STEAMING SMOKE POLE

[nemasis243]

Well I hadnt planned on doing much this weekend,I was out last night watching a vixon and two cubs which I am gonna try and get on camera , the grass is well up and I am awaiting the second cut of Silage to get out and have some fun with those Ginger fellas.

So I am just chilling when the phone went ,a farmer who I havent heard from a long time rang to say he had a big litter of cubs and needed the problem sorted asap,

So that was all the excuse I needed, I hopped in the motor and had a 20min spin to his farm.

Now as farms go lads this place is like Steptoe and Sons Yard ,its a that which promotes growth and vigour hole.

He has 3sons none of which are interested in farming so it seems as if the old guy has just left it go.

He is somewhat retired and the land is leased out for grazing,

He had Tack sheep there last winter and the guy whose sheep they were had his own people he wanted to do the foxes ,so I havent been there for about 9months.

It was still light as I walked through the thick tuffty grass to where he had seen the cubs,

A small finger shape piece of grass looked down into a small unused quarry , the other side of which was about 150yrds away,

I had a scan with the bins and here were 3cubs out not far from a large hole, I sat there and then a few more come out , then a vixon , I started to get it to shooting mode when I saw anotheradult fox emerge from another hole, which I thought was the dog ,

Then another load of cubs appeared, OH SH*T, right thinking cap on , how am I gonna do this , the cubs wouldnt be a problem , it was the two vixons ,

I pondered for a while and then come up with an idea,

I started calling , both vixons heard it and both started to come,not screaming in but one was comming better than the other,

I was laying well camoed up so they couldnt see me and as the first fox got to within 50yrds I took out the back one,

Now the one that was comming just turned full circle and went like a rocket, I racked the bolt and eased the dot onto her, I held slightly high and boom,

There was am almighty thump as the round drove its self right between the shoulder blades,

 

I have a 5 shot clip in the 243 so I dropped it out and reloaded , the cubs were small just a little bigger than large rabbits so they didnt know what was going on.

Shot after shot hit its target and I reloaded the mag twice,

11 shots 11 foxes, (talk about a smoking gun ,the thing was on fire )

Anyhow Not a pretty site, on closer inspection one Vixon had bad mange on one side, and the other was covered in flees and a couple of ticks,

I had a look at all the cubs,(well what was left of them )

And they also were plastered in flees.

I am not a lover of shooting them at this age but when the ask me to do it,it has to be done,

I have shot a few latley that have much bigger but to have two litters so close of the same age seemed somewhat strange to me??

 

The farmer was pleased and it seems he wants me to back to doing what I did before, as the new guys hadnt sorted the problem .

Sorry Guys no pics, not worth seeing.

Cheers Andy

[Guest martin]

Hey BIG MAN,good to see a post from you mate,you been lying a bit too low lately,and,what can I say,back with a bang,well done mate.................Martin.

[Chris-NZ]

Good going Andy.

Clearly not a man into wasting ammo.

 

Tell me- why do foxes often seem to have mange? Us Kiwis have never seen foxes let alone mange on one, and would expect that only of malnourished or old/sick ones.

 

Chris-NZ

[Alycidon]

I watched a vixen at about six feet in my garden the other week with bad mange all up her back and tail, she was suckling cubs. I have now shot 4 cubs which I think are hers but I have not seen her since, shame as she needs taking out urgently. Cost me a fortune last summer getting my dogs treated after they rolled in fox crap and got mange, real hard to get rid of.

 

A

[njc110381]

That's some pretty keen shooting, well done! I wouldn't have known what to do in that situation but it seems your plan worked out fine. Looks like I've got a lot to learn, I'd have messed it up somehow I'm sure!

[Alycidon]

Just take one shot at a time and get teh adults first. 2 adults together is not that common, I have never had that over cubs. He did well, the best shot the second one to get that second vixen especially as she knew what was afoot...

 

A

[1967spud]

certainly was nemasis for them andy well done

[nemasis243]

Hi Chris , over where I am I seem to have areas where we get a fair bit of mange and then others where I dont see any at all.

We have one farm were the dogs get it bad but the foxes dont ,so I cant really explain it to you??

 

Hi Martin , have been keeping a low profile of late, busy with work but still getting out when I can to have a blast,

Been doing a few but havent put any posts up as it was see the fox bang dead,

I cant wait for the second cut to happen ,then I will be taking big numbers, double figures most nights we go out for a month or two,but saying that I am covering a lot of ground, just picked up another 500acres which joins the Turkey farm and I have sat there and filmed 5foxes in 3fields in the afternoon ,so watch this space.

 

I have shot many foxes on the run , not because I really want to do it ,but it was the only option ,

If I had waited for the vixon to get within a few yards of the cubs she would have pushed them all over the shop, so I had to disaptch asap.

When Dave was out with me and I called two in at the same time,he said to me later he would have never thought of shooting the furthest one first, but the way we did it worked a treat, it seems to confuse the fox in the middle of the thump of the round hitting the fox behind and the bang fron the rifle in front of him ,

It just gives that few seconds to reload and get a shot off.

[varminter]

Nice one Captin!!!!

I see you are going to be a busy boy in the forth coming months , well done too on securing extra land!!!! :blush:

All the best.............

RAY..........................................

[Chris-NZ]

I had a real good scare about 2 years ago,doing some cab work on a trucker that had it unknowingly..... was able to pick up an otc shampoo that kills the mite.

I dont remember the length of time that was needed to treat or kill the mite but I do remember that I

doubled it.If 10 mins is good...20 mins is better...

 

308Panther

 

 

Thanks for that Pat.

Yeh, I'm with you one that one. I'm itching just thinking about it.

 

Chris

[njc110381]

I'd imagine with that kind of performance you don't have to go looking for shooting rights? I'm starting to find it's working like that for me recently and I'm nowhere near as good as you! A good bloke will always find shooting, it's the first farm that's the hardest to get.

[kip270]

Well done Andy, good shooting indeed.

 

I have seen it done on several dvd's from across the pond shooting coyotes, but haven't done it myself.

[6mmBR]

Good show. Was a pity I had the camera

Never mind I'm sure we'll find a few when the Cornish fruit slayer comes to visit

Catch up with you soon.

Dave

[foxhunter]

Its very satisfying when a plan comes together . Great shooting Andy FAR TOO MUCH FUN

[foxwhistler]

Well done Andy, it`s good when a plan comes together.

Nice to hear you`re getting through them!

[ratcherman]

Well done there andy some fine shooting there ps you must have far to many foxes down there you should send some up here for us