It’s only a matter of time

[shovel leaner 7,650]

Well the story so far is I’ve had birds delivered to two pens so far , I’ve got another two to be delivered this week . The first pen has settled in really well and I’ve had no problems from Charlie......I’m touching a big lump of wood as I write this , no pun intended . The second pen was delivered Friday, the first night was good , anyway Saturday evening and I’m off to check the first pen and I noticed that all the water had drained from the IBC ..... shit !!! So I had to go and fill it up with 1000 litres which I do by pumping water from an already filled up IBC into one that’s on the back of a pickup then drive it up to the pen and pump it from the truck into the pens IBC , then find the leak and fix it and then take the pickup back to the yard and get back in the mule ..... well now it’s nearly dark and it’s starting to rain . I get up to the second pen and there must be 200 birds outside the wire .... “this can’t be happening to me “!!!! The birds are trying to tuck up in the grass and brambles and I’m shepherding them back to the pop holes ...... next thing the cattle arrive ( the pen is in the middle of grazing) the birds are being spooked , the cattle are bucking about hitting the electric fencer and getting Zapped and all the time I’m thinking “ I’m 53 years old!! I’m too old for this shit , I should be at home watching shit TV , with a beer in my hand , not running around chasing stupid poults in the pissing down rain “! Anyway after a lot of sweat and tears , I think to myself that’s as many in as I’m going to get and any that are still out will have to take their chances. Well I turned up early Sunday morning not knowing what to expect, and found the bodies of about four poults killed by a fox. “Could be worse “ I thought  . I sat out Sunday evening and into the night .... nothing. Then I rang a mate up who is a member on this site , and he offered to come over last night and sit in the high seat on one side of the pen , while I tucked myself away on the other . We got into position at 8.30pm and waited till 11.00 . I saw a couple of roe and some rabbits but no Charlie, my pal who is in the high seat saw a fox on the other side of the field heading away from the pen , he gave a couple of squeaks but it didn’t stop or get any closer. We then had a drive around the shoot and tried the icotec in a spot , but nothing showed. I suggested that before we call it a night we go for one more look by the pen , as we are driving there I said “let’s try the caller here , I saw one near here last week “ I had a scan with my thermal as I was getting the caller out and noticed something in the grass and thistles, “what’s that” I said “looks like a Munty “ , “nah , more like a roe” I said. With that Charlie gets up and f@cks off through the hedge . B@ll@cks !!! And after a few minutes of slightly desperate squeaking, we called it a night . This is getting personal now . Watch this thread , because very soon there is going to be the picture posted of a very dead fox .

Edited July 9, 2019 by shovel leaner

[Sausagedog 7,381]

That's keepering mate and how I lost my hair. I don't do it now but just in case it helps my old keeper friend would leave his shirt hanging up wind from the pen of an evening!

If you were closer I would donate my underpants then you may actually witness the very rare event of a fox actually vomiting but alas I am sure yours would be just as effective.

[shovel leaner 7,650]

I don’t know how effective hanging up my budgie smugglers would be , my guess is it would attract the “wrong” kind of attention I was also told about something similar, soaking some cut up rags in aftershave and leaving it around the pen “ old spice “ I believe is the most repellent, followed by Brute then Blue stratos , or Hi karate . Have I just described the contents of your bathroom cabinet sausage? But I think the most effective deterrent is a . 223 rem , just behind its front leg in the rib cage , works every time !!!

[Sausagedog 7,381]

1 minute ago, shovel leaner said:

I don’t know how effective hanging up my budgie smugglers would be , my guess is it would attract the “wrong” kind of attention I was also told about something similar, soaking some cut up rags in aftershave and leaving it around the pen “ old spice “ I believe is the most repellent, followed by Brute then Blue stratos , or Hi karate . Have I just described the contents of your bathroom cabinet sausage? But I think the most effective deterrent is a . 223 rem , just behind its front leg in the rib cage , works every time !!!

Absolutely but whilst your not there.....

I forgot about blue stratos....mix that lot together and it should burn the grass off under the wire but don't shake it violently other wise there will only be two smelly boots to detere Charlie!

Seriously. Take care. I remember the tiredness!

[j j m 6,555]

good luck bud

[Sausagedog 7,381]

Another trick we would do with jugged birds would be to wait in a vehicle but another leave the site as normal as it went dark.

A shotgun ready with a dim torch often got a culprit not long after dark.

[ianm 2,594]

I have done a bit of that "waiting at the pen caper" for a keeper mate of mine. Quite often they don't turn up till the early hours .

If he has had one coming every night i have often bit the bullet and stayed till it has made an appearance to minimise the damage they do. He had one last season that turned up and would kill twenty or so that where outside the pen and leavethem in piles of four or five on the field. I killed  that after two nights.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Must try harder 

[shovel leaner 7,650]

2 hours ago, foxdropper said:

Must try harder 

I’m back out tonight

[shovel leaner 7,650]

3 hours ago, ianm said:

I have done a bit of that "waiting at the pen caper" for a keeper mate of mine. Quite often they don't turn up till the early hours .

If he has had one coming every night i have often bit the bullet and stayed till it has made an appearance to minimise the damage they do. He had one last season that turned up and would kill twenty or so that where outside the pen and leavethem in piles of four or five on the field. I killed  that after two nights.

There is one of my pens that I have always had a problem with . When I first put the birds in they can sometimes settle for the night next to the wire . Foxes then come along and spook them over the wire and mop them up . Knowing this I always sit out for The first couple of nights in my truck , I recline the seat and wind the window down a bit and go to sleep . When Charlie starts his nonsense you can hear the birds chirping and you are able to deal with it  straight away. I’ve accounted for lots of foxes in this way . You are absolutely right , they are probably moving around the pen in the small hours . 2.30-3.30 I reckon . Trouble with this pen is that it’s surrounded with cattle and I don’t fancy losing my wing mirrors .

[ianm 2,594]

1 hour ago, shovel leaner said:

There is one of my pens that I have always had a problem with . When I first put the birds in they can sometimes settle for the night next to the wire . Foxes then come along and spook them over the wire and mop them up . Knowing this I always sit out for The first couple of nights in my truck , I recline the seat and wind the window down a bit and go to sleep . When Charlie starts his nonsense you can hear the birds chirping and you are able to deal with it  straight away. I’ve accounted for lots of foxes in this way . You are absolutely right , they are probably moving around the pen in the small hours . 2.30-3.30 I reckon . Trouble with this pen is that it’s surrounded with cattle and I don’t fancy losing my wing mirrors .

.Cattle are a nightmarel controlling foxes, they wreck you're motor and interfere with the caller. If they laid eggs to procreate i would smash every last one i found.

My keeper mate came from down south and started leaving a car radio playing connected to a car battery and speaker next to the pens. He said it kept foxes away where he last worked and i told him it wouldn't here. One day we found two poults eaten within fifteen yards of the speaker, i told him he may aswell leave lit candles for them to enjoy their meals with music and candlelight.

Edited July 9, 2019 by ianm

[BenBhoy 4,706]

I appreciate your efforts, this thread is better than the shit TV!

[shovel leaner 7,650]

Well , I’ve sat out for another midge and clegg infested evening by the pen , the poults are getting up to roost nicely now , and looking through the thermal was like looking at a Christmas lights show as their bodies glowed in the branches of the trees . I thought I’d wait in a different spot , above where the fox was spotted last night . I got there at about 8.30 and and tucked the mule under a tree in the hedge . The first thing I saw was a small muntjac buck , who appeared to my right and then a roe doe with twins . A badger appeared above a sett and I watched him rummaging about for a while . There was a lot of stingers and thistles about and I was imagining try to shoot a fox here amongst all these obstacles . The badger wandered about not far in front of me for a while and the he lifted his head , sniffed the air and turned and ran off . The evening was totally still with hardly a breath of wind but the air was flowing from me to where I intended to shoot , I decided to move . I gave it till 11.00 and decided to call it a night , too still and too light with the moon in its first quarter. And so it continues!!!

[sam r 356]

as said earlier good luck ,your patience will pay off eventually

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

I think you need a baited area and a trail cam