Out Foxing Charlie 13
Unlucky For Some
I took up position in top of some haylage bales to give me some height and a better all round view, the dusk started to draw in and the light started to fall, I heard a vixen scream over towards the livery stables, I thought here we g wont be long now, I had the Ole Browning 243 set up with a NiteSite Eagle mounted on it as I scanned the area with the awesome NiteSite Spotter, about half hour passed nothing but then I picked up a pair of eyes, I could not get a clear shot due to trees and other vegetation, so I decided to move down to the gate at the bottom of the hilly lambing paddock, I was glad of my Jack Pyke Evolution gear and my beard as it was bitter cold.
I went out to retrieve both foxes then brought them back and hung them on the gate post next to me with some baler twine, I stopped for a quick cup f tea from my flask as farmer came out of the lambing shed, I take it that's two down he said as he came over and saw the ones hanging on his gate post, I think his smile said it all as he shook his fist at the dead foxes, I explained your troubles are not over yet as I know there are three more foxes coming in, I also had a report of the white van dropping off town caught ones less than a couple of miles away too, I only saw one more fox this night and it was what I thought was a little vixen, she came round and sat right next to the road and no amount of calling or anything was going to move her to a safe shot position so she was left.
I quickly span around as I knew the vixen was out there and the wind may just have hidden my muzzle report enough to get her too, I was right there she was walking around a ewe that was quite clearly in labor, I have seen foxes take lambs before as the mother gives birth, but no safe shot there there were too many ewes and lambs close by for and I could not dare chance hitting one of them to save another, that's not how its done, I saw video of someone recently who will remain nameless, they were shooting with Night Vision at a fox among a flock of sheep on the crest of a hill, very bad marksmanship qualities and shows extremely poor discipline and bad judgment, no back stop and shooting live stock or worse, I don’t know how they have kept their FAC I really don't.
Nothing else for it but to try out the Fox Magnet Call, I have just helped develop with another sporting company, this was the prototype so I had not really field tested properly, I put it to my mouth using the hare call side I blew with all I had t be as loud as possible, I changed the frequency using my hand so I could give the call back pressure, the vixen froze on the spot and bolted right at me, I am always amazed how fast an animal can cover ground, she did a 150 yards in the blink of an eye, I had to shout to stop her she came in like a steam train with flames coming from her heels, she skidded to a halt just staring at me, she then sat down as I composed myself and checked it was a 101% safe shot, I squeezed the trigger and the rest was history, I breathed a sight of relief, this pair could definitely see the IR on the normal Eagle but this Dark Ops unit they did not see and it has revolutionized my night time agricultural shooting from rats to rabbits to foxes well you get what I am saying.
Until the next time, I hope you have enjoyed this latest part of my humble scribbles in this series, go and read my article The Silk Moths The Dark Ops and The Sentinel feature in that new series of articles on the rats and more.
Out Foxing Charlie 13
By The Ole Hedge Creeper
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk