Lamping tips.

[ejg223]

In the last weeks I shot several foxes at a local free-range chicken farm. All were

shot either in the afternoon or up to last light with a success rate of almost 100% every time I go.

Yesterday eve I wanted to try something new and after butchering a deer I brought out the bones to

lay out in a field as bait. As I drove up the dirt track I saw a fox sunning himself below the chicken shed.

Took him at around 240yds with the 243 and then placed the bones in a different field. Later in the evening, well after dark

I drove out again to check with a lamp. I have never lamped the place and thought it could be interesting, also

because it's a fairly large area between two large chicken farms. To my surprise we saw only one set of

eyes way out after scanning the whole area. Have to say I'm no expert at lamping though.

Would it be better to lamp after midnight? Or what would be the best approach?

edi

[JohnGalway]

Edi,

 

I like to be on my ground as it's getting dark. That means having all your gear ready for lift off while it's still bright. They're coming out for the hunt then and will be hungry, and more interested in calls etc. I've often found the middle of the night to be a bit of a dead zone for fox activity, don't ask me why. I've "heard" a couple of hours before it gets light again is also a good time but I like my bed far far too much to be able to offer first hand opinion on that time.

 

ATB,

 

John

 

Take note of where you see foxes at night, especially the ones you don't get, they'll be giving you clues as to where their paths are and how often they use them, very handy info to have for the future. I have one farm where I could shoot 80% of the foxes there sitting in one spot.

[1967spud]

In the last weeks I shot several foxes at a local free-range chicken farm. All were

shot either in the afternoon or up to last light with a success rate of almost 100% every time I go.

Yesterday eve I wanted to try something new and after butchering a deer I brought out the bones to

lay out in a field as bait. As I drove up the dirt track I saw a fox sunning himself below the chicken shed.

Took him at around 240yds with the 243 and then placed the bones in a different field. Later in the evening, well after dark

I drove out again to check with a lamp. I have never lamped the place and thought it could be interesting, also

because it's a fairly large area between two large chicken farms. To my surprise we saw only one set of

eyes way out after scanning the whole area. Have to say I'm no expert at lamping though.

Would it be better to lamp after midnight? Or what would be the best approach?

edi

 

 

edi personally i have had more foxes in the first 2 hours after sunset and again at very first light, but then saying that i bet the next 20 foxes i shoot will be in the witching hour

 

 

i think its fair to say there is no rule of thumb for this

[Alycidon]

I have never known anything touch the body of a dead fox when left as bait.

 

Best to be around early evening as they are hungry after a days kip but I have had foxes at 3am when I was young enough not to need the sleep.

 

A

[JohnGalway]

I have never known anything touch the body of a dead fox when left as bait.

 

Hooded crows, Ravens & Greater Black Backed Seagulls all will.

[ejg223]

I have never known anything touch the body of a dead fox when left as bait.

 

Best to be around early evening as they are hungry after a days kip but I have had foxes at 3am when I was young enough not to need the sleep.

 

A

 

Got me wrong there,

I laid out deer bones as bait a couple hundred yards away from where the fox dropped.

I know foxes get nervous when they come across a freshly shot mate. I often shoot a path

that gets used by several foxes of a valley and when one is down I must drop the next one before

he reaches the first body. (Shot about 30 in one year in that valley)

 

John,

I've seen dead foxes eaten within days, others lie around for weeks, don't know why.

 

Good to know that the first hours are as good as it gets.

 

Thanks for all the replies.

 

edi

[JohnGalway]

John,

I've seen dead foxes eaten within days, others lie around for weeks, don't know why.

 

Good to know that the first hours are as good as it gets.

 

Thanks for all the replies.

 

edi

 

Same as that, and I don't have an answer for it either. But the above three named culprits will eat them Stronger stomachs than me lol.

[weejohn]

on my permission there isnt really a best time for seeing foxs, but i have shot them all between 1 and 6 hours after darkness. As john says i also get much more interest from the foxs while calling up to 3 hours after darkness. I found one of the best baits for foxs is fish bones, what i used to in areas where there is definate fox activity is dig a shallow hole and put a small pile of the bones in then gently cover it up making sure you leave a couple of the tails sticking out.I would leave it for a night and check it the neck day and replace any missing bones then I was gauranteed to see a fox the same night.

[kip270]

Edi,

 

I like to be on my ground as it's getting dark. That means having all your gear ready for lift off while it's still bright. They're coming out for the hunt then and will be hungry, and more interested in calls etc. I've often found the middle of the night to be a bit of a dead zone for fox activity, don't ask me why. I've "heard" a couple of hours before it gets light again is also a good time but I like my bed far far too much to be able to offer first hand opinion on that time.

 

ATB,

 

John

 

Take note of where you see foxes at night, especially the ones you don't get, they'll be giving you clues as to where their paths are and how often they use them, very handy info to have for the future. I have one farm where I could shoot 80% of the foxes there sitting in one spot.

 

Have to agree with John, i always venture out at least within the first hour of darkness if possible, friends of mine lamp the same ground and don't go out till midnight, and their success rate shows this.......ask if they have seen any and it's the same reply, bugger all.

So Dan & myself pop out the next day and bag two within an hour..........

 

Our success rate is a lot better than others and i'm sure purely because of the times we head out.

[bigun]

at the moment foxs are seen moving around at 8pm it was 9pm a month ago but as the days are drawing in so its getting darker sooner ,so the foxs are seen early .

[ejg223]

Bigun,

I found the daylight movement of foxes is more related to

the ammount that they are disturbed.

Same places that get very little attention even from farmers I tend to see some

walking around any time of the day. More disturbed places really only at last light.

 

Weejohn, good idea with the fish. Just seem to shoot more than go fishing. Although we have

good mackerel fishing only couple hundred yards from the house.

 

Kip,

checked the chicken farm again, i think simply after taking about 20 in the last weeks there

just don't seem many left, at leats for a while.

 

edi