Lamping the night away October 2008

[JohnGalway]

October 14th

 

Evening folks,

 

Quick hoodie ambush before I rattle on about foxes! Anyway, I set up my decoy on a fence line that has a big safe hill behind it. I spread some bread nearby just for effect, not cold enough yet for them to be desperate for food. I got into my position under a gorse bush.

 

 

Soon enough I had 8-10 winged vermin circling me, cawing and swooping. It was hard to keep the smile off my face, they're going to land on the fence very soon. I had positioned my decoy on the fourth highest post, as the hoodies like to be higher up than the stranger when they land. Now, here's where I make my mistake. I'd a very itchy trigger finger. So when the first hoodie came in to land my crosshairs was on the highest post well before he was. He landed, had a look around then after a loud Booommm done an impressive backwards somersault off the post, in a few pieces. I'd not seen any better at this years Olympics, not even from the Chinese. So what was the mistake? I should have let them all, or as many as were going to, land on the fence. Let them get settled and feel a bit more secure then start picking them off. There's more of a chance after the first shot they'd just rise and settle down again. But I just had to go and shoot him, no two ways about it.

 

I didn't take a photo of the hoodie, as said he was in bits, but this is the post he was on to show he got well and truly "greased". The cable ties are from previous ambush decoys :thumbs:

 

 

Something I learned from using the trail cameras last year was that hoodies seem to be attracted or at least curious about their dead, so I left him out on that hill for another day :ninja:

 

24th October

 

Hi folks,

 

Since Sounder and Sporting Shooter, mostly (99.999%) SS it has to be said (rich git :clapper: ) broke both my rifles I decided I'd head out with my shotgun and the remote caller tonight. Showery weather with a lot of wind, not a tin of bachelors in sight. I surveyed my farm with the lamp and spotted no tell tale eyes whatsoever. I moved on next door and found five horses so obviously there wasn't going to be any shooting done in that field! Next up is what I call, or used to call, the fox supermarket. When I first started lamping I used to see a fox in this spot almost every trip there :yes: Less so not I'm told because of some git with a "high powered rifle", haven't met the fella yet. I set up the caller and move off around 100 yards, out of the wind. I noticed a sly looking eye moving into the wind way up on the hill. However it had no interest in the caller, and I had no interest going all that way with my 40 yard wonder. Scratching my chin as a heavy shower came along I decide to head home, collect the .223 and get on with the night.

 

As I'm driving to my next spot a fox runs straight across infront of the car and into a field. I've permission in a lot of places locally so I parked up and got geared up. I had a shine about and a short call but no joy. I'm thinking he may have been the lampshy fox I saw the last night out.

 

I arrive at my destination and again get geared up. I'm going to do a wide circle of this spot on foot and see if I come across anything interesting. After a bit as I'm squelching along on the final leg back to the car I spy a fox curled up on a hillock in out of the wind. I don't have a good spot for shooting off, best I can do is a low gorse bush on the side of a small hill. As I squeeze the trigger he sits up and I frikkin miss He's away through the marsh and doesn't even stop to look back :censored: Not happy. The rifle had been cleaned and it was very windy, but it's down to me and I missed my target.

 

I push on to the next area I want to look at. I hadn't gone far at all when I see a fox mooching around out on a flat boggy area. This time I'm on a lovely spot for shooting off. The night is black as the Ace of Spades and I'm not worried about my outline on the hill one bit. The fox isn't taking any notice of the lamp. This one will be done properly or I'm giving in this business. I'm nice and comfy and have Charles in the scope. He's moving right to left across me and I'm well downwind of him, he can't hear or smell me. He goes in behind some long grass and brush, he eventually comes out of it after causing me some butterflies. I'm still tracking him, wondering if I'll stop him when he does the deed for me to sniff at something. Ba-boooommffff... thud! :toast: Look up the word crumple and you'll see a short video of this fox :yes: Down he went and not a stir out of him. Normal service has resumed. The photo will have to wait until tomorrow as I went and took the spotlight off where he fell and guess what, I couldn't find where he dropped :doh: There seemed to be a nice bit of black in him through the scope, I'm wanting that tail!

 

Well no wonder I couldn't find my second fox last night, I was looking too far away from where I shot her :doh: I'm the worst in the world for finding a dropped fox once I take the lamp off the exact spot.

 

 

 

I shine the lamp on a hill on the way to my next spot. Aha! Shiny eye right on the skyline. About 280 yards off. No shot as it's too dangerous, too windy and too plain far for me I get the gear out and have a walk out around the lake, up the hill and take a look around. Nope he's scarpered so it's back to the car and on to my next call.

 

My next move is to check one area I dislike, but it's on the way home. The reason I dislike it is because there's a dirty little river running along it that has caused me problems in the past. It's one of those that are just about narrow enough to be tempting to jump, but deep enough to seriously ruin my night. The wind was blowing against the flow of the river tonight. As I know from previous sightings the foxes like to run either side of the river so I keep my distance. I prefer spotting a fox a way off then forming my plan to approach, I don't them popping out in front of me unless I've the shotgun. Anyway, I'm walking along scanning with the lamp when I see a funny looking eye near the river. Now, sometimes there are horses here, or cattle, or sheep. I've not seen anything in here for a while stock wise but it gives me pause for thought for a few seconds. Have to be sure. Alrighty, I'm happy it's one of my recently deceased mates Charles friends. Between him and I is a hillock and rock. Both will be good for shooting from. I make for the hillock, acting all casual like :whistling: :clapper: Honestly, I'm not coming to kill you, no, really... Just as I settle on the hill, yep, he presumably gives me the :####: and legs it. He had gone in one direction, and I was following. When I reach the rock I see he's changed course and is now upwind of me instead of going downwind. Suits me sir! He's in a marsh and while I'm settling on the rock he legs it again. Time for a bark to stop him, except what comes out of my mouth sounds more like a seals bark Ar ar ar (me hearties!). Well #### it because he doesn't care and stops for a look. Boommm... thud! Another one bites the dust, or, muck in this case. Dog fox around 106 yards.

 

 

 

Not far on from here I stopped in at another spot farther along the river. I spy another fox not far from where I just shot the previous one. The wind is wrong for me and I decide against calling. I'm more than happy with two in the bag, and certainly don't need to educate another!

 

All in all I'm very rusty since last year, definately a few bugs need ironing out but gotta start somewhere

 

25th October

 

I rang the owner of Jurassic Park earlier, to see if she'd seen any sign of foxes around. Earlier this past Spring she sent word that a lot of her lambs were being killed, and indeed it did look like a scene from the Killing Fields when I went to check the place over first. I didn't want a repeat of this, plus the hassle of being out so much in late April early May when I have my own jobs to be doing. So I rang her anyway and she told me a hogget that'd died had been eaten in double quick time, nothing left but a few bones. Time to go for a shine methinks.

 

The wind wasn't great for this farm when I arrived. It really is an awkward spot due to cover and the ground itself. All gorse, hills, gullies and on any decent rise where you'd get a view of an area there would usually be a great big tree plonked in your line of sight. But, we figured all this out last year and picked our lookout spots pretty well I think.

 

Right then, the plan was to have a quick mooch around the farm itself and scan for eyes, nothing to be seen there. Then I headed off outside the top fence and onto the commonage. I figured I make my way out to a specific hill over looking a large bowl with a lake in the centre of it. I was hoping any fox that would be coming in would come around the far side - as I've seen them do before - of the lake thereby missing the wind. After about 40 minutes calling on and off and seeing no eyes I decided I'll head back onto the green land and watch over a gully that's a bit of a fox highway in this part of the area.

 

No sooner had I rounded a hill and passed a few trees than I spot a suspiciously non sheep like eye about 150 yards across the gully on the far hill in among this years crop of ewe lambs that're being kept for replacements. I've a quick look around me and see a lovely grassy hillock that's perfect for shooting prone from. With my bipod fully extended to 9" I take a look through the scope. Yes indeedy we have a customer.

 

I dig the Leica ranger finder out of my pocket and take a quick measurement, comes back to me at 109 yards by now as she's been slowly making her way up the far side of the gully going left to right in front of me. I settle down with the rifle and take another look at her. She's moved in behind some rushes and is having a proper nosey about in them, I can't see the fox too well for a while and I get a little suspicious. So I lift my head off the rifle and have a little scan around again. Yep, she has moved farther up behind some cover. I get her in the scope again and follow her properly this time. When she presents nicely, meaning I can see from the tip of her ears to her feet and right back to the end of her tail I give a couple of sharp barks.

 

Would you believe it, she turns and looks the wrong way?!

 

No problem Ms. I'll accommodate ya. Boooommmm... thud! Down she goes, a 40 grain Vmax through the back of the shoulders making quite a mess of the chest area between the front legs. Enough to ruin anyone's day. She was around 120 yards when I took the shot.

 

 

 

Took the tail off the fox, to be salted this time to compare that with the tails that're in the meths at the moment. I dropped the fox off outside the farms little hen shed to be seen in the morning.

 

Called it a night then, as I've always said I'm happy going home with one fox in the bag. There are going to be plenty of long winters nights yet that will need to be filled with some activity. No sense pushing the population too hard, this ground locally will only support so many.

 

Home by 9.30, finished putting everything away and writing this by 10.30. Not bad is it!

 

 

30th October.

 

Work tomorrow so I hadn't planned on going out tonight. It was just starting to get dark so I said why not have a quick run over to Jurassic Park, sit and watch that gully for an hour and be back early. I gave the farmer a text and she said it was fine, when I got that go ahead I texted my mate but he was only on his way home from work. I was tempted to text back "Meet ya there so" since it's on his way but thought better of it.

 

I pulled into the yard and knocked on the door. Hmm the lights are on but no ones home (and the cars there). Well ok I'll get geared up and head on. Just as I'm about to head out the farmer arrives out and we have a chat, foxes, farming, weather usual highly riveting stuff lol.

 

She was leaving so I left the yard, the gully isn't far, something like a two minute walk. I can't see much ground at all on the way so I was pretty much just plodding along minding my own business. When I can see the far side of the gully, not the bottom though, I shine across to the far side. I can see sheep on the lee side of the hill sheltering from the wind. It's a nice night out, dry, lots of star but out in the wind there's a hard edge in it.

 

I had just done the above when I see bright eyes coming over the top of the hill, oh 250-300 yards off at a guess. Couldn't be? Must be a sheep surely? Lamp onto the scope and I have a look. Clingons on the starboard bow Jim!

 

Now my fox is moving along at a nice pace down the hill. I know there's some nice hillocks for shooting off to my right up the hill a bit. But, I've to lose sight of my fox behind some trees to get there. Off I go, less thinking, more doing. I find a likely spot to take my shot, down I get. I work the bolt on the Remington and load a Hornady 40 grain Vmax into the chamber. I eyeball the far side of the gully to pick up the fox then use the scope to track her. Nice and easy now, I've flicked off the safety and I following her down and heading to my right. I've not even given a thought to stopping her when she halts 150 yards from me beside some dead bracken to have a sniff. Boommm... thud! Proper job thank you. A nicely coloured vixen.

 

 

 

Off home I went for an early night!

[Guest northernchris]

Good pics mate,looks like you are having a cracking time.

[JohnGalway]

Yeah not too bad Chris. First few times out and I didn't even spot an eye so it was a bit disheartening, then saw two, then saw seven so I can relax now lol. When I get a bit better organised I'll have to knock down a few more hoodies.

[tulkyuk]

Well done John - i remember those soggy wet & windy hills very well mate.

[6mmBR]

John thanks for a fantastic write up.

I love getting one up on crows, like you I think I would of struggled not to pull the trigger on that first one.

Well done on the foxes and for sharing it with us.

Cheers

Dave

[Guest varmartin]

Great write up John....with some good images too.

 

You have been busy knocking over a few charleys ...they all looked in good condition before you spied them through your NXS too.

 

Looking forward to a few nights out myself, soon as i get back into the winter lamping swing.

[nemasis243]

Great write up there John ,sounds like your having a good bit of fun there ,

Nice Job

[foxshot]

Great write up John enjoyed reading it,we to have strugled to find foxs that have gone down when you take the lamp off them especialy when shooting in moorland,nice result hope it keeps up for you