Fox problem

[6mmBR]

Well a quiet Sunday turned upside down by a single phone call. I'd been invited to shoot on a pheasant syndicate on Saturday and had a wonderful day. During the day I met one of the beaters and was chatting his uncle runs a caravan park which is over run with rabbits and also has a healthy population of foxes. We discussed once the caravan park shuts in November I would go down and sort a few problems out, so I gave him my mobile number.

It all started with a phone call around lunch time, to say could I come over sooner as they had lost 3 ewes in one night. I thought I would take a good look in the day light to suss things out and met with the owner,who was most concerned.

He showed me the ewes one had been eaten totally to a skeleton and a fleece the other 2 had there chests and throats ripped out. I was not convinced that a fox would kill a full grown ewe and said it was more than likely it was a caravaners dog and the foxes had just cleaned up the carcass.

The problem with this place is it is a huge static caravan park and its half term holidays and is full of people. The owner said obviously we couldn't wait till November when the park shuts, so it had to be a covert bit of pest control.

We found a safe field 2 away from the caravans and I would come back at dusk and scan the field with the night vision and shoot what I could with my moderated RPA, as in this case we didn't have time to bait an area. The problem is the rifle I shoot with the Kite on isn't moderated so I couldn't use it. Hence the RPA and a lamp was the order of the day.

I got back there for 6.15 and set up my gear over looking the field and started to scan with the Kite.

It didn't take long for the action to start with a pair of foxes coming in fronm the hill. I let them get into a good killing zone on went the lamp down went a fox. Well we shot 4 foxes injust over an hour, we saw another pair of which I had one and another loaner.

This place is trully over run, I shot one dog fox which was huge as you can see the size of him in comparison to my RPA he must have weighed a good 20+lbs

We reported back to the office and the owner was chuffed we said we would return for a mop up on Tuesday. He phoned me the following day to thank me and to say there had been no further killings.

I'm still not convinced it was a fox killing them, but that dog fox was big, it certainly was the foxes cleaning up the carcasses though.

We went back down last night for a mop up and saw another 4 foxes we shot 1 the others crossed right in line with the caravans so didn't present safe shots.

It will be easier to get these in the next few weeks.

To cap it all I had a phone call from a mate and a fox has just killed his geese, so were off up there tonight. It's always the same nothing for weeks then everything comes at once

Cheers

Dave

[Guest northernchris]

Good going mate

 

I have seen foxes having a "go" at sheep when they have been ill or been on their backs gassed up.But not when they are healthy.

[6mmBR]

I have to agree Chris, I think it was probably a caravaners dog. The foxes were certainly clearing up the carcasses. Any way I have one happy land owner and new ground to shoot .

I think the killer went home in the car with its owners on Sunday night

Cheers

Dave

[charly hunter]

Well done pard, it's always nice to get some new land and a good start like that will put you in good stead with the owner.

Good read as well.

[6mmBR]

Cheers Nigel, yes I'm landed. When I went down to suss things out I counted 36 rabbits feeding in that one fileld at 3pm in the afternoon. Hopefully will get some great long range bunny bashing as well when the site closes. The field must be 25-30 acres in size running down to the sea, at the base of the field are 60-70 foot high sand dunes so the shooting is going to be safe.

Cheers

Dave

[JohnGalway]

Well done on that fox, fine healthy fella. Before he met you anyway lol, biggest fox I've seen shot this year was also among rabbits, they dine well on them.

 

I'm a sheep farmer and also shoot the odd fox. No way on Gods green earth did a fox kill an adult ewe nevermind three of them. Am surprised at that farmer for saying so. I think your conclusion that it was a dog is spot on! Hopefully it was a dog that was staying at the caravan park and not a local one or there'll be more bodies.

[6mmBR]

Have to agree John, only time will tell but I'm pretty sure it must be a holiday makers dog, if it was a local dog I think he would have had more problems. The guy is the owner and manager of the site, he doesn't know a lot about farming. The sheep I think are in on winter tack, so have been there a month.

Fingers crossed the problem is gone, I can't believe how irresponsible some pet owners are leaving an animal uncontrolled in an area with livestock near

Cheers and fingers crossed the phone doesn't ring to report another killing.

Off tonight to sort out a fox which has a taste for goose .

Dave

[Alycidon]

I have known a ewe killed by a fox, only once though. She was bitten accross the top of her skull when defending her lambs. Must have been about 35 years ago.

 

Since then I have seen and shot foxes walking among ewes and lambs showing no indication that they intending having a go. Foxes are scavengers and creatures of opportunity, they will take new lambs up to maybe a month old especially when they have hungry cubs to feed but otherwise they dine elsewhere. They will certainly scavenge carcases, I found some cubs this summer when they were given away by an almost stripped carcase.

 

A

[foxshot]

Spot on stuff Dave a very good way to get on with the landowner on the first trip aswell ,that is one fine fox and a well placed shot its a shame pelts are worthless,looks like you have now secured yourself a good bit if shooting

[millpool]

top job,thats a big old "mr ginger!"

[Guest 308Panther]

Good Shooting,

 

Gotta agree with you and everyone else on the Fox vs. Sheep...I think its somethin else,too but that big male might be brazen enough to do it....but 3... In one night?

 

Thats one blood thirsty critter to kill that much.

 

308Panther

[6mmBR]

It looks like I'm going to be busy foxing. We went to my mates farm where he lost the geese and we managed to shoot one quite quickly. Sadly we had a problem with the lamp, we spotted one and I was setting up for the shot and the bloody thing went off it was a broken wire so our night ended prematurely. Looks like we'll have to give this another visit.

Cheers

Dave

[charly hunter]

Bummer pard, you will have to spend some more of your hard earned so you have a spare lamp with you. I used a Clusion for years with no problems at all, maybe a fuse but I always carry spare fuses. Now I use a Light force and the bloody thing is forever going wrong, but I always have other lamps with me, normally 4 lamps, just in case. Well you can't be to careful;)

[v-max]

Hello well done & a good nights sport.I love sitting out for charlie & dont get to do as much as i used too.In winter or a cold snap over a couple nights used to be good with a sheep carcase & have seen them with there bellys full or mark's in the due on the grass with charlie no long left or pulled the carcase about.You can no longer leave carcases out by law & they loved the sheep or lambs.

[JohnGalway]

I found once I ditched the fuse and put a cable and connectors on myself the Lightforce has never let me down. The weather this weekend looks like a good oppertunity to sort that problem out

[Redfox]

I have seen a fox baiting a Ewe with 2 well grown lambs, trying to get one away from her, very like a dog in its actions, gave him a dose of 50gr Vmax from the 222 at about 80 yds right up the Khyber. Blew his balls off and completely severed left hind quarter, by the time I ran over it was dead as the proverbial. Have seen plenty of Ewes killed by dogs but not foxes, but plenty attacked whilst giving birth, but injuries were round the rear not the head. Biggest Ive shot was 26.5 lbs and he was a big lad, but he just killed lambs even so.

Good going at both places, they will appreciate your good work and on the rabbits too.

Redfox

[huntsman]

The only one I came across was a suffock ewe that got herself cast in the field and couldn't get over. Three foxes came in and ate the whole udder off her, had to put her down she wa destroyed.