Bark wrote:Only time will tell if it works but it looks the business
Oldbloke wrote:The marlin safety is fairly quiet, but they can hear it anyway.
bigfellascott wrote:This is the Predator Enticer I use, you can make it short or tall by adding extra poles to it which is handy for longer grass etc.
Here's a few vids of it in action
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY2AtirxIXQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PzX2iO6QGc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-9U1RqRcsc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OBReFBTDiQ
Here is the Fox Pro Shockwave that I use to call em in (one among many diff calls I use)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0tINHsQz3I
Oldbloke wrote:I have been going to make a fox lure for ages. I just wanted something that was light and would move in the breeze or with a tug on a line. Also prefer no batteries. This is the result.
I piece of wood, length of welding rod, some chook feathers, a spring and 2 fishing swivels. I will try it out over xmas if I get a chance. I will just use a small tent peg to anchor it and some fishing line to give a tug every now and again.
bigfellascott wrote:If you are smart and hunt foxes regularly you will notice quite often the birds around you will start sounding if there's a fox about (sometimes they carry on when you start using a whistle or caller too but often you will hear the birds in the distance carrying on and often it's because a fox is near by.
bigfellascott wrote:Also if you are whistling near a fence line and it has chicken type wire along the bottom keep an eye out on any of those holes you often see that animals are using to cross from one side to the other, they will more than likely be using the same hole each time so if you don't get a chance at it first time round don't be at all surprised if they use the same hole next time you are there whistling, they are creatures of habit just like us (you will often see one dart straight to a hole in the fence if you scare them or miss a shot so they know exactly where the exits are so to speak (you see the same thing with a lot of animals) they have their roads/highways etc same as we do and they use them in the same manner too.
bladeracer wrote:bigfellascott wrote:If you are smart and hunt foxes regularly you will notice quite often the birds around you will start sounding if there's a fox about (sometimes they carry on when you start using a whistle or caller too but often you will hear the birds in the distance carrying on and often it's because a fox is near by.
I'm always studying the birds when I'm hunting. Not only do they indicate targets to you, they also give you away to your quarry. When you're stalking something, there might be a perfect position you'd like to get to, but if there are birds there you can rule it out as cover.
Oddly though, sometimes a fox will come for a look when he spots that bloody annoying wagtail that is doing all it can to give your position away
bladeracer wrote:bigfellascott wrote:Also if you are whistling near a fence line and it has chicken type wire along the bottom keep an eye out on any of those holes you often see that animals are using to cross from one side to the other, they will more than likely be using the same hole each time so if you don't get a chance at it first time round don't be at all surprised if they use the same hole next time you are there whistling, they are creatures of habit just like us (you will often see one dart straight to a hole in the fence if you scare them or miss a shot so they know exactly where the exits are so to speak (you see the same thing with a lot of animals) they have their roads/highways etc same as we do and they use them in the same manner too.
On the farms, you can learn the foxes' patrol routes and schedules. One, or sometimes a pair, might patrol one side of a creek in one direction, then work along a fence line, then into some heavy bush every third morning. The following morning, or evening, a different fox might do a run along the same route but working backwards. The next time the first fox might patrol along the other side of the creek. Each animal has their own system. I've seen foxes patrolling the creek or fence line one morning, gone out before dawn the following morning, and had the sneaky bugger come along a different fence line behind me. There was an old dog fox here that we would see most mornings just sitting in the blackberries on the creek bank watching across the paddocks for half-an-hour or so, like he was watching television before going to bed
bigfellascott wrote:Foxes are funny buggers - they range from bloody stupid to very smart and cunning, you never know which ones going to show up on the day. Some days are gold and others are lemons, no rhyme or reason so far as to why that is, I just put it down too a lack of foxes around at that particular time or they are more interested in feeding on grass hoppers and the like and less interested in the sound of a rabbit etc in distress.
I've had them nearly jump on me, had em stand right next to me (could have touched them) had em come in from the wrong direction (ie the wind is blowing in the direction they come from and they should have smelt me but didn't for whatever reason, had them come right up to the vehicle I was whistling from and actually had to yell at them to bugger off so I could shoot em, had others that wouldn't come closer than 300-400m away, had others scream in and try and attack the Fox Pro, had em steal rabbits I'd just shot (they came darting out of the blackberries near by and run off with the rabbit I'd just shot - the most unusual thing I've seen was one day where I was whistling near this massive blackberry clump on the side of a hill (was covered literally in blackberry bushes) anyway I'd enticed one to stick it's head out from some berries - I was about 200m away and nailed it in the neck and next thing you know the bloody bushes erupted with about 6-8 foxes running in all directions from the hillside, bloody funniest thing I'd ever seen and doubt I'd every see such an event like it ever again, I wished I'd of had a video camera recording it, would have made some great footage.
If you are smart and hunt foxes regularly you will notice quite often the birds around you will start sounding if there's a fox about (sometimes they carry on when you start using a whistle or caller too but often you will hear the birds in the distance carrying on and often it's because a fox is near by.
I was sitting one day just having some lunch (I'd been out whistling with no luck so far) anyway I'm sitting there enjoying a sanga and taking in the sights and sounds when all of a sudden I hear the birds going of a swooping something about 200 odd Mtrs awy anyway I had a fair idea what it might be so piled out of the vehicle and got the rifle pointing in the right direction quick smart and spotted the offender soon after - it was a fox with a baby bird in its mouth (not sure how the bird ended up in its mouth but there's this fox trotting along with a bird hanging out of its mouth and other birds dive bombing it and it to avoid them, anyway I soon had the X-hairs on its front end and sent one on it's way with the result being a instant bang flop, I finally arrived over where I thought it was and found the fox still had the baby bird in it's mouth.
I'd say she was on her way back to the den as she was still in milk going by what I could see and she was in poor condition so clearly feeding the cubs still.
Oldbloke wrote:Regina, what's the blue thing? And what's your favourite. call?