Foxing at night

[Alycidon]

A question arose in my mind from the Robert Bucknell thread.

 

When out at night how do you operate and use a call ?. I go out with a 4x4 and dont use a call at all until I sight charlie. Even then I find widely differing results but usually unless they are cubs they dont take much notice of my calls. I have used the WAM and Foxpro in the past. As a result unless they are way out I usually take a shot where they stand or try and get closer myself.

 

Sounds like I am going wrong here and maybe I should park up then call, might explain why I dont see many.

 

A

[6mmBR]

We either walk or park up before we start to call an area.

I call using my hand keep calling until they are in range, stop calling they usually stop then to think what happened to that, I then pull the trigger.

Cheers

Dave

[tulkyuk]

i agree with 6mmBR - roughly the same way as we do it.

[nemasis243]

Calling is one of those things that everone will have a different point of view about, I have done a fair bit over the years and have been asked to go with many shooters who are just getting into calling and the biggest problem I have found is that people dont call for long enough

If a Fox is a few hundred yards away and you start calling (and he likes the noise) he will appear in seconds , but if he is a long way off you have to give it time ,also you need to try and get good vantage points ,so many times I have seen people call from a 4x4 only to be parked about 5yrds next to a hedge , thats great to see the field in front of you , but old charlie can appear from anywhere.

Also you have to take into account the wind direction, if you have a strong wind blowing and there is a chance that the fox will come around you to try and get your scent,you need something to mask it with, if your dont have a masking scent a panched rabbit is good make sure you pop the urine and stomach though , charlie will think its diner time and wont be long comming down thw light.

I use a variety of calls , the wam ,olt and also electric calls ,but if you can master it using your hand to call is pretty good,

How far are you from Lakenheath as I am up there soon to see some friends if you fancy it maybe come down and try and call a couple for you one night Cheers Andy

[bigun]

i find certain times of the year foxs wont come to the call no matter what your useing ,mateing time is one of them ,as they have other things on there mind have you tried baiting them in to your ground ,it works for me ,i can pull foxs of other farm for miles if the bait is stinking and the wind is right ,i can call them in by useing my hand have got hand made calls but use the hand the most ,will just suck my lips when im taking the shot just to get them to stop ..it works well ..

 

heres me calling at home http://www.dropshots.com/rob%20reynolds#da...-10-28/06:40:43

[6mmBR]

Who was responsible for the fart in the first few seconds of the call, or is it some new fancy attractor theat we're missing out on

Cheers

dave

[SteveW]

A question arose in my mind from the Robert Bucknell thread.

 

When out at night how do you operate and use a call ?. I go out with a 4x4 and dont use a call at all until I sight charlie. Even then I find widely differing results but usually unless they are cubs they dont take much notice of my calls. I have used the WAM and Foxpro in the past. As a result unless they are way out I usually take a shot where they stand or try and get closer myself.

 

Sounds like I am going wrong here and maybe I should park up then call, might explain why I dont see many.

 

A

Hi A,

Totally agree with Bigun about certain times of the year being a waste of time for calling, round my way they have only just started calling in again, last Saturday i called in 2 from about 3/4 mile away, to 180 & 40 yards , both vixens, the 204 didn't let us down. We always walk, i feel we have better contacts when they are spotted, apart from the hand calling, i use the FoxPro FX 5 and been having great success at the moment with the woodpecker and baby rabbit

 

We use the minimum light, sometimes the shooter cant even pick them out until we turn the light up for the shot, then its GOOD NIGHT VIENNA

There is no right or wrong way, just whatever works for you !!! Thats why we all love fox shooting, pitting our wits against old wily

 

Cheers Steve

[foxshot]

We to also use roughly the same meathod as 6mmBR sometimes foxs come in that fast you have to make another noise to stop them before they get to close, i have heard about good results with the WAM,where is the best place to obtain one

[tulkyuk]

We to also use roughly the same meathod as 6mmBR sometimes foxs come in that fast you have to make another noise to stop them before they get to close, i have heard about good results with the WAM,where is the best place to obtain one

Ebay - type in Wam caller or fox caller

[kip270]

When i first started Foxing back in 2002, i was the only one in the area and when out with the rifle, we had more success when calling, using either my hand (like the warrener) a raspy call or a mouse squeaker, and i would say at least 80% of those foxes responded to the call, some coming like a train others sitting and watching giving us enough time to stalk in for a shot.

 

When i came back for a week back in 2006, i was out with my mate the keeper and he had a old Suzuki jeep which he used on his foxing trips, and on a few nights we were out we managed to get a few, but our lamping was all done within two hours max where when I'm out lamping i like to be out as long as possible.

Then when i moved back here in 2007, again we used the jeep, and we had limited success, sometimes not seeing a fox for a couple of trips so i think they got wise to it and now i lamp on foot(plus it's good exercise), and our success rate has improved.

 

What i have found now though is i have yet to have had a fox since Sept 2007 come to any call i have used, all the foxes have been spotted and stalked with the lamp, and i now either shout "Oi" or "Mmmaaaaa" just to stop them for the shot, as calling i am failing to get any response.

 

I have managed to get some Horse Hoof clippings and my smelly stuff is brewing, just need to get some time off from work to get out and put some in a couple of area's where i know foxes move through, and sit and wait with the rifle to get them.

 

The other thing i have found is our success rate improves if we are out at least within the first hour of sunset, the later trips being not so successful, but you got to be out there to get them

 

I will be adding a Foxpro call to my collection when the funds allow, as i think it's best to keep the foxes guessing.

 

 

There are now a lot more people out there Lamping foxes, and more and more people getting rifles and getting out there and doing it, but how many are educating foxes We all miss the odd one or two, that's life, and it depends how passionate you are about foxing.

When i lived in Scotland i didn't realise how much i missed it, but now I'm back i can get my fix when work patterns allow

[craigyboy]

I have a couple of different ways most of them envolve me on foot. It mostly depends on the night if the night is very calm and quiet I will set-up and call from a known hotspot, I would usually call for at least 15 minutes on and off and hang around for another 15 minutes after that as on those still nights they can hear along way off and come pretty far, last year I had one come in after 25 minutes and he was coming like a steam train, that was after I stopped calling 10 minutes previous so he definatley came a long way I have seen this happen a few times. On windy dark nights I will usually favour just walking around and calling them into range though to be honest if they are inside 300 yards I am confident enough to take them. I like to get around in day time too and do a bit of recon as I reckon you can really smell foxes if they are in an area. I dont know if I am crazy but I swear I can smell them and I would say 7/10 times if I have been in an area where I smell them I come back at night and they arent far away. My favorite way is definatley the set-up and call though this really takes you to know your ground or have bait out, I have been calling for years as not so long ago in this country .22lr and in some cases shotguns where about all you could get so good calling to get them in close was essential and I have to say there is nothing like having a fox come from 300 yards to 30 yards in a matter of seconds because of youre calling. I have at least 15 different calls and have had good sucess with them all once I got used to them but my favorite is still to just purse my lips and squeak while putting a losely clinched fist to my mounth, you can really vary the pitch and volume with this method and how you position your fist changes the sound alot you are slightly limitied by volume but its good on calm nights or for bringing them in close.

[CliveWard]

A question arose in my mind from the Robert Bucknell thread.

 

When out at night how do you operate and use a call ?. I go out with a 4x4 and dont use a call at all until I sight charlie. Even then I find widely differing results but usually unless they are cubs they dont take much notice of my calls. I have used the WAM and Foxpro in the past. As a result unless they are way out I usually take a shot where they stand or try and get closer myself.

 

Sounds like I am going wrong here and maybe I should park up then call, might explain why I dont see many.

 

A

 

A,

 

I find that if you come across a fox (as you seem to be doing) then they know you are there and calling will either keep them still or coming in very slowly.

 

I've found the best results are to set up in an area and call for a minute or two and then have a look to see if anythings coming. I use the WAM caller quietly and if nothings coming in after 5-10 minutes I'll move on but as Craig said it may be worth hanging around for a bit longer.

 

I use NV so there is no lamp to worry them and generally the foxes charge in to the call like the clappers and I can watch them all the way in and plan the shot.

 

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

Clive

[v-max]

I use 4x4 & lamp around but will also sit & call for 10-15min or in an area that you know holds them or try diffrent times of night as well as bait too from my roe waste etc. I do alot with a mate in Aberdeenshire & i can be unbeleavable some nights have seen 6 foxes comming in we just sat squealing. I use my hand or calls & an amber fillter at times too.