Triple at a new venue!

[ianm 2,594]

A couple of months ago i was contacted by a friend to see if i would try to alleviate a customer of his fox problem. I said i would but couldn't go for a while due to other commitments. Well a fortnight ago i had fulfilled those commitments and was in a position to go. Consequently i phoned my friend and asked him for the chaps number so that i could possibly arrange a meeting that weekend and see what the problem was. Well whilst speaking to my friend he said "hang on a minute i will ring you back shortly". Two minutes passed and the phone rang, "he will meet you at his house tonight at half past eight" he said. I looked at the clock in my kitchen and it said seven forty five. Nothing like a bit of short notice i thought. Anyway i gathered my kit and rang another mate that comes with me and told him he had fifteen minutes to get to my house. We duly arrived at the chaps house at eight thirty and drove into an enormous yard at the rear of the property. A few minutes later he appeared and proceeded to tell us what the problem was and where his boundaries where, then he says i have another place down the road that has foxes all over it as well. The second property was a static caravan site and also catered for tourers and camping. I said i would look at that in daylight and work out a plan do deal with the foxes there that took the happy campers into consideration. The venue we where at behind his yard consisted of two rows of buldings either side of the yard surrounded by six fields that he owns. At the end of the expanse of concrete that is between the buildings is a metal gate into a field on the left. There are security lights on these buildings that cannot be turned off and at the end of the one on the left it cast a dark shadow into the field for about twenty five yards. I thought this might be a good place to set up in the shadows and put the caller out to the left in the field.

My mate opened the gate and i drove the jimny off the concrete into the field, it was a drop of about ten inches but no problem for the little suzuki. I drove to the end of the building then turned to face down the field and reversed back against the wall so that we where in the darkest place possible. The foxpro was put out on a hide pole fifty yards to our left. It is quite an advantageous position here because we could see everywhere in the field we where in and also the two fields in front of of us which are slightly rolling away from us. I had a scan around with the thermal and then noticed seven horses laid down further up the field behind us that he had failed to tell me about. Well i will say now that i hate horses with a passion, they are fickle and unpredictable and can be a downright pain in the harris, a bit like the HMR of the animal world. So i phoned him up and told him what i had seen, he said don't worry they won't bother you carry on. The fact that i was set up ready to go was the deciding factor, i thought i will give it a go but if there is any nonsense from the seven dimwits i will leave. If horses laid eggs i would smash everyone i found such is my hatred of them. 

As i had seen a few rabbits about i thought i would start proceedings off with the young rabbit distress call on the foxpro. Forty yards in front of us and just to our right is a shelter for the dimwits and a pile of brush wood at the side of it. Six minutes in and i spotted a fox rushing in from behind this brush wood making to the caller at a fair lick. I immediately switched on the Drone and srx and pointed the rifle to where i had last seen it. Sweeping to the left i found it quickly and within a few yards it stopped to listen to the caller. I had already set the trigger on the T3 and pushed the safety off, as soon as the drones dot reticule arrived behind the front leg i touched off the shot. The fox was only about fifty yards away so the muffled report and the tell tale pop of a successful hit where blended together. We carried on calling and left the fox where it was. Some five minutes later i saw another come through the hedge in front of us through the thermal. It started to come to the caller for about fifteen yards then it moved off to our left along the hedge. It was obviously wary of something but still interested in the call. I left the caller playing and had readied the rifle. It moved into the field about one hundred and fifty yards away and was playing peek-a-boo from behind a clump of thistles. At this point i decided to change the call to field mouse distress and lower the volume, it is something that has worked for me lots of times before. This time was no different either, it stepped out sideways and was cocking it's head from side to side listening to the call. It listened right up to the point a thirty two grain vmax which had left the stainless barrel at circa 4.200 fps landed straight in the centre of it's bib. It collapsed instantly without a twitch which is how it should happen. I have great admiration for the fox as destructive as he is and i really hate to see them run off with their entrails dragging behind them through bad shooting, they deserve much better than that.                                                                                                                        This fox was also left where it had dropped and the caller was reset back to young rabbit distress. It was ten minutes later when i saw a heat source come through a hedge into the field in front of the one we  where in. Far to big to be a hare i switched the Drone and srx on to positively id what it was. It turned out to be a fox sat up looking over towards the caller. This would be a longer shot than the previous two but easily within reach of the .204. After slipping off the safety and setting the trigger i settled the dot on the foxes upper bib area and squeezed off a shot. I saw it crumple then heard the distinctive "thock" that tells you all is well. That too laid there for another thirty minutes of calling before we decided to head home. It turned out that the first customer was a full grown vixen at approx fifty yards. The second was an early litter dog cub at one hundred and fifty yards and the third an early litter vixen at two hundred and sixty four yards. A quick check with the thermal and the dimwits where still laid down chewing the cud or whatever it is that dimwits do laid down in a field.  A decent result and the chap was delighted, we will be back!    

         

[David.evans 5,323]

Great shooting mate 

and a brilliant write up 

atb

[shovel leaner 7,650]

Great result and an enjoyable read , A+ .Ps I hate horses too , they eat money and shit work. My Mrs and daughters used to be mad on them . I can honestly say , while we had horses I never had any money . Horse lorry bills , Farrier bills , feed , vet , pony club , the list goes on . I don’t miss it one bit .

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

As said great read with a great result  , look forward to the account at the caravan site.

[Stavross 15,539]

I’ve given this a thumbs up without reading it,  I’m saving it for a read when I get in, I know it will be good

[BenBhoy 4,706]

Great shooting & great read as per. 

[si brown 8,486]

mint read and quality night  

went to do a bit of decoying this aft and couldn't, it was a nice sight to see all the combines running at full tilt so I didn't mind!

loads of open land to go at now and me mates ordered me a foxpro in, cant wait for it to land.. im not off near the spot till I get it now, sick of missed opportunities from them coming to close with mouth squeaking  

[Stavross 15,539]

Well I had to do that in 2 sittings, because people keep bothering me, but it was worth it

I too have a very strong dislike of the equine idiots, it doesn’t help that I spend quite a bit of time working around them, the owner are sometimes not much better

[Dervburner 2,549]

Great write up again Ian, and an equally good result. I’m the same with horses, can’t stand the bleddy things.

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

5 hours ago, si brown said:

mint read and quality night  

went to do a bit of decoying this aft and couldn't, it was a nice sight to see all the combines running at full tilt so I didn't mind!

loads of open land to go at now and me mates ordered me a foxpro in, cant wait for it to land.. im not off near the spot till I get it now, sick of missed opportunities from them coming to close with mouth squeaking  

You won't regret buying the Foxpro,  awesome piece of kit. Look out Mr Fox

[BenBhoy 4,706]

Talking of horses & horsey people, this is a post I placed on a farming forum couple years ago, think it was February...

 

Had a new hay customer come to pick up from the yard. 2 big rounds & 45 small square (hate small bales).

Nice enough horsey lady.

Handball the smalls on, at least it warmed me up. Chit chat (well I listened she whinnied) then said cheerio.

The the itching starts...down front of bib/brace, down shirt, inside vest. Try to ignore it but it's maddening.

Fine, I'm in the yard alone all day. Good brisk westerly gusting through, that'll shift it. Braces off, shirt off, quickly followed by vest...brrr colder than thought, but quickly get jeans down and begin to shake, wiggle & dance about.

Dusting myself down, time suddenly freezes as I hear a high pitched "Oh, excuse me" immediately approaching behind the corner.... It felt like a slow mo film scene "Nooooooooooooo". I was caught in no man's land, too far from my clothes to try make amends, and then it happened, a stranger finds me in middle of farm yard, just outside cattle shed, wearing grey pants & buckler boots.

At least she didn't scream!
 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

6 hours ago, BenBhoy said:

Talking of horses & horsey people, this is a post I placed on a farming forum couple years ago, think it was February...

 

Had a new hay customer come to pick up from the yard. 2 big rounds & 45 small square (hate small bales).

Nice enough horsey lady.

Handball the smalls on, at least it warmed me up. Chit chat (well I listened she whinnied) then said cheerio.

The the itching starts...down front of bib/brace, down shirt, inside vest. Try to ignore it but it's maddening.

Fine, I'm in the yard alone all day. Good brisk westerly gusting through, that'll shift it. Braces off, shirt off, quickly followed by vest...brrr colder than thought, but quickly get jeans down and begin to shake, wiggle & dance about.

Dusting myself down, time suddenly freezes as I hear a high pitched "Oh, excuse me" immediately approaching behind the corner.... It felt like a slow mo film scene "Nooooooooooooo". I was caught in no man's land, too far from my clothes to try make amends, and then it happened, a stranger finds me in middle of farm yard, just outside cattle shed, wearing grey pants & buckler boots.

At least she didn't scream!
 

Bet it made her day and many a dream was had!

[ianm 2,594]

On 11/09/2020 at 16:35, si brown said:

mint read and quality night  

went to do a bit of decoying this aft and couldn't, it was a nice sight to see all the combines running at full tilt so I didn't mind!

loads of open land to go at now and me mates ordered me a foxpro in, cant wait for it to land.. im not off near the spot till I get it now, sick of missed opportunities from them coming to close with mouth squeaking  

Which Foxpro did you order and will it come with British calls already downloaded?

[si brown 8,486]

47 minutes ago, ianm said:

Which Foxpro did you order and will it come with British calls already downloaded?

Not sure, lads ordered two in for me to have a look at!

it should be here tomorrow, shop was shut today and I’ve been giving him rock all about how long it’s taking. 
apparently the importers in Perth.. 

he dint look to impressed when I said Australia and is the fcuker rowing here with it

ill let you know once I get it

[si brown 8,486]

On 21/09/2020 at 17:28, ianm said:

Which Foxpro did you order and will it come with British calls already downloaded?

Picked it up today, it’s got 75 built in calls!

they don’t say there British but there’s a load of red fox that sound good and rabbit and pheasant that sound similar to the ones that fly and bounce round Yorkshire. 
 
there’s magpie and squirrel that sound nothing like them but I remember  a keeper mate of mine saying he pulled in loads on a squirrel that sounded nothing like a squirrel. 
handy size to I’m happy with it, pitty it’s pissin down or I’d be out tonight with it.