Fantastic Mr Fox...

[gwalchmai4110 1,757]

My main quarry when it was all legal was the sly old mr fox! It was about the only game that was plentiful her in wales, and through my uncle having hounds, my father being a terrierman I had a constant supply of old red skin!

Anyone who hunted these animals will have no doubt seen them do things that literally blow your mind! And anyone who tries to tell me there dogs never misses a fox just aren’t running enough! I have been caught out by this slippery character on a number of occasions here is a couple of my favourites…….

When I was young and stupid I used to hunt a active quarry……to think of it now I wince and how I never killed my poor old lurcher is beyond me….or terrier for that matter! Any way you know how it is…..young…..stupid……and on a one man mission to eradicate the local fox population! I set off on this one day and hunted out a few basins with “Achilles” (I didn’t name him), running loose with a couple of russels. All my dead certs today didn’t produce so I headed to the quarry scrap yard. Now to set the scene this was a quarry basin full with old machinery stacked up, old cars laying out rusting and various other items strewn about……..a real career ending spot for a committed canine…….but a magnet for Charlie! I sent Achilles on and scrambled up a scree pile to get a birds eye view. It wasn’t long before I saw a fox erupt and come straight toward me…….my lurcher was unsighted but had upped his pace and was working the line at a good pace. Its then that I first saw charlies cunning first hand. He came to three massive boulders; he stopped and literally did a figure of eight weaving in and out of the boulders, and the back on himself repeating his action. He then hopped up on the boulder and curled as tight as a ball, and just lay there motionless. My vulpine killing mongrel came to these stones and began to weave on the fresh line of the fox……who was sat about ten foot above his head at this point. This was a proper fox and the hound moment and for the first time ever….i let the sly old boy live I hissed my lurcher back to me and stuck him on a lead. The fox still had not moved. I could have easily flushed him into my lurchers jaws but so mesmerised by the intelligence of this animal I gave him best!

 

 

The next incident came while out with the hounds…..We were hunting a steep sided valley and a fox broke cover about 150 yards to my left and ploughed up a steep bank! Little did he know sat above him in the corner was a good mate with his pair of fox killing lurchers…….These two dogs were a mix of about every breed possible……you know the type farm bred lurchers that just resembled strong grey hounds…..anyway they were given a good long slip and Charlie turned 90 degree an sped for a fence, the two racy mutts gaining all the while. Straight through the fence the little vixen went and she began straight down on her head! Both the lurchers slowed up to take the jump and as soon as the second lurcher hit the ground….she popped back through the fence……..so over went the two lurchers again and like clockwork…..as soon as the second dog landed she popped through to the other side…..all the while making ground on the two dogs . she did this eight times in all before she knew she had gained enough ground to straight line the two fast tiring mutts…….she entered the cover not 15 yards from where I was stood with a gun…….did I shoot her……..????? Not on your nelly!!

 

The final incident came whilst lamping with joe off here…….we headed to a farm of his to clean some bunnies I had with me my old foxing bitch and a young bitch ready to enter……We ran a few bunnies and as we came over a brow there was a belting fox moussing….before I knew it I had let go of the slip and my pair were bowling straight at the fox. Game on!!! Round and round they went and they disappeared from the beam……but they manged to turn him and bring him back……happy days…..this one was ours for sure…. I even said to joe…. This fox is suicidal……..what’s that saying??....counting chickens?? Any way the fox was in serious trouble now and his tail was erect at 90 degrees swishing violently as he tried to throw off my two mutts…….we were stood viewing this on a river bank and he was heading straight for us…..unlucky old boy you have nowhere to go here…….except of course if the fox decided to take a leap of faith of a six foot ledge straight into a flooded river in the dead of winter……..and yeppp……this is exactly what Charlie did….. Followed closely by my two mutts!! I was sickened!! BUT It boiled down to this individual wanting to live, more than my mutts wanted to kill!

These are just a few examples of the sly wit of old red. These incidents and the many others I could bore you with are the reason that the fox was my main quarry of choice and literally dictated my life for such a long time!

Long live fantastic mr fox!!

atb

[joeb8866 303]

Hahaha i'll never forget that night ! Made even worse being stood with a pup on a lead screaming his lungs off to get in on the action and being way to early to enter for the easy slip as he ran past both of us to freedom, had to give to the cheeky b*****d though. You missed the bit where he bounced off the fence like something off WWF over the top of the dogs for another close escape !

 

Last night was a prime example and a first for me, Stood running the dogs on a few rabbits on another farm we have the pup nabbed one and as rabbits do making a quick squeal we thought nothing of it and moved on, as we walked through an open gate way at the bottom of the field we both caught the stink of him. Had a quick shine around...there he was just sat watching us from the next field. Tried calling him in with no luck! We walked on and a few fields later where we ended up watching him in the distance running rabbits under that massive full moon we had !! He soon cottoned on to us and the lamp and did one...he'll be there for another night !

[air gun ant 1,666]

what a cracking read! and its good to read about the respect you have for old red, I really don't mind things getting away when they really do deserve it. I hate it when mine catches something that bounced of a fence or something. thanks for that

[johnny boy68 11,726]

Roald Dan lol

 

Cracking read butty, thanks for sharing.

[gwalchmai4110 1,757]

Ha ha mate i didnt want to make my dogs sound to shit....so left out the fence bounce......ha ha yes mate we have certainly seen some foxes over last couple of weeks............ about the only game we have an abundance of.....

[peterhunter86 8,627]

what a cracking read! and its good to read about the respect you have for old red, I really don't mind things getting away when they really do deserve it. I hate it when mine catches something that bounced of a fence or something. thanks for that

 

Im the same and i always feel sorry when the pick up a squatter or one that didnt see it coming i like them to have a chance.

[Haiddheliwr 1,911]

Thoroughly enjoyed that Dan! Old Charlie certainly earns my respect witnessing the different death defying miracles they have performed over the years! Keep the posts coming mate I really look forward to them. ATB

[BlackBuck 655]

Great read mate , thanks for sharing

[shaaark 10,747]

Enjoyed reading that. Nice to read something with a bit of honesty and empathy for the quarry, and not something about 'smashing' everything that moves! Lol.

[neil cooney 10,416]

Great read Dan.

Personally I believe that to really appreciate any wild animal you have to have been made look silly by him a few times.

The Fox is much more than just vermin. He deserves the same respect as any sporting quarry.

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

Cracking read that mate. Thanks for sharing.

[Kieran Ritchie 340]

Good read that mate

[jake824 517]

Cracking read mate. Me and a few mates used to go out with an old boy with a small pack of beagles and Russell's . Only 5 or 6 of us and go round the farms pushing cover and digging the earths. I used to love getting my stuff ready on the Sunday mornings. Breakfast in the cafe first then lurchers and terriers out. Brilliant memories and cracking company. I witnessed some cracking runs with the lurchers. But most of all was the laughs. If u could nt stand the piss took it was no good coming.

[C.green 3,229]

Good read no matter how long you've hunted fox there still surprise you ??

[Teckers 662]

Brilliant read mate they are the quarry that always gets my pulse racing the most and as you say theyr death defying escapes alway baffle me and my mutt for that matter lol, the amount of times iv laid in bed after a night out thinking how the fuk did that get away and no other animal does that to me so hats off to old ?