Out again last night.....

Jinks · March 19, 2009

Went out to a local farm last night, who had asked me to have a 'clear out' during lambing. Walked up to the first vantage point overlooking a large bog and started calling. Within a few seconds of calling, I saw a pair of eyes on the side of the mountain the other side of the bog about 500yds away, but coming closer quickly, so I lay on the ground, resting the rifle on the bipod, and watched the fox through the scope running through the bog towards me, I waited until it came to a clearing in the reeds at about 150yds and shouted "BAAAAA" to stop him in his tracks.

He sat bolt upright, showing a big white chest as the perfect aimpoint.

A nice dog fox in prime condition.

Carried on walking up the valley side, stopping at various vantage points and calling, until I got to the to the top of the hill and to the edge of the forestry. Gave a quick call and saw a pair of eyes in the trees about 20 yds in from the treeline, carried on calling quietly with the light off to try and coax him out, but he just kept on moving left to right in the trees, never allowing for a clear shot. Gave up on him after about 20 minutes of playing cat and mouse.

So i headed back down the mountain ridge back towards the van with the wind now right behind me, so not expecting to see anything. Got to within a few fields of the van, and saw bright set of eyes in the middle of a field full of ewes and young lambs. Had a look through the scope and confirmed that it was a fox, and it was circling an ewe her lamb trying to seperate them, with the ewe doing its best to fend it off. It was a good thing that the fox was so busy as it was directly down wind from me. It would have to be a long shot as I didn't want to risk the fox hearing or scenting me if I tried to get closer. So prone with the bipod again, picked the fox up in the scope, gave a little squeak and stopped it broadside to me, aimed just over the shoulder to allow for the range and sent a berger on its way. It dropped where it stood and didn't move :lol: Walked down to the fox and made it 278 paces. Turned out to be a young vixen with no cubs.