Foxes hit hard??

[Shovel shy 4,033]

Anybody else think numbers might be down come september??? Any cubs born early would of had it really tough with the snow here. where we are especially.add to that its been raining since the snow stopped and a lot of earths are flooded.havent seen many young rabbits either while walking the lurcher pup in the evenings.I no foxes will find food anywhere but surely this spring has been very harsh

[Rabbit Hunter 6,613]

Yes it's been a shit one here too. I know of a few keepers up by me and none of them have found cubs yet which seems strange. Like you say, there was the snow and then the continual rain since.

[shovel leaner 7,650]

Add to all that , pressure from “midnight cowboys “ with thermal . From what I hear fox numbers up and down the country are right down . I’m well foxed where I am and have litters of cubs near me doing well . The first I saw was early March . I was reading that interview with Darren Cashmore in EDRD this month and it made depressing reading . He says that good hunting areas have had their fox populations destroyed by night shooting with thermal. I’m a keeper myself and I have thermal , but I leave the foxes alone from about October when the pheasants can look after themselves. That’s because my boss likes hunting and I like working terriers. I know Keepers near me with partridge don’t show any mercy. But for your average Joe with a rifle , they just want to shoot something and it’s become a “sport “ in its own right . Sad times ahead I fear .

[Daniel cain 45,654]

The digging/lamping   seasons just starting for some folks.... Sad but true.... What ever happened to giving stuff a few months peace? Guns, roads, young doglads and the weather will have a massive impact on next seasons numbers imo. Some just won't be told though as they know best. Next few months should be out stockbreaking and exercising your dogs, ratting along the Brooks etc, not f***ing next seasons sport up and your dogs in the heat. Always interesting listening to folks excuses as to why they they can't keep a dog from one season to the next lol. Being a responsible dog man is a year round job..... You dont monk them off  in February because your too lazy to feed , walk and pick up their shit..... Plenty won't see the outside of a kennel till next September time/or be passed from kennel to kennel, then wrote off  by October. Atb

[Shovel shy 4,033]

Rifle lads are doing it here in places but as much as I dislike them there not only ones to blame.lads are still lamping and knocking foxes with lurchers.some are still knocking about with small private packs of hounds.a lot of farms we hunt still have animals in sheds.fields are still wet.I could run our few hounds today without worrying  about lambs or calfs been out.its unreal.were a few weeks off May for f**k sake

[Rabid 1,936]

Still plenty round here, and I'm one of the ones your blaming for the decline, I shoot them all year round, when they show my birds and pens some mercy, I will leave them alone.

[Shovel shy 4,033]

Theres a big difference in what your doing and in what the summer hunters are doing Rabid. The points been made is that after a hard breeding season for them foxes lads are still hammering them.this time of year normally most land is a no go because of young animals.but with the bad weather lads are still out shooting digging or with lurchers

[jiggy 3,209]

Last year was the best year I've ever seen for litters of cubs produced. Some places had 2 litters in close proximity. We eased off the foxes for a couple of seasons and the numbers shot up. It's only in heavily gamekeepered areas that the numbers are low. Hunting, lamping,digging ,snaring and illegal poisoning combined in one area will drastically reduce numbers. Night vision might work in open areas but if you have a lot of cover in an area then a rifle and lamp or night vision is useless. I've seen a lot of houses being built all along quiet roads that were heavily lamped from a vehicle. These lads don't even bother firing shots along these roads anymore and taking the risk of losing their 5000 euro gun if caught. I also see the young lads won't get out and walk ground instead if they can't shoot it from road then they won't bother and they drive on.

[Wales1234 5,542]

I was walking last weekend middle of no where not a farm close by started chatting to old boy said he shot 10 in a night there couldn’t speak to him guns are ruthless 

[Rabid 1,936]

1 hour ago, Shovel shy said:

Theres a big difference in what your doing and in what the summer hunters are doing Rabid. The points been made is that after a hard breeding season for them foxes lads are still hammering them.this time of year normally most land is a no go because of young animals.but with the bad weather lads are still out shooting digging or with lurchers

Yeah I know what you mean, we had to turn the cattle back out this week as had run out of hay for them, truth be told its just to darn wet for them to be out yet.

[undertaker 831]

Shovel shy the season has only started for some lads I see the lurcher lads here beside me still running hares usual excuse just getting pups going on rabbits.then u have the clowns still out digging all over the country saying it's lambing call outs.one lad told me other night he was talking to  a lad said he had a five hour dig.were was he in winter months tucked up in his bed some lads just go for easy option killing there own sport with there 5min wonders

[Rabbit Hunter 6,613]

Keepers see one on the lamp and think they're over run with them. I still find it a miracle that there's any foxes left tbh, they're hit hard by every farmer, keeper, dog lad and anyone that owns a shotgun if we're honest and that's the ones that have managed to avoid any snares that are put out.

[shovel leaner 7,650]

I can only say what I’ve seen with my own eyes , but conventional Lamping either with dogs or rifles is not the problem. You will get lamp shy foxes . With thermal foxes haven’t got a clue . What I am seeing now is vehicle shy foxes who are disappearing when they hear a motor . But if you are on foot using a thermal spotter and night vision scope it is very easy to take out even the most cunning and educated foxes . In the hands of indiscriminate hunters who have no let up on foxes , they will wipe out an area I’m sure .

[Hatch28 243]

Theres plenty of foxes about me seen three together in one field their starving snared a vixen the other day she was skin and bone theres nothing left for them to eat.

[dogmandont 9,843]

I hate every Cnut that ain’t using dogs for fox control. They can all get fcuked. Oh and the dog lads that don’t give them a season they can get fcuked too. Lol. Just being honest.