Shooting fox cubs ???

[weejohn]

I have been watching a den the past couple of nights.

From what i have seen there are 4 cubs as thats all i saw playing outside.

As of yet no vixen has been spotted but i have left dead crows and some cooked chicken bones

that i had.

There is no sign of any lamb remains but there are bits of pheasant.

My idea was to get the vixen then mop up the cubs before any lambs do get taken.

 

Do you reckon this is the best way to go about things ?

[weejohn]

I could quite easily pop off the cubs but i didnt want the vixen to do a dassapearing act or worse still go on a

killing rampage.

[Elwood]

Remove the vixen and the cubs will remain in place. Only on one occasion have I ever known the dog to move the cubs and even now I suspect it was a baron vixen who moved them.

 

So yes you are right, take out the vixen and then remove the cubs, but make sure you get them all, starvation probably isn't the most pleasant death.

[PESCA]

I would agree with your thinking, John.

 

If you do for the cubs first, it's very likely that you won't get a chance at the vixen, as she'll be on her toes.

 

Patience is a virtue

 

George

[weejohn]

Thanks for your suggestions guys.

[dannyt]

Thanks for your suggestions guys.

 

Weejonh the boys are right wen they have said not to clear the cubs up before you deal with mum and dad.

 

Ive often seen and taken adults at the earths in the middle of the day , take care with the wind directions as the vixen and dog will nearly always come home down wind of the earth .

 

I cleared some up two days ago , The dog came home first with a takeaway .

 

Good luck mate

[Cragman]

I've taken care of lots of litters, and the way forward, like has been written, is to get the parents first if possible. When the vixen is nearby, she'll sometimes offer up a low grunting noise to let the cubs know it's all clear, so listen out for that because she'll likely be out of sight. Of course, sometimes she'll go directly to the earth, so keep your eyes peeled too. It's not too hard to get the cubs to come to you either with any sort of squeak. They're just so enquisitive, they'll come real close and it's possible to take out two or three with a shotgun if you don't have a rimmy.

[foxshot]

The last time i had to shoot a full litter i arived before first light and got settled down as it got light i could see the cubs were out playing about but couldnt see the vixen after a short while into view she came so i took it out and like Ronny said the cubs had no clue what was going on so in quick succesion all were dispatched

[JohnGalway]

Pop the cubs if you can't see the vixen. Leave them at the entrance to the den, pegged down preferably, if it's not much trouble. Be laid up before dark with a lamp, you'll get your vixen right as it's coming dark.

 

We got three cubs with a terrier there a few weeks ago. Two lambs in the den and two young hares, as well as a mystery item. I was there watching for the vix, while the other lads were doing the graft No sign of her so we did the above. They went out for a slap up feed that night, sods. I was on a hillock over looking the den and the vix was there just ahead of me. She didn't leave mind.

[re'M'ington]

I concur with most of what has been said,if you start shooting the cubs and don't get them all then the vixen will definitely move the remainder,but,shoot the vixen a short distance from the earth and the cubs should make their way over to her giving you the opportunity to drop the lot,but,if any are left then you should get the terrier out to dig the rest,they may only be foxes but they do deserve our respect.....they certainly have mine.

 

Martin

[whoowhoop]

Well said, Martin

[garyw]

always shoot the dog/vixen first them mop up the cubs,if you shoot the vixen first and not the dog and leave the cubs [to come back for the dog]the dog fox will more than likely go on a killing spree why they do this i dont know.as for dog foxes not moving cubs well they do for a very short period of time the dog is actually a very tentative father looking after his clan, this period lasts for only a few weeks then he gets pi**ed off and keeps his distance.

[1967spud]

waiit for the vixen for a night or two whilst at the same time snaring up on the approaches to hole then once youve got her take the cubs

 

if how ever you have no joy in getting het after a night or two i would take the cubs asap and go back to snaring and lamping for her

 

shell turn up at some point

[bri2506]

Dont shoot cubs. Make sure you get vixen first, then if drop her near hole and drag her away to good shooting position. Leave them all together and dog 9/10 comes in

 

 

 

[weejohn]

I didnt relise it was the dog who could go on the killing spree, i thought it was the vixen.

 

Snares are out of the question because of the huge number of badgers using the same area.

 

Still no sign of the vixen, i even had a lamp over the area last night but nothing.

The problem i have is getting a quiet time to sit and wait, there are still 700 ewes to lamb

so the bikes are zooming round the field from 7am till 10.30pm every day.

 

I am thinking it may take sitting over a dead ewe one night.

[JohnGalway]

If you can't get the vixen, do get the cubs. Particularly with lambs around, there'll be a much lower burden on the adult foxes to produce kills for the cubs when they've passed onto the next world. All that'll be left is to provide for themselves.

 

Regarding the dog fox, my mate reckons he goes on a killing spree after the vixen is killed as he know's the cubs need food, but doesn't know how much. Therefore he just kills & kills. In the absence of word from the horses mouth, that explanation does me.

[Cragman]

I suppose if you've not seen the vixen yet she could have died elsewhere. RTA, shot on other land, naturally etc. She's normally seen about the area when there's cubs and they're getting bigger. I've seen one near me in the afternoon a few times and not very far from the earth either, which is a big rambling sandy spot, lots of holes and deep! They're not causing any bother where they are....for now.

[sako75]

Hi weejohn, after dealing with foxes for more than forty years now, I recon that there are more old wives tales told about them than any other animal.

 

I would cull those cubs ASAP and leave a couple close by the earth, pegged down as someone else has already stated. I have shot countless foxes in the middle of the afternoon, by 15.30 this time of the year they are already about on the hunt for food especially when they have cubs to feed.

 

And should the vixen already be dead for some reason then, you only have to deal with the dog fox when you have the time.

 

ATB Bob

[nell]

Has anybody experienced the KILLING SPREE fist hand????

 

In many years of fox control i have often heard of it, but never exprienced it...

 

A farmer was telling me of this recently, he seemed to think it was in revenge for its mate being killed....

 

Nearly wet myself when my mate said, if the vixen was killed on the road near your farm would the dog come and slash your tyres

 

How long is it before the dog realises she is not comming home?????

[nemasis243]

Waiting watching a den is going to take time for it all to come together to get the right shot,I have done this myself a few times in the past and I never take the first shot until I am satisfied that I can clean the lot up.

If you watch the vixon and cubs you will become aware that at some stage the vixon will return to the entrance of the den,while her brood are out in front of her playing,she will sit bolt uprite infront of entrance,looking out for any signs of trouble,

that is the first shot you want to take, drop her in the entrance of the den ,hopefully she will block the hole,the cubs will not have a clue what to do,in their minds ,mummy's laying there saying nothing so it all must be safe,you then start by mopping up the cubs ,the closest to her gets it first and so on.

good luck and let us know how you get on.

[dannyt]

Ive seen the results of the cubs killed with out first taking out the vixen and dog . The killing spree is quite sickening if you are a gamekeeper looking after a wild bird shoot or upland grouse moors.

I have worked on wild bird shoots for 20 years plodding around nesting marking pheasant and partridge nests , whatching the birds build up the eggs , sit quite well through all sorts of weather and then get pulled of the nest and spat out a few yards away .

this will happen all over your beat for a few days or even a week until you can catch up with the adults.

 

This said things have change quite a bit now with use of night vision and callers. so if you have this sort of kit or a mate has , killing the cubs first dosent matter to much just get after mar and par the same night.

[CZ Varminter]

ok guys this is very interesting im sure yo have already dealt witht these foxes. But the way i see it is that what would you rather have you go one night and the foxes are at their den, then you leave them because of know vixen or dog about, you go the next and they arent there at all!? Even harder task of having to try and find them somewhere else!? Get rid! the fact of the matter is that if you kill the cubs there are no mouths to feed apart from themselves. At the end of the day guys no matter what you do it can always go the other way, i see only a possible two problems worse than seven or eight!? Simple but true?

 

How did you get on and what did you decide to do? Be nice to hear guys.

 

P.S. I have often been told to take out the cubs with a rimfire and have done many a time before its very effective, they honestly dont know what goes on i have even shot a whole litter with a 30-06 before while out stalking on a shoot. You will find that there is always one cub that is very Rose sure and another that is shy as hell take him first as he will be the hardest to get! all other just need mopping up after.

 

J

[garyw]

EARTH-EARTH-foxes live in them not dens-anal i know but if you are offering advice on the subject, please know what you are talking about.

rant over!

[weejohn]

Well not much has been happening but due to the weather here i didnt expect much to be out and about.

Due to the rain the field has been busy with the bikes picking up ewes with lambs 24hrs a day although

there was a dry spell last night but nothing showed.

I am still leaving crows for them to feed on for now.

[CZ Varminter]

EARTH-EARTH-foxes live in them not dens-anal i know but if you are offering advice on the subject, please know what you are talking about.

rant over!

 

LMAO my bad i was watching videos before hunting coyotes on you tube so thats where i got that from. Thanks for the heads up.