First vixen of the year

shrek · June 4, 2008

Finally got out for a mooch around my patch the other day, i had spotted a roe deer from a long way off and couldnt sex it through bins or scope because of distance and heat haze so i stalked on after it down a ridge and out onto the moor area where it was, i crawled over a rise with the deer about 400 yarsd infront of me to find that it was a yearling doe, as i scaned round a ginger mass appeared infront of me about 200 yards, a fantasticly coloured vixen was stalking though a bracken patch obviously looking for the curluw nest as she was flying around making a racket which i hadnt noticed before, however by the time i set the rifle up infron of my the fox had carried on into the bracken again, 2 or 3 minutes of squeeking to no avail so i decided to move closer in an attemtp to get round the fox as it had gone over the back of a rise, suddenly it appeared again on the edge of the bracken with nothin else on its mind apart from the curluw. I froze and she dissapered yet again, by this time the midges were out in force but i didnt want to make any unnecassary movement by puttin midge repellant on, which my alart her. I was still trying to move around to the left hand side of her so i could see the other bank of the rise which she was on (somwhere) i had a stone wall to get over thankfully the sheep had knocked some of it down so it was only 3 foot or so high, i stood for a minute waiting and watchin incase she poped out again, nothin.... i was just getting my foot over when out of the corner of my eye and with sods law against me a ginger blob yet again appeared on the edge of the bracken looking at me.

So i was standing there looking daft with one foot on the wall and a fox looking at me, with as little movement as possible i turned as much as i could back towards her and chanced the most undignified freestanding shot ive ever taken, especally being at about 95yards, not the easiest.

With the round slightly pulled a swift 87gr V-Max slapped into her belly and she was dead, not one of the easiest foxes if ever shot or the best places bullet ever but its one less that will be disturbing the lambs.