursing vixen that i have to deal with, and fortunately for me for last few years it hasnt been. No true sportsman and i dont think any that written in thread would think it acceptable to leave cubs to die in the earth, i cant get to our local earths because none of them are on any of my ground they all seem to be just over the line and on the estate ground so dealing with cubs having shot the vixen is not an option for me but i know that most will go and sort the cubs if they have shot the vixen, i know a keeper that wont shoot them unless he is sure he knows where the earth is.

[whippet 99 2,613]

tottally agree , control not too eradicate

[whippet 99 2,613]

tottally agree , control not too eradicate

all the fatties who are too lasy to get out there truck and just push the button for the window and pull the trigger, half of them dont get there boots dirty, you know the ones that cant bend down and have thick wallets , is it just me or do other people find there usually the ones what own gun shops lol. true countrymen

[kenny14 656]

Kenny 14 are you shooting for protection of your livelyhood, if not and like me you do it for no reward and respond to the calls from land owner to protect their livelyhood then you do it for the sport. a lot of good relivent views on the subject have been aired and it is easy to see both sides of the subject, i still hold a view that it is different for sport shooters than it is those that do it for a living, I know that i cant ignor the farmers call if i want to keep the land and i just hope its not a nursing vixen that i have to deal with, and fortunately for me for last few years it hasnt been. No true sportsman and i dont think any that written in thread would think it acceptable to leave cubs to die in the earth, i cant get to our local earths because none of them are on any of my ground they all seem to be just over the line and on the estate ground so dealing with cubs having shot the vixen is not an option for me but i know that most will go and sort the cubs if they have shot the vixen, i know a keeper that wont shoot them unless he is sure he knows where the earth is.

I shoot foxes (and control them and other wild animals using a variety of methods) both to protect my livelihood and because I enjoy it, so I suppose I shoot for sport too.

And I think you largely echoe my views when you mention no true sportsman would willingly leave cubs to die in the earth, except I may have worded it slightly differently, as we as shooters/pest controllers all have a responsibility to ensure we do our utmost to reduce the chances of unnecessary suffering.

Edited April 23, 2012 by kenny14