bigun Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 went out to night seen are first fox in a maze stubble field not a care in the world it had, shot it about 90 yrds out ,we got to pick it up ..a vixon , her tits were up which means she has cubs some were ,must say we felt well gutted feel like packing in for this year now ..but the farmers want them gone and i want to keep my shooting land that has taken me years to get ,and if i dont shoot them theres always some body who will ..its going to be hard i know but im going to see if i can just pick out the dog foxs to shoot ..i must be getting soft in my old age another mate came out with us to night he shoots a .223 for foxs had a go on my .204 on a big rabbit out to 240 yrds hit it with his first shot ..he is thinking about getting one he likes it that much three times he has shot it and three times he has hit what he was aiming at Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigun Posted March 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 what gets me is whats a vixon doing out away if she has cubs unless the dog fox is dead ..or do you think she may be just haveing a phantom pregency they do have them and by looking at here tits now dont seem that full ? i had a feel for any young but none there ..what do you lot think ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly hunter Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Thats another reason why some of us don't shoot foxes this time of the year and if you can call them in close you get a better look at them. It's not a nice feeling knowing that those cub are now going to die of starvation, is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigun Posted March 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Thats another reason why some of us don't shoot foxes this time of the year and if you can call them in close you get a better look at them. It's not a nice feeling knowing that those cub are now going to die of starvation, is it? not a nice felling at all but ,but if i told the farmer that i let a vixon go becouse i thought she had young some where, i dont think this farmer would let me on his land again ,thats how some farmers are this time of year with all the young lambs running about ..sheep farmers really hate foxs and have good reason too..you have to think of it this way ,iv shot a vixon so thats maybe five foxs gone off his land i know he will be happy even though im not .its like when i went up scotland some years ago shooting rabbits .gamekeeper said kill young and old which we did when he was about, theres not many hunters that like killing young stuff ,i for one dont ..but some times you cant pick what you want to kill when its pest control . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogfox Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 you need to have a look around with the terriers and try and find the earth. I shoot on some keeper ground and this is the time of the year that we need to keep the numbers right down.We have a few wild grey partridges and the odd hare about so it is very important that we try to help the falling population of these species. Dogfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly hunter Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 The farmer would be none the wiser if you don't tell him. One farm I shoot is a 900 acre sheep farm and the farmer want rid of all foxes, magpies, rabbits etc. but he doesn't pay me for doing it, I do it for the sport and to shoot a vixen this time of the year would ruin my sport for later. He had a problem with a fox a few weeks ago I delt with it and took out the fox that was in worrying the lambs, he is now a happy bunny. He doesn't catch hold my hand on his land and I don't have to report to him, he knows full well if he has a problem he has only got to pick up the phone and I will deal with it. I had a vixen two nights ago, it was a problem fox, I watched 5 foxes that evening and I could of shot them all but I only took the one that was a problem. She wasn't in cub or in milk but if she were I would have spent a day or so looking to find her earth before I got rid of her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redfox Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 It is hard sometimes, when the lambs are young the farmer is understandably paranoid about foxes. I have not seen a vixen kill a lamb, it is always the dog fox that kills it then the vixen either eats and returns to the cubs or if they are older will take it or part of it to them and so will the dog. I know the land I shoot over pretty well and where the earths are, so I can soon track down the cubs if I have to. There are times to talk and times to keep your mouth shut, its very easy to tell the farmer everything you know to appear good, or on the ball, but better to just keep on top of things and take out the troublemakers when they appear and let him know you got it. Had one farmer years ago who wanted to know everything, once I had told him he went round and filled all the earths with slurry, obviuously killing anything in there. He proudly announced that I wouldnt need to shoot any more foxes as he had sorted them permanently!. a couple of years later he was ringing up saying he had dead lambs every where ( three actually, but thats farmer counting ) I walked the land and three out of 6 earths had been dug out again and four new ones close to others, he certainly had plenty of foxes. I shot 8 in two days and got 2 more in the next week, there were no more dead lambs and he was happy. I still shoot his land and he just lets me get on with it, I let him know if I get one and he doesnt lose stock so his world is in balance . Redfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulkyuk Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 your are there to do a job man, get over it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redfox Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 No need to be rude to the guy, we know your feelings already. Redfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest martin Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Big gun,you should in my opinion try to find the earth,and do away with the cubs.I would if it was me,and,I guess you would know where most if not all of the earths are on your shooting land so it shouldn't be too hard mate. .....Martin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigun Posted March 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 first of i have working terriers that do work to ground second this is new ground i have got this year and its next to a forrest which i have no rights to go on and the field that the vixon was shot was next to the forrest so im thinking she has her cubs if any in there some where.. its bigun and not big gun at least with digging it i could of let it run http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/big...econddig059.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulkyuk Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 No need to be rude to the guy, we know your feelings already.Redfox wasnt being rude - just stating a fact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redfox Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Good pic of the dog, mines going on 12 now he's like the rest of us, still thinks he can I am going to get a couple of pups this year off a mate of mine, good working stock and plenty of go about them. Redfox Fair enough Tulky , just doesnt need sayin sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigun Posted March 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Good pic of the dog, mines going on 12 now he's like the rest of us, still thinks he can I am going to get a couple of pups this year off a mate of mine, good working stock and plenty of go about them. Redfox Fair enough Tulky , just doesnt need sayin sometimes. i have three patts that i bred my self and one bullx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redfox Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 I like pats, my lad has one, two of the best Ive had were border / lakeland x, tough as old boots and a bite like a vice Redfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikka 223 Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Had the phone call myself last night ,but lucky enough mine was barren . but would of had the same feelings as you if i was not so lucky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulkyuk Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Nice going Rob - did you shoot it in the back of the swede? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikka 223 Posted March 15, 2008 Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 Nice going Rob - did you shoot it in the back of the swede? No that was the entry no exit wound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigun Posted March 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 had a old gamekeep (64yr) round last night and i showed him the pics of that vixon i shot he said it was a barren vixon becouse of two things one the vixon would not leave her cubs and the second one was if she had cubs her tits would be full on all of her tits and not just the back ones ,plus i gave her tits the squeez test after i just shot her and no milk showed .so it seem she has had no cubs at all ..so it was a phantom pregency after all, i thought it was funny just seeing her back tits up . thats a good shot tikka 223 how far out was it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redfox Posted March 15, 2008 Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 Could well be a Beta female, foxes often end up as a trio with two females and one dog, the dominant ( Alpha) female comes into season and is lined giving birth to the pups. The Beta female doesnt come into season but shares the care of the pups and often has odd swollen teats but no milk. If anything happens to the dominant female the other takes over and raises the pups, coming into season next year if still around. So it could well be one of them. Redfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted March 15, 2008 Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 At the end of the day we all shoot rabbits/ pigeons etc in June that may well in a similar position, ie with young. If you are there to nail the foxes then you better nail them as you might guess there is a queue waiting for a go in your place. Years ago we had major fox/lamb problems but touch wood have not lost more than an odd one for some years. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigyboy Posted March 15, 2008 Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 Redfox is right, I have saw a vixen and a dog tending to another vixen and her cubs, usually happens if the beta vixen is spare i.e she didnt find a partner for mating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikka 223 Posted March 15, 2008 Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 thats a good shot tikka 223 how far out was it ? Only 106 yrds out was 500 plus when first seen her but made 400 yrds in about 40 seconds Steam train comes to mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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