JohnGalway Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Monday 5th January I meant to start redoing the fence that splits my farm in two today. I bring in my ewes and feed them in the top half where they also have plenty of shelter and rough grazing, while the bottom is fertilised and hopefully growing grass, so as the ewes lamb I move them down one by one. Simple system which works well for me. I'd been looking around for my bar and spade for a while until I realised I'd left them at Nialls house the last night we'd been out foxing together. One text later and we'd another foxing date arranged, tonight! Before I left home I was reminded to spare a thought for those stranded inside in the heat with ample food and drink while I was out pursuing my insanity in forecast -7 temps... And yes, I spared quite a few thoughts at them through the night. The plan was Niall is the shooting my rifle and I'm lamping and head man in charge of botching fox calls. We gave his dads land a quick once over. First out there this season and we saw five or six foxes straight off, we've blanked twice since, including tonight. I really felt the cold in that spot, biting cold describes it perfectly. We left there and travelled by car to a valley farm. It's been running hot and cold this year, but it's generally a good spot to pick up a fox. We got set up and headed up the valley. About three quarters way up we spot a fox but he's away and out of sight quickly. This place really has difficult terrain, more rocks than a quarry, more little hills than Wales and more bogs than Mr Crapper ever dreamt of. We shifted spots a couple of times, we called in the fox with both the vixen cry and the rabbit distress but he was committing enough for us. Had we been on some nice green land, flat or rolling hills we could have bowled him over half a dozen times easily. From our fourth shooting spot on this fox he made his mistake. After travelling out from one hundred yards to around one hundred and seventy yards he stopped and holed up in a small area old peat brinks and rocks. Where he thought he was safe. Niall tells me he can't see him so he stands up as I can see the foxes eyes perfectly. When he gets his bearings it's back down with the rifle and he says he can only see his head. I get out my Primos mouse squeaker and give a few squeaks. Lovely bright eyes light up and Niall tells me he can see his head, neck and chest now. He takes the shot and knocks our first fox of the night. The boom of the unmoderated .223 was something else, it rumbled away angrily up the valley for what seemed like a very long time to me! Good shot by Niall this, 170 yard dog fox, who looked a lot better in real life to be honest. Seeing no more foxes we thought we should push on to another spot. Next area is common grazing land. It's not a place that we lamp a lot but we thought it'd be worth a try tonight. This area is divided by a river, one side being a lot more flat and open and the other being quite hilly. By this time the frost was really taking a grip and it was getting crunchy underfoot. We spotted our second fox of the night quite quickly, he was across the far side of the river. Now, we differ a little here as I think that fox may have travelled across a little footbridge to our aide and Niall thinks there was a second fox. Either way we had to make our approach quietly as it had calmed out and the frost and bright moon wasn't exactly in our favour. We moved over a hill and lamped the far bank again, I tried the vixen call and waited, nothing, I tried the rabbit distress call and again no eye from where we spotted our fox. We shine the lamp around and spot a fox on our side of the river, about 135 yards away. He's lying down in some old peat brinks which are dotted with high stands of withered old mountain grass. Niall gets ready for his second shot of the night. He tells me to "Squeak him" as he can only see the tops of his ears (isn't that enough?). So I work my squeaky magic and hey presto! Our fox sits up and gets shot in the chest for his troubles. A nice dog fox at around 135 yards. We'd a good night out, two foxes in the bag when we weren't expecting to see much never mind get anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemasis243 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 I know the feelling John , its been bloody cold the last few nights , Im out tonight and the forcast is -4 but when your on the back of a truck driving round it sure gets colder than that The last two outings have been real good and have nailed a fair few foxes , the hand calling has been going well and also the vixon call in certain areas. All the best Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.223Mark Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Excellent result niall and john and fair play 2ye for braving the cold,Are you hearing any dogs or vixens calling down your way yet john? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulkyuk Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Well done john - yet another cracking write up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6mmBR Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Happy new year John, a good start to 2009 I hope to open my campaign later on Cheers Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted January 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 Excellent result niall and john and fair play 2ye for braving the cold,Are you hearing any dogs or vixens calling down your way yet john? No Mark, not this year, did hear one single call in December but nothing beside that. I was out tonight around my own farm, absolutely nothing out. Starting to wonder if I've shot too many maybe Anyway, couple of items on their way to me, time to start being nice to my greycrows... No alterior motive... Honest... Happy new year John, a good start to 2009 I hope to open my campaign later on Cheers Dave Looking forward to your posts Dave, happy New Year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted January 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 I know the feelling John , its been bloody cold the last few nights , Im out tonight and the forcast is -4 but when your on the back of a truck driving round it sure gets colder than that The last two outings have been real good and have nailed a fair few foxes , the hand calling has been going well and also the vixon call in certain areas. All the best Andy Hand calling It still escapes me !!! Am following the thread on it closely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.223Mark Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 No Mark, not this year, did hear one single call in December but nothing beside that. I was out tonight around my own farm, absolutely nothing out. Starting to wonder if I've shot too many maybe Anyway, couple of items on their way to me, time to start being nice to my greycrows... No alterior motive... Honest... Looking forward to your posts Dave, happy New Year I got a vixen myself last night i called her out of a plantation Were hearing a lot of vixens calling already round my area theres a nice few of the about too even though were keeping the pressure on them Also seen 1 or 2 very early lambs here to but they were very weak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted January 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 Good stuff Mark, I think this will be a very lean month fox wise for me by all indications. Send a few down this way if you get a chance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted January 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Tuesday January 20th Got a text from my mate John last night, he'd been out lamping and seen two foxes. Both of which were out of shotgun range. I asked, being the helpful fella I am, if he was going out and would he like some company (to shoot his foxes for him lol). He said sound and to meet at his at 8.40pm. Left the house and the place was completely white after a heavy shower of hailstones. Lovely night for it. I parked below his house and I walked up the path. I was all geared up and lamping along the path I spotted a pair of eyes. Since we'd agreed to head out as a team I left him be for later, it'd have been pretty greedy to shoot that fox myself I figured. After John got ready we headed out and towards the area I saw the fox. On closer inspection it's heavily overgrown and we did see the fox a couple of times. I had the rifle down on a nice rock but Charlie wasn't in the humour to himself. After a time we set off on our route, through flooded land covered in tall rushes. Real easy going like. We did a large circle of the land, only seeing one rabbit, a few sheep, some cattle and cat stalking along the graveyard wall. We crossed a small road then back into some more fields, right down by the sea, big waves crashing up onto the rocky shore. Could make as much noise as we liked hear and we'd not be heard! John spotted a fox back along the shore, must've been a good 600 yards off. He was coming our way. We talked for a bit and I pointed out a good high rock that'd be ideal for searching with the lamp and shooting from. We made our way up to it and waited for a while. I spotted our fox in the field next to us, he'd made his way closer behind a stone wall. He was in the middle of a rushy field but if I went prone I wouldn't have been able to see him over the wall+fence between us. I moved off farther up the field to a higher rock again. The fox was only about 100 yards off and staying real quite. It started to rain a bit again. Unfortunately he was lying down behind a very thin strip of rushes. I could see eyes clearly but couldn't make out the body at all. I'm not in the habit of taking pot shots at eyes. Tried a vixen call, and waited, no good, tried a rabbit squeal, and waited, no good either. I was watching the fox through the scope all this time. John had arrived up beside me and gave me a tap in the ribs with his boot. He'd spotted another fox above us again about a hundred yards off. I had a look at the area through the scope as I couldn't see any eye and I spy a lovely coloured fox curled up snoozing in the shelter of a high wall and under a gorse bush. Nice place to be, unfortunately for him it was the wrong time to be there. I put the crosshairs on him and squeezed off a round which bowled our sleeping fox over onto his side. Not a twitch ever from him. Nice dog fox about 104 yards away. I had left my camera in the car so a camera phone pic will have to do. We looked for the other fox but he'd taken a dislike to the noise. We spotted him again eventually where we first had seen him a few hundred yards away. We had a little trek after him but lost sight in a small but heavily wooded valley. John wasn't feeling the best so we called it a night after that. Not going to be doing a whole lot of shooting myself this month I think. Need to rezero the Remmy for 55 grain Vmax as I've now run out of 40 grainers. I actually prefer the nights where I come home with just the one in the bag. Nothing missed and no mishaps, a good night out in my book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6mmBR Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Nice one John a lot of patients went into getting that one, shows it pays to move and get into a good shooting position rather than taking a risky shot and educating a fox. That one decided to curl up in the wrong place. Is there a shortage of 40 grainers in your area? Cheers Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted January 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 I haven't checked Dave, I've already got a few boxes of 55 grain Vmax from before I got the 40's so I may as well use them up, unless I can swap them maybe but not sure when I'll go to the gunshop again. In all fairness he'd a lovely spot picked out for his snooze, no wind or hail getting in there at all lol, not so much protection against high velocity projectiles though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 I,ll bet you check that spot next time your over there on a blustery night..hang on a min` it`s always blustery over there ain,t it? Nice 1 John,another charlie removed from the area and a couple more to keep ya out of mischief Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted January 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Actually.... It wasn't blustery today So I decided I'd go and zero the 55 grain Vmax. And when I got to my zero place, ah, I couldn't see my hand in front of my face for the mist !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tomorrow will likely be clear, and blustery, lol. Me, mischief... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kip270 Posted January 22, 2009 Report Share Posted January 22, 2009 Good going John, not seen many foxes nor any calling!!!! We had the local hunt out at christmas and they said that they had never seen so many foxes???? Not sure what land they we on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted January 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2009 I know just what you mean Kip. I had pretty much stopped going out because I wasn't seeing foxes. Then the last night, John says there's never been so many around. I dunno, must get my specs changed lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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