Hunting foxes

Varminting and vertebrate pest control. Small game, hunting feral goats, foxes, dogs, cats, rabbits etc.

Re: Hunting foxes

Post by RoginaJack » 25 Dec 2015, 2:41 pm

Yeah, "OLD BLOKE", I find that the feathers on a stick trick works well on feral cats and feral dogs. A bit of movement gives 'em something to focus on, just add a scent. :clap:
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by Bark » 04 Jan 2016, 2:12 pm

Only time will tell if it works but it looks the business :thumbsup:
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by bigfellascott » 04 Jan 2016, 7:46 pm

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
Last edited by bigfellascott on 04 Jan 2016, 8:27 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by Oldbloke » 04 Jan 2016, 7:48 pm

Bark wrote:Only time will tell if it works but it looks the business :thumbsup:


Hope to try it out tomorrow avo.

Also hope to have a second version next week, simpler and easier to make. :)
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by veep » 08 Jan 2016, 9:54 am

Oldbloke wrote:The marlin safety is fairly quiet, but they can hear it anyway.


Probably better described as human hearing is crap compared to most animals :lol:
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by on_one_wheel » 19 Apr 2016, 1:36 am

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


I think I'm gonna need something like this to trick and decoy some of the foxes that I've trained.
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by on_one_wheel » 19 Apr 2016, 1:39 am

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.

Fox Lure.JPG


Any luck with that rig yet Oldbloke?
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by Oldbloke » 07 Feb 2017, 10:29 am

Here is a video on calls/sounds foxes make.

https://youtu.be/J6NuhlibHsM
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by bigfellascott » 07 Feb 2017, 11:05 am

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.

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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by bigfellascott » 07 Feb 2017, 11:14 am

Had them coming in and they disappear into a creek never to be seen again, I don't know if it's because they got wind of me or they went along the creekline to circle round type thing and I haven't seen them from behind me type thing.

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.
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by bladeracer » 07 Feb 2017, 4:36 pm

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 :-)
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by bladeracer » 07 Feb 2017, 4:47 pm

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 :-)
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by bigfellascott » 07 Feb 2017, 9:33 pm

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 :-)


Yeah the birds can be a PITA at times when you start calling or use a caller, often have Crows and Cockatoos giving me a hard time along with a few other species. But I do like hearing the birds sounding off in the distance, often an indicator that one is on it's way, whether it shows up is a different matter however. :D
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by bigfellascott » 07 Feb 2017, 9:37 pm

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 :-)


They are funny buggers alright, I quite enjoy watching them (called in a few really young cubs a few years back) was out having a picknick with the wife and decided to give the whistle a run to see if anything was around, called in this tiny little fluffball and next minute another one came in and both just sat there about 2m away trying to work out what was going on before getting a little nervous and running off only to stop and sit about 50m or so away just sitting there looking at us, :lol:

I called in around 6 or 8 within a kilometer drive and also picked up a property as a result so was a great day out. :lol:
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by bigpete » 07 Feb 2017, 11:14 pm

I've barked quite a few in,especially when they're ignoring distress calls. I mainly hunt with bows so its imperative to get them within 20m. I find a decoy to be pretty useful when I remember to take it ! Mines just a feather tied to the nock of an arrow that twitches in the breeze,it distracts the fox from my position long enough to shoot. I've used all sorts of calls and really the old tin whistle still does a good job. Tenterfields are great if its windy,so are Scotch calls,I tie a rope to one end and a cork the other long enough to wear it like a sling,then when I'm calling I stand on the call and jerk the rope up and down. When a fox is spotted coming in I drop the rope and just stomp my foot on the bellows so I've got both hands free to shoot. Works well
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by deye243 » 08 Feb 2017, 12:12 am

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.

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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by bigfellascott » 08 Feb 2017, 4:50 am

Yeah that's my CMC Mountaineer (Howa) 222 HB in the Boyds Forest Camo Thumbhole Stock

This is it in it's original Stock
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by RoginaJack » 10 Feb 2017, 6:08 pm

Foxes never cease to annoy, frustrate and amuse me all at the same time. like last last year, I was after a couple of troublesome feral dogs. Set up near a creek and just off a cattle track, breeze in my face etc. and a young fox came to the Foxpro bird call.
I'd reckon it was last years litter (2015) and picked her up about 50yds.out; I'm using the 12 gauge, loaded with SSG and SG shot. The fox happily trotted up the track, looking left and right and didn't seem too concerned. About 20 yds out, stopped looked left and pounced onto this tuft of grass, sniffed around and ran around it snapping and scratching the grass base, stopped, sat looked around and just seemed it couldn't remember what it was doing, so I gave a little soft call on the whistle and this seemed to jog it's memory and back up the track it came, got to about 5yds off, stopped and looked straight at me but just couldn't quiet figure what was not right, turned and trotted back down the track to the tuft of grass and pounced on it again.
A couple of Magpies turned up and started to dive bomb the fox and off down the track it went.I mentioned this to the owners and they wanted the foxes cleaned up; too many chooks missing.
A few days later with the dog problem solved And over the next week I cleaned up 5 foxes with the 12g using BB from along the creek but the little Vixen wasn't one of them. 8-)

i must learn how to operate the video, calls, rifle and shotty all at the same time. This is the challenge for 2017. :crazy:

These are some of the tools of trade...
foxcalls.jpg
foxcalls.jpg (652.83 KiB) Viewed 6078 times


The foam, i use on a small mirror and works well on cats too.
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by Oldbloke » 10 Feb 2017, 6:16 pm

Regina, what's the blue thing? And what's your favourite. call?
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by RoginaJack » 10 Feb 2017, 8:20 pm

Oldbloke wrote:Regina, what's the blue thing? And what's your favourite. call?


Haha, that's my secret call :lol: Well actually its a $2 squeaky toy from the 2 dollar shop. I usually put it on the ground and operate it with my foot - keeps both hands free and works pretty good.

I really like the Foxpro - can set it upwind and dogs, fox and cats will came into it from the downwind side and with a few feathers on a stick keeps them occupied plus a wide choice of sounds and volume.
The old tin whistle is hard to beat - hands free as well and the 12g call is good on windy days.
I like to mix them up, some work better one day and not the next.

Cheers, ;)
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by Oldbloke » 12 Aug 2018, 12:05 pm

I took my oldest grandson Evan out fox whistling last night. I did plan on going to a larger property but due to lambing the farmer preferred I didn’t shoot for the next few weeks. So we went to the property where I shot the fat fox a few weeks ago, some of you might remember. Anyway after a yack and a cuppa we got a bit of a spell between the rain for about 15 minutes and sat down in amoungst some cypress trees. After giving a few whistles we saw a flock of crows tack off about 300 yards away. Waited a minute or two and another blast on the tenterfield & guess what come trotting along? Evan was a good boy and sat quietly and didn’t move which I thought was good for a 12-year-old. Anyway after a couple of kisses he stopped at about 70 yards and I let him have it with the 223. Here’s a pic of a very happy Evan and the Fox. Making memories.

20180811 Evan and Fox sml.jpg
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Re: Hunting foxes

Post by RoginaJack » 12 Aug 2018, 3:25 pm

:friends: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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