Lamp shy

[monynut]

Hi everyone.

 

l lamp on a fenland shoot of about 1000 acres and also lamp the adjoining ground which consists of a further 700 or so acres, we have been doing well keeping charlie at bay for the last few years with snaring in spring and early summer and keeping on top of the earths when they are active, but this winter the lamping has gone to rats**t they are shy as hell, l use hand to mouth call and also a wham caller and both have done the bizz, l have recently found out that another guy is lamping the other ground also and l can only assume that he is missing or doing something wrong to make them lampshy.

 

Any suggestions as to how to get to grips with these tricky foxes.

[Guest varmartin]

I would take a mooch around at first light or dusk,

see what is about and may be you will spot one of the lamp shy ones.

 

Martin

[6mmBR]

You could try baiting areas and sit and wait. If you have access to some night vision device this is very effective at controlling lamp shy foxes.

Cheers

Dave

[Guest 308Panther]

Ask the other guy to go along,then observe first hand,offer a suggestion or two.

 

Lotsa patience.

 

Baiting can be productive,but is also very time consuming too.As it may take a day or more for them to get comfortable to the bait.Lotta patience needed with this one too,as it depends on how hungry they are,amount of human scent...etc

 

308Panther

[brno17]

yeah, i agree go with the bait and wait, but put your baits out on nylon line attached to cheap battery alarm clocks warrener style that way you can build up a picture of when the fox is taking the bait and if you wait on hour each side of the most popular time you should see it as they are creatures of habit. saved me many a long wait. ive shot them within 15 minutes of getting there sometimes.

 

hope this helps

 

alan.

[ejg223]

I sometimes find the highest best view spot and glas the

area in the late afternoon towards dusk. If you see one

in the distance stalk it. Often got two or three of those

shy fellas in an eve. Just don't call em.

edi

[bramble basher]

use a stink tube when baiting keeps them interested longer good luck

[JohnGalway]

Low tech solution is to bait and use the clock. As has also already been mentioned I would not try to call a lamp shy fox, chances are it's been called before and it may associate both light and calls with danger.

 

Hi tech solution is to bait, use an IR trail camera near the bait, and some NV gear when you go out after him.

 

Both will work, eventually, just be quick when you get your chance.

[monynut]

Cheers everyone.

 

l have done some baiting down there but with little effect but l do like the idea of sticking a timer on it l will give that a try, as far as having a mooch about well l do that a lot anyway the problem is that it is a very busy farm so this time of year its on the go before its lite in the morning and quite often after dark, also another problem l have down there now is that there is a lot of turf grown and with it being cut every other day or so it seems even this time of year so there is nothing there to hold charlie or feed him, l very rarely see them on the turf day or nite but the buggers are there, this turf has only been in for the last 8 months or so its a new venture for the farm, so maybe this in itself may not be helping with huge bowls greens everywhere, l have also been told that if the venture is a goer they will be looking at turfing the adjoining ground l lamp.

 

l think at the end of the day its going to be down to plenty of time and patience and hopefully if l don't catch up with them before spring hopefully they will snare then.

[charly hunter]

Hi monynut, This is the hardest time of the year to try to come to terms with old foxy, as they have lovin' on there mind now. There are many ways to catch up with him, but just keep looking about when ever you get the chance, you will bump into him at some point and it will be all the sweeter when you do. I have been after a vixen on one area for the past 12 - 18 months, I have had all her clan this year but not her. We have seen her on several occasions but as yet she still has the run of the place. My time will come and so will yours. Just because the fields are used for turf, if you have foxes in your area then they will have to go out to feed and to mark there territory, so if you know the boundaries then you will have a good chance of sitting and waiting in a hedge. All good thins come to those who wait

[monynut]

Hi guys.

 

Got a result on this patch at the w/end.

 

Went out much later than usual, got on the ground about 11.00 and picked up the first eye shine within a couple of minutes in the only field of carrots on the place adjacent to one of the turf fields and took it out at about 150 yds it would not call and was moving away all the time, when we retrieved it from the field we realised that the field was stuffed with duck and partridge.

 

The second was a couple of fields down no more than 400 yds away, this one was tucked it tight to the headland laying up at about 70 yds, up it jumped ran a few yards into the field stopped to a call and the 243 found the mark, nothing else showed that nite although l think a session on the bunnies may be called for at some time.

 

So after a run of hard lamping and a slight change in tactics we are a dog and vixen less.