The fox pages

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

Re: The fox pages

Post by bigpete » 20 Jun 2018, 10:54 am

You absolutely have to split the tails,and get the cartiledge out of the ears. Its a must.
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Re: The fox pages

Post by AZZA'S HJ47 » 20 Jun 2018, 11:50 am

sungazer wrote:looks like you are doing a good job of skinning though now Stix even if you dont think so. You got that head off the cat pretty nicely. The last fox I skinned i tried to take the head skin and only got one ear the other ripped off. Any information you have would be nice. I have the last three fox skins tanned two with the commercial stuff the other with Alum/salt and it is pretty good in comparison. I am not sure what to do with tails. Some people say strip them and i have done that and it didnt tan well and later broke apart. one book I have read says split them so you can get the mix in there. That worked best. Another I did half and half and it looks a bit crap.



Run a knife around the base of the tail pull the skin off fill tail with metho and put in a container of metho for two weeks. After two weeks wash shampoo and condition i usually put a 243 or 308 case in the back of it blow dry good to go. I have done 4 this way all still look like the day they came off the fox.
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Re: The fox pages

Post by sungazer » 20 Jun 2018, 12:06 pm

Interesting Azza ATM I am leaving the tails attached to the skin so they go in the tanning solution. Any tips on how to skin ie how to cut the skin to leave the tail on so far I cut near the bum hole cutting it out effectively and work from the underside splitting the first bit then doing the peeling thing. Still learning this.

Thanks bigpete From the two I have split which have worked to the one I havent which smelt then broke i think you may be right unless there is a way of getting the solution down into the cavity.
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Stix » 20 Jun 2018, 1:34 pm

Thanks sungazer.
Yes the cat skin came off nicely--but you can still see a bit of my "worry" on the skin in the form of those chest muscles under the skin...at that point i was worried about a nik so i went the cautious route.

Ive done 2 cats & 6 foxes from the last 2 trips...infact 3 cats including the first ginger one that started my fettish (thats getting tumbled/broken as i speak)....
And i find that the cats are far easier to skin--also seem to be much easier to flesh & thus have a better finish on the leather side.

As for the tails, ive only got one off in tact-that was done immediately after shooting.

I met a guy recently that can skin them out in less than 3 mins & the tuff difficult ones dont take him more than 5 mins...i havnt seen him do it, hopefully i will one day, but he seems genuine.
He says he splits the first 4-5" of the tail & cuts the tendons, then it comes off in one.
Another guy has suggested a loop of wire that closes around the tail when you pull.
My best success was pull skin up tail from around all rump to the point the tendons expose & bulge out, cut the tendons (if cant make out the tendons clearly do like a ring bark with a knife a short ways up the tail) split the tail 3-4 inches, then slowly get it started until its peeled an inch or so past the split, then it came off with a slow but steady pull.

The bottom jaw-i do a symetrical cut through fur on bottom jaw-extend that cut to the cut down the centre, then just peel & ease them off with tension & knife.

The ears-with hand on fur side i scrunch skin up close to where its still connected, & with a fist type grip almost roll hand/fist backwards for tension on skin & cut deep into ear cartlidge.
Do same with eyes then just peel back snout running edge of knife along membrane.

I split tail for salting fleshing & tanning.

Hope this is of some help...its hard to describe this sort of thing...
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Re: The fox pages

Post by bigpete » 20 Jun 2018, 2:50 pm

We used to do the tail last then wrap the skin around the base of it a few times then just pull it off the tail bone. Simples
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Re: The fox pages

Post by bigpete » 23 Jun 2018, 1:39 pm

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Unlike Stix,I can keep this short. Lip squeaked this vixen in to about 10m before blasting her with a load of BBs. Very effective. Skun her out for a friend,first time in nearly 20 years. Made a bloody mess though. Good times
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Stix » 23 Jun 2018, 6:15 pm

Well now i know how to keep it short...ill bring em to you to skin out...!!
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Re: The fox pages

Post by bigpete » 23 Jun 2018, 6:23 pm

Lol
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Stix » 23 Jun 2018, 8:58 pm

Hehe...

How long does it take you to skin out a fox BPete..?
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Re: The fox pages

Post by sungazer » 23 Jun 2018, 10:35 pm

Not sure if it was worth skinning that one it looks like it is full of holes :lol:
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Re: The fox pages

Post by bigpete » 23 Jun 2018, 10:47 pm

Took me maybe 10-15 minutes. Its been a long time.
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Jon79 » 28 Jun 2018, 11:43 am

Went out the other night to shoot a few hares for dog tucker and also threw in my new Howa 308 in case any deer or porkies had ventured out on to the crops.

After picking up plenty of hares with the 223 this fella was laying out in the paddock looking at me and I still hadn't tried out my new 308 on anything besides sighting it in, the temptation got to me in the end and I picked up the 308 and knocked him over......going by the GPS he was 287 meters away and lets just say that the Outback ammo 165gr gamekings aren't gentle :o
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Re: The fox pages

Post by southwest shooter » 28 Jun 2018, 11:51 am

Good work jonny .
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Re: The fox pages

Post by bigpete » 28 Jun 2018, 11:57 am

:allegedly:
sungazer wrote:Not sure if it was worth skinning that one it looks like it is full of holes :lol:

She just wants it to practice brain tanning on
Otherwise I'd have left it.
Things ya do for someone you fancy hey ?
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Stix » 28 Jun 2018, 1:12 pm

Jon79 wrote:Went out the other night to shoot a few hares for dog tucker and also threw in my new Howa 308 in case any deer or porkies had ventured out on to the crops.

After picking up plenty of hares with the 223 this fella was laying out in the paddock looking at me and I still hadn't tried out my new 308 on anything besides sighting it in, the temptation got to me in the end and I picked up the 308 and knocked him over......going by the GPS he was 287 meters away and lets just say that the Outback ammo 165gr gamekings aren't gentle :o


Nice shot Jon...!!...i rekon it is anyway, especially given its first blood with a new rifle & under spotlight...! :thumbsup:

What light you use & what model scope is on the Howa Jon...?
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Jon79 » 28 Jun 2018, 1:25 pm

Stix wrote:Nice shot Jon...!!...i rekon it is anyway, especially given its first blood with a new rifle & under spotlight...! :thumbsup:

What light you use & what model scope is on the Howa Jon...?


just a 9inch powa beam spotlight and a Leupold Freedom 3-9x40 :thumbsup:
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Re: The fox pages

Post by southwest shooter » 28 Jun 2018, 1:55 pm

Jon79 wrote:
Stix wrote:Nice shot Jon...!!...i rekon it is anyway, especially given its first blood with a new rifle & under spotlight...! :thumbsup:

What light you use & what model scope is on the Howa Jon...?


just a 9inch powa beam spotlight and a Leupold Freedom 3-9x40 :thumbsup:

Anygood the leupold william wallace range of scopes ?
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Jon79 » 28 Jun 2018, 3:25 pm

southwest shooter wrote:
Jon79 wrote:
Stix wrote:Nice shot Jon...!!...i rekon it is anyway, especially given its first blood with a new rifle & under spotlight...! :thumbsup:

What light you use & what model scope is on the Howa Jon...?


just a 9inch powa beam spotlight and a Leupold Freedom 3-9x40 :thumbsup:

Anygood the leupold william wallace range of scopes ?


Yeah I don't mind them, value wise I think they are good I have them on my 243 and now my 308 and they shoot really well so far with no issues

ozzie did a review on the rimfire version not long ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTbPHvD1mi4
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Oldbloke » 03 Jul 2018, 8:55 pm

I think I have found my calling. Whistling foxes. It never bores me and is always interesting and can be a challenge. Foxes can be funny buggers one day running next sneaking around trying to get wind of you or you just don’t see them at all.

This must be the biggest/fattest Fox I’ve ever shot its as fat as a pig. Here’s the story.

A few days ago I spoke to a mate and he said he had 12 goat kids born in the recent weeks only 4 left. The rest seem to have fed the foxes he said. He hasn’t seen a fox more over a month so he guessed they have been coming in at night. He had also lost a couple of lambs. Anyway as it happened I was driving past on Saturday late in the arvo after a disappointing (wet & cold) day out hunting. I had the 223 in the ute, so gave him a bell and told him I would drop in if that was OK?

So after a bit of a yak and a cuppa with John at about 4.45 pm I went for a walked 80 meters down his driveway sat down on my stool in front of some Cypres with the 223 and some shooting sticks. The sticks are just made out of a TV aerial, the rifle a Marlin XS Bolt action, 3 - 9 x 40 scope…

I gave the button whistle a few blows but that didn’t work after about 10 minutes so I decided to try the tenterfield. It was windy and very cold so I no intention of staying for very long. The tenterfield seemed the best option, being so loud. In just a 2 or 3 minutes I spotted about 300 yards something running like a steam train up the hill towards me. It looked like a dog, and I thought it could be the neighbors. So I better be careful, but as it got closer I realized it was a really big fox and he just kept on running and swung around to my right. He didn’t look like stopping, I thought he’s going to run past me so I adjusted the shooting sticks and called “oi” and he stopped, next thing its bang flop. Interestingly he his lost his tail at some point.

What is the best whistle? Well Iv’e found the tenterfield to be fairly consistent but Iv’e called them in with button whistles, duck callers, toy queakers and DIY tenterfields. No wonder I’m fast getting addicted.

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Re: The fox pages

Post by bigpete » 03 Jul 2018, 10:08 pm

Nice one old bloke. I'm loving calling this year.
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Stix » 03 Jul 2018, 10:24 pm

Good one OB...
A cuppa n a fox is the way to go for warmth on a cold day...!! :thumbsup:
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Re: The fox pages

Post by southwest shooter » 04 Jul 2018, 9:26 am

G,day oldbloke
When I go fox whistling I take my Scotch Caller , three tenterfield and two button whistles . Just depends on the day which whistle is best !
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Oldbloke » 04 Jul 2018, 8:22 pm

southwest shooter wrote:G,day oldbloke
When I go fox whistling I take my Scotch Caller , three tenterfield and two button whistles . Just depends on the day which whistle is best !


Yeah I have a few more including a scotch caller. Tried it a fair few times. Never seems to work?
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Re: The fox pages

Post by jamie00091 » 07 Jul 2018, 1:45 pm

Gday fellas
Growing up did a lot of shooting with my pa on his property in vic back in the day and when he dropped off the perch didnt have a lot to do with it for 12 years or so.

Wondering if anyone would be interested in letting me come out with them for a whistle or spotlighting. Was only a young fella when i used to get out and want to get a bit more experience chasing foxes. Noone i know have their license or interested in pest control so if anyone was keen to let me tag along that would be grouse!
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Stix » 07 Jul 2018, 8:30 pm

jamie00091 wrote:Gday fellas
Growing up did a lot of shooting with my pa on his property in vic back in the day and when he dropped off the perch didnt have a lot to do with it for 12 years or so.

Wondering if anyone would be interested in letting me come out with them for a whistle or spotlighting. Was only a young fella when i used to get out and want to get a bit more experience chasing foxes. Noone i know have their license or interested in pest control so if anyone was keen to let me tag along that would be grouse!


People might shy away from giving you an invite...my guess is because as dodgy as blind internet dating is, blind internet dating with guns could be fraught many dangers... :unknown:

Id consider to take you out...but only after getting to know you over a decent period of time.

We hunters have way too much to loose to risk it all on a potential crazy...
Would you let anyone move into your house if they asked you over the internet...? (Thats a rhetorical question to aid your understanding in where im coming from).

Join a club, get to know people, mingle in the circles you want to be a part of, get involved in forums like this...hell, even try & get your firearms licence would better your chances & help reassure people (if you dont already have it...!!! :thumbsup:).

It could be worth your while, i mean i need a foxing partner, someone who's senses dont dissappear in favour of accelerator heavy crazy trigger happy nutso sh1tstorm when a set of eyes appear...

Maybe introduce yourself in the "introduce yourself thread" (do as i say, not as i do--i didnt do it).
Let people get to know you in that thread first--how old you are...bla bla...

Sorry if i come accross blunt...i was going to out chasing the red skins this werkend but the weather is the fukn pits-& im stuck here in the brick village... :violin:
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Diddums » 15 Jul 2018, 12:32 am

Caught this fella munching on a lamb this afternoon.
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Re: The fox pages

Post by bigpete » 21 Jul 2018, 4:24 pm

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One I called in and shot with the little 17hmr this morning
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Stix » 21 Jul 2018, 4:36 pm

Thats a nice lookin fox pete...!! :thumbsup:
Ya keep his clothes...?
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Re: The fox pages

Post by bigpete » 21 Jul 2018, 5:19 pm

Yep
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Re: The fox pages

Post by Oldbloke » 21 Jul 2018, 7:09 pm

Very nice Pete. Blood nice pic too.

Did u whistle him in?
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