out for cubs

[garyw 0]

 

went out last night with the keeper on a large estate[8000 acres] we were doing the rounds of finding the first cubs,we went to the first area a large wood with 3 strips of game crop leading to the wood[the game strip has been ploughed out] the keeper had been in daylight looking while doing his rounds.we lamped from the pickup for about 20 mins nothing showing.we use 2 lamps on his truck one is hand held used by me off the back this enables us to see over the hedges and saves driving into every field on the estate which is made up of 7 farms.the second is roof mounted so when we have a fox i can use the rifle off the roof of the truck and the keeper can control the lamp its a very good set up and we both know what the other is doing weve used this system for 9yrs now.

next stop a small grass field of about 2 acres weve had cubs in this field, well from an old railway embankment running down one length of the field for the last 4 years dog and vixen also taken,we pulled into the field and went in about 80yds turned off the engine and let things calm down after 10mins the first sweep revealed a fox in front and left[at about10 oclock to us]sniffing the ground and working towards us at about 150 yds i had the 17 rem with me enough for charlie to 200yds.i gave the nod and the keeper put the lightforce lamp right on the fox i gave a OYY! and it stopped dead in its tracks and looked towards us cross hair on the shoulder pulled the trigger on the TIKKA,got the tell tale whop! the little 20 grain vmax found the engine room, saw the fox collapse on the spot.thats the beauty of the small calibre rifles you see everything through the scope no recoil!turned off the lamp and wait.if there are cubs in the same spot then a pair will hopefully be here so we wait,after 20 mins a quick flick of the lamp shows another fox the our immediate left[9 oclock to us] it was about 200 yds and hunting away from us,i gave it a little squeek and it turned and ran in to us,another OYY! and the brakes went on front on chest shot at 120yds again sack of spuds .

so i thought well thats the dog and vixen all in about 1 hr a good start to the night.so the truck was fired up and off we went to pick up.the first fox[the top one in the picture]was a very small vixen with milk so cubs are near! picked up the second fox[the middle one in the picture]thinking its daddy-no its another milky vixen!two vixens hunting in the same field so close is unusual and both with cubs so we think.

any way the keeper says lets move on, hell come back in the morning and look for signs of the cubs.we moved on and lamped for another 2 hours around the estate and didnt see a thing.on the way to another known cub area we got a pull by the old bill wanting to know what we were up to.after all the usual shit they come out with the normal traffic cops dont have a clue about fire arms i showed one of them my fac. and the rifle and ammo usual checks everything ok, the other plod wanders over to the pick up and looks in the back sees the two vixens and says "what is wrong with these?" feck me i had all on not to crack up",there dead" says i "how did they die"? he says ,"i shot them with that rifle"pointing to the rifle case

im still trying not to laugh . anyway they go and we carry on we enter a field of drilled wheat with a grass margin round it we sweep the field and in front and right a fox is trotting away from us a squeek halts it and it turns to look at us another squeek and it moves 10 yds nearer then whop! another 20 vmax hits home .i walk over to it because its on the drilling and pick up another vixen[bottom of photo] but this one is barren about 3 yrs old looking at her teeth.in the back of the truck she goes.by this time its gone12-00 so we head back to the keepers house lamping as we go another fox is spotted but bolts as soon as its lamped.so not a bad night 3 vixens a chat with plod and about 1/4 of the estate where possible lamped the cubs will be showing in the next 2-3 weeks so we need to get them before all the crops shoot up the rape is already too tall to lamp.hope you enjoy.

[SportingShooter 0]

Nice going GW. Always good to see a few more in the bag, the cubs will not be far behind them I shouldnt wonder.

This is essential fox control and I am glad to see success. That .17 Rem seems to be doing the business and unless im mistaken, the bullet almost always stays within the body?

Regards

SS

[just jack 998]

good thread gaz, well done, i might see you sunday if we end up going mate

[alimac 882]

out of interest why dont he just do then dens?? vixen and cubs together and a good chance of the dog before dark... saves alot of time after shooting a milky vixen away from her cubs

[garyw 0]

out of interest why dont he just do then dens?? vixen and cubs together and a good chance of the dog before dark... saves alot of time after shooting a milky vixen away from her cubs

good point there alimac well the main reason is if the keeper disturbs the vixen with her cubs in day light you can guarantee she will move them then he has to find them again,

we visit the known spots where fox earths have been in previous years[its an earth not a den]and as i stated he has approx 8000 acres of land thats a lot of land.this keeper will not allow terrier men onto his patch so its the rifle and i aint complaining.

[garyw 0]

Nice going GW. Always good to see a few more in the bag, the cubs will not be far behind them I shouldnt wonder.

This is essential fox control and I am glad to see success. That .17 Rem seems to be doing the business and unless im mistaken, the bullet almost always stays within the body?

Regards

SS

cheers sporting yes you are correct the little pills dont exit the fox is a bag of soup when hit these 20 vmax are hand loaded and are doing 4200fps at the muzzle.OUCH!

[Rudedog 0]

A good night and a good read, well done.

[cragman 2,780]

We had a litter of five last monday. Found the cubs first, after finding a few footings in the snow. We went back in the evening and got both dog and vixen with the rifle coming in to see their family. Fieldcraft it's called.

[garyw 0]

We had a litter of five last monday. Found the cubs first, after finding a few footings in the snow. We went back in the evening and got both dog and vixen with the rifle coming in to see their family. Fieldcraft it's called.

well done cragman fieldcraft eh!

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

out of interest why dont he just do then dens?? vixen and cubs together and a good chance of the dog before dark... saves alot of time after shooting a milky vixen away from her cubs

good point there alimac well the main reason is if the keeper disturbs the vixen with her cubs in day light you can guarantee she will move them then he has to find them again,

we visit the known spots where fox earths have been in previous years[its an earth not a den]and as i stated he has approx 8000 acres of land thats a lot of land.this keeper will not allow terrier men onto his patch so its the rifle and i aint complaining.

Well done Cragman and nice shooting Gary!

 

I agree with Alimac's post, as I also think doing the rounds of the dens with the terriers, is the best way to get the job done. Saves on the hours.

 

All the best