Lamping the Night Away, December 2007

[JohnGalway]

It's meant to be wet here tomorrow night so I may as well stick this up tonight, or tomorrow morning depending on when the pictures upload on my glorious elastic band powered dial-up

 

Enjoy, or suffer, depending on your POV

 

Friday December 7

 

Bored in the house I said I'd take a break from my foxing break with a trip around my own farm and the neighbouring fields/hill. I took along my new Primos Mouse Squeeze, a gullible buy lol, if you want a cheap one just find a very cheap and small kids toy that squeeks when you squeeze it. Seriously.

 

Off I went, armed to the teeth and expecting to see nothing. Took a walk up through my own fields reaquainting myself with this lamping lark, setting the lamp to my scope and pretending to walk quietly... It was a nice night for it, good wind blowing and darker than I've seen for a long time. The kind of night you don't want to have lamp problems, even though I carry a small spare head light.

 

After giving my own place a good scan and seeing nothing I crossed the dry stone wall and sheep fence into the neighbours land at my usual crossing spot. Well the hares use this spot too so it's good enough for me. Runny nose is annoying the hell out of me so with much sniffing I get moving again, scan and see nothing. That is until I round the side of the little hill I'm on. Eyes in the middle of the sheep in the next neighbours field!

 

He's sitting on a rock, just slightly behind it. Moves off on his own and I lose him. So, I start off with a few squeeks on my mouse. Scan around for a little bit and see nothing. There's a wall around 110-120 yards in front of me and the wind is blowing right to left, quartering towards me if that's the right way of putting it. Foxy appears in an unusual place, upwind of me instead of circling downwind. This is very odd, unless there was a second fox I didn't see initially.

 

I get settled down on the rock and find foxy in the scope. He's walking along with the wind. I don't do too much squeaking as he's pretty much where I want him not maybe 90 yards out. I keep tracking him in the scope until around 78 yards when he stops. With the crosshairs on his chest I let loose a Federal 50 grain hollow point. Down he goes, very quick, very humane, and very safe as there's no exit wound.

 

What I do discover though is he's started to get mange. Now, I think I'll break my foxing break to see if I can't cull the mangey ones before it destroys the local population. Won't be popular with the other farmers but I'm not going to say a word! Am confident now that I've got some foxing time under my belt I can keep the numbers down to an acceptable level from a sheep farming point of view. Even if no one else would believe me lol.

 

My Japanese fox Mr. Itchyballsaki

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday December 10th

 

Off out tonight again - so much for my break. There's a spot I go to check my lamp is lined up correctly and everything is working before I go travelling. It's close to home so saves the hassle of travelling miles again if something isn't right. While I'm checking out a tree 130 yards away I see two pairs of bright eyes near the top of the field that it's in, they take off as soon as the lamp hits them - not good. Difficult spot this, lots of rushes and the ground is raising up to the hill.

 

I get everything set up as quickly as I can and head off up our field to see if I can cut them off. To make matters worse it's calm, so I'm a clumsy fella in a hurry through a jungle lol. When I'm three quarters way up our field I hear a fox barking the wrong side of me. Even worse of a jungle over there! I scan around and call but I don't see him. I know there's another so I'll keep going.

 

Up the top of our field there's a hillock which hides a dip out in the hill if you're behind it. I carefully make my way up to see into the dip and low and behold there's foxy number two! Zoooommmm gone as soon as the light is on. Out I go over two fences (protecting a shelter belt of trees) into the hill. I don't see anything for little while. *Groan* fox has decided to go UP. I think I'll be sneaky (ok lazy) and try and snipe the fox from where I am, nope, lamp on, fox gone lol.

 

Right, going to give this one more try. I head off up the steep hill, cursing all the gear and the layers I'm wearing. I scan around a bit behind me and I think I spy fox number one wayyyyyyy down the fields. One for another night. After a bit more walking I see a flash of eyes in the very outside of the beam of light. Off with the lamp and down in the dark. I flick it on again in the last spot I saw the fox. There she is, just turning to do a runner, safety off and Ka-boooom! Down in one. 120 yard vixen, uphill shot with a safe backstop.

 

 

Friday December 14th

 

I'd already checked a couple of spots tonight. Nothing doing. I was driving to some of my Dads land (it's all spread out in bits and pieces) along a small road. As I have permission on a lot of the land in this area I was shining from the car. Not shooting though as that's not legal here. So if I spot Mr Fox I can park up and head off after him on foot.

 

I was getting near a bridge when I see eyes coming towards me along the shore. This bugger had given me the slip a few times before. I parked up in the farmers gateway and headed into one of the fields. Found a nice spot to shoot from and guess what, fox headed down to the waterline where I couldn't see him!

 

He's making his way to a spot he can easily get away from me. I have to make the rifle safe and do a runner to another spot, stopping to lamp now and then to make sure he's still on his way. We get there at the same time! He's no more then 15 yards from me. I have to rest the rifle on a pile of rocks gathered up from an old stone wall years ago. In the meantime he's decided to take off like a rocket along the shore (his mistake) directly away from me. I get him in the scope and bark, whistle, shout to stop him. Nope, he's not falling for it. Thankfully there's a patch of shore that's free of obstacles and he's making his way right away from me so I aim for the back of his neck and squeeze, the bullet connects with the bottom right hand side of the back of his head and doesn't leave much forward of that! 48 yard dog fox.

 

 

Tuesday December 25th (Yeah, I know, I was out same night last year!).

 

I went back to my own place to a hillock with a good view. I wasn't in the best of health (not drink related!) so shouldn't have been out at all really. Decided I'd sit down in the shelter of a big rock and call for a while, and never mind anything that may come in from upwind. Called away for a while, mostly fox sounds with the Callmaster Digital caller. Looked around with the Yukon Digital Ranger too, I love it! Didn't see anything in that spot, so, as I don't like going home empty handed I said I'd head off out to where my sheep graze in winter.

 

It didn't take long. I was picking my route carefully, there are only small hillocks for cover really so I had to walk in the little valleys as it was so bright out tonight. I spied a bright pair of eyes about 200 yards away, looking down at me. I made my way to a decent shooting spot. I didn't want to get too close as I'm damn sure the fox can see me as I am, the moon being bright as it is. I set up the bipod and get down for the shot, I can just see the fox's head and neck, rest of her is hidden behind old mountain grass. I aim for the fox's neck, squeeze the trigger and Boooommmmmm. Down she goes, takes a little roll off something and straight over the edge of the little cliff. I was half afraid now that something had gone wrong and I'd missed. But when I get to the bottom of the cliff there she is. Turned out to be 185 yard shot, I'm happy with that.

 

 

Saturday December 29th

 

Dad had seen some fox tracks and scat on an old pathway leading out of part of his land. This parcel of land is one of a few located on the end of an island. But the terrain is murder, swampy bogs, a million small gullies and cut away peat bogs. Spot a fox, yeah you can, but blink and he's gone! Often to disappear behind a rock, down into a gully or along the shore. I had been in for a scout around a couple of nights back, not an eye to be seen. So I said I'd go again tonight since tomorrow night is meant to be wet.

 

Off I went, usual gear Remington VL SS .223, Lightforce 170 Striker and now my Yukon Digital Ranger as well. One man show but in need of a Man Friday, or blonde well endowed Lady Friday, yeah, I like that one better. I set off back the pathway, I wasn't on the move for more than three or four minutes when I see a bright flash of eyes a few hundred yards in front of me. It was one of those "I think I just saw a fox" flashes, no look or other flash of eyes. Pretty windy here tonight, exposed Atlantic coast, so I make for a nearby hillock hoping the fox will be coming towards me to mooch in a swampy spot. No such luck.

 

I go back to the path and head to one of my Dads fields. Do the usual scanning around and down near the shore I see a funny looking eye looking out from behind a rock in among the ewes. I make my way closer to try and work a shot but the sod is up and away, moving fast to the left and then up towards me to a spot in the fence and out into the rough "hill" of the island. I see foxy again but nowhere to set the rifle down to shoot!

 

Then I loose the fox. For a very long while. About an hour of walking later I spot foxy again! In another of Dads fields, two fields from the first. Again foxy just gives me a flash and is gone. I do another 30 minute tour around the island. My mind is made up to go home at this stage but my legs are moving me in the direction of the first field I spotted the fox in. Nah, I'm never gonna see the fox in there again tonight.

 

And there the bugger is. About 150 yards up the field from where I saw it the first time in that field. Cheeky sod. I set myself down on a rock for a shot. Just as I pick out the fox in the scope it moves behind a tuft of something or other that threatens to ruin my night. Fox moves up the little hillock and to the left I think, I whistle, I bark, I shout LOUDLY. Doesn't even look back. I'm just about to shoot it on the, er, walk. Then foxy stops at a small rocky crevice to smell something. Boom! Down you go my friend.

 

I reload fast and look for any other eyes, nothing. So I make the rifle safe and... Ah no! Where did I shoot that fox again?? Yeah, lost my bearings. After a good bit of looking, in the wrong spot, I go back to my shooting position. Lie down and look through the scope, now at least I've an idea where the fox could be! Usual doubts about wounding when this happens but I know 100% that fox hit the deck hard. I pick the lower end of the field where I could have shot the fox and practically walk right up to her

 

When I saw her first tonight I said to myself that's a vixen. Her eyes were very bright and golden and she seemed too smart by half.

 

115yard vixen.

 

[Oly]

Good write up John. I think your right about the indications that the mange fox gives - would still be worthwhile monitoring a little though, just in case it was a one off. I still say you must farm foxes, not sheep though!

[Guest 308Panther]

Worth the read John.

 

I once whistled an upwind coyote in from over 300 yrds.

It was walking with the wind straight towards me.

Not often they do that,What a rush !!!

When it got within 30 ft I let go with the 12ga.

I thought for sure it was gonna see me but it was as blind as it was dumb.

 

308Panther

[tulkyuk]

Well done John, been out myself tonight and shot 3 of the little buggers. went out last night & shot 1, Also had 2 on thursday night too!!, so not abad week so far.

[Redfox]

Good write up John, at least your getting a few.

Most of my land I have shot hard this last few years and so it has to be a youngster trying for a territory or an older one looking for somewhere new. The regular earths are not much used now and if they are I soon get the lot of them around April-May.

Bad for me, but I am well thought of by the farmers whose land it is as they dont normally lose any lambs or poultry these days.

Round here Sheep seem to have dropped off in popularity since the f&m and there are nowhere near as many around, which is another factor.

Redfox

[varminter]

A very good writeup - thoroughly enjoyed it and well done on those foxes..........

Thanks for sharing.............

All the best.....................

RAY.................................. :D

[JohnGalway]

Cheers lads

 

Oly,

Foxes probably be worth more than the sheep now, could set up a petting zoo I'd direct the sandal wearers to any mangey fox

 

308,

I'm going to go hunting coyotes before I die! Much more sensible to be doing it in the daytime.

 

Tulky,

You're doing well mate I'm surrounded by the sea on a lot of sides so there are never huge numbers around. Am always happy coming home with just the one.

 

RF,

I had a month like that, the place was very quiet. They seem to be on the move again now though!

 

Ray,

Thanks for that

[Guest varmartin]

Very enjoyable write up John.

 

When ever I read your stories I feel like going out with the lamp myself...

 

I dont go back to work now till 7th Jan..so will find some time for me now Christmas is over.

 

Martin

[6mmBR]

As ever John an excellent and enjoyable read.

You should send some of your write ups to the magazines, they knock spots off the articles in most of them.

Cheers and Happy New Year.

Dave

[JohnGalway]

Martin,

Yeah head out and get some shooting done When you're caught in work after the 7th it may not be as easy!

 

Dave,

Happy new year to you too mate I'm glad you like my few stories, I'd rather post them here for free than have anyone pay for them (not that they would lol).

[Guest 308Panther]

John,

 

Early morning is the best time for them.

I cant do like the magazine write ups in the desert

or open plains where ya are able to get up and move to a

differant spot a couple miles away....

 

In my spots they are targets of opportunity.

Sometimes its the .308 for them sometimes its

a 12ga with Goose or Turkey loads.

 

Getting caught with buckshot can be a problem.

 

I was Goose hunting when that yote came in...

No birds were comin in...so made the most of it.

 

308Panther

[foxshot]

Good write up J,G as for the childs toy you are right had one at one time and placed it it a empty biro worked a treat ,sadly lost now .got some funny looks though when in the toy shop trying different ones to see which produced the best sound

[Guest 308Panther]

Good write up J,G as for the childs toy you are right had one at one time and placed it it a empty biro worked a treat ,sadly lost now .got some funny looks though when in the toy shop trying different ones to see which produced the best sound

 

I got them all the time playin with the toy motorcycles at Wal Mart.....

Now,they dont even raise an eyebrow at me anymore when I ask for a box of .308's

and a bottle of Prozac.

That one used to get me some reeeeal strange looks...

 

 

308Panther