The fox pages

[NTSOG]

G'day All,

In the last three weeks, in the paddocks just behind our house, I've seen about 18 or so foxes, taken 10 shots and killed 9. When I say just behind the house I mean within 380 yards of the house, several shots being taken about 110 yards from the back door. Another one came to the offal pile last night at about 9:15, but a ground mist stopped me seeing it with the IR scope, though I could see it with the thermal viewer. Just as the mist lifted it took off - I suspect I made a noise.

It's been a busy three weeks.

Jim

I've just been out to feed the cattle - it's about 4:00Pm. I looked down the paddock and saw two 'crows' on the pile of offal and also picking at the carcass of the little vixen. I had a look through my binoculars: the crows were two wedgetail eagles. An acquaintance has seen wedgies eating and even flying off with dead foxes. I've had them on the ground before eating wood ducks. [The photos aren't that clear from my little Canon.]

[Oldbloke]

Grouse to see them increasing in numbers. Spotted one last week myself.

[Blr243]

Reminds me of the time I was up a tree with a bow at Goondiwindi overlooking a dam. Thinking if the pig would catch my movement as I draw my bow. Then I started thinking about if the pigs can see up sort of behind them. Then I started thinking about if any predators attack pigs from the air ever and I could only think of eagles when a pig is very small. Then within ten seconds I could hear squealing and I could see a piglet running towards the dam closely followed by a youngish wedgetailed eagle. He grabbed the piglet by the head with both sets of talons and sat on the ground. But the piglet would not give up easily and walked backwards with all its strength dragging the eagle along the ground. It was a very small piglet. The eagle spread its wings wide and tried to dig them into the ground but still the piglet backed up with all its strength and dragged the eagle along. Then the eagle just let go and flew away so the pig dived into the dam to swim to the other side. I have a very basic video of it but it’s on mini vhs I shall have to find it one day and get it converted to modern format

[NTSOG]

G'day, there's a bloke living down the road who is licensed to care for raptors. He told a shooting acquaintance that foxes are Wedgetails' favourite food. If so then Wedgies cannot have a very good sense of smell!

Jim

[Oldbloke]

Wow blr243. What a special experience. I wish.

[Blr243]

Yes it was pretty cool. And all the more amazing considering I just happened to be thinking about wedgetails and piglets .....I was telling a farmer about it and he said that once on a family fishing trip on some inland waterway he saw a wedge tail swooping down on a jack russell dog. Everybody realised the eagles intentions and everybody ran to intervene but they could not get there in time ...they all had to watch as the eagle took yappy away on a one way flight

[Oldbloke]

Yep, nor the first time I've heard of a wedgie taking pets.

[TassieTiger]

Yes it was pretty cool. And all the more amazing considering I just happened to be thinking about wedgetails and piglets .....I was telling a farmer about it and he said that once on a family fishing trip on some inland waterway he saw a wedge tail swooping down on a jack russell dog. Everybody realised the eagles intentions and everybody ran to intervene but they could not get there in time ...they all had to watch as the eagle took yappy away on a one way flight

Footage of such things could be worth a few dollars to the right ppl...

[brinny]

https://www.facebook.com/AmazingAnimalT ... 9975/?t=36

[TassieTiger]

Geezus Brinny - I nearly choked on me coffee. Didn’t know footage like that was out there. Bloody hell. I’ve got a pair of nesting wedgies on a cliff that over looks A farm - I watch em for ages soaring the thermals...

[brinny]

Geezus Brinny - I nearly choked on me coffee. Didn’t know footage like that was out there. Bloody hell. I’ve got a pair of nesting wedgies on a cliff that over looks A farm - I watch em for ages soaring the thermals...

Right spot at the right time with the camera eh.....great footage...

[Blr243]

My footage was a bit intermittent in between tree branches and shaky and sometimes out of focus. I should still make an effort to dig it up

[Blr243]

Top vid by briny. I wonder if an eagle ever does stuff like that for a bit of fun then just lets go ? And flys away thinking , sorry fox I was only just messing with you

[RoginaJack]

Check out Wedgetails the next time you're near a "lambing paddock". Heaps get around then.

[AJB]

[AJB]

[NTSOG]

Nice work AJB. The one in the lower photo looks quite fit and healthy, but the one in the top photo looks a little scruffy around the tail. Is that mange? What calibre rifle and at what range did you shoot?

Jim

[AJB]

Thanx jim yes it is mange one had it bad on tail the good looking one had a touch on rear legs i got them with 204 at around 100 yrds its the best gun for foxes hits them hard the sound of the bullet hitting them is unforgetable

[Blr243]

I notice tails are usually the first part to show mange , Could it be that When irritated and itchy it’s the easiest part for the fox to chew at?

[AJB]

Zoom in on second pic hit it right behind ear was a top shot

[AJB]

Yes mange seems to start on tail and rear legs the foxes that get it real bad would freeze in this cold weather with no fur

[marksman]

well l'll be, l have wondered what will eat a dead fox in the past thinking it was pigs but now l know eagles will take them

[NTSOG]

G'day marksman, yes it's a bit of a shock that a Wedgetail will eat a stinking fox instead of a fresh piece of prime beef. We, of course, did cut out the cheek meat from the head of the heifer and ate it last evening after it had slow cooked for hours. Even so there should have been enough meat for two hungry eagles on the head instead of the fox carcass.

Jim

[NTSOG]

AJB: "... hits them hard the sound of the bullet hitting them is unforgettable ..."

A friend tells me he can tell the difference between a head shot and a body shot on a fox by the sound, but my hearing is a bit suspect nowadays - tractor ear an audiologist called it - and I always wear ear plugs.

Jim

[AJB]

Jim yes it is true i can tell if its a body shot its more of a thud pop while a head shot has a solid thud the pop is the guts blowing up im sure

[Oldbloke]

AJB: "... hits them hard the sound of the bullet hitting them is unforgettable ..."

A friend tells me he can tell the difference between a head shot and a body shot on a fox by the sound, but my hearing is a bit suspect nowadays - tractor ear an audiologist called it - and I always wear ear plugs.

Jim

Typically they are not correctly fitted, providing very little protection. Muffs are fare superior for that reason.

This video explains. Once fitted you should not be able to see them looking into a mirror.

https://www.earjobs.com.au/blogs/news/h ... -ear-plugs

[NTSOG]

G'day oldbloke,

I cannot get the soft type of ear plugs into my right ear, probably due to a form of 'surfer's ear' brought about by over 25 years of sailing dinghies and getting splashed in the ear-hole. I use plastic types that have several 'flanges' and they stay put deep in the external ear canal:

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... BasicHover

I have a pair of Leigh Leight ear muffs and always wear them on the tractor, even in the cabin, but find that they make it awkward to remove and then replace my spectacles one handed when out hunting being 'clamped' firmly over my ears: I see better through my thermal viewer without my glasses so will slide them back on when I see a fox coming while holding the rifle with my other hand.

Jim

[Oldbloke]

G'day oldbloke,

I cannot get the soft type of ear plugs into my right ear, probably due to a form of 'surfer's ear' brought about by over 25 years of sailing dinghies and getting splashed in the ear-hole. I use plastic types that have several 'flanges' and they stay put deep in the external ear canal:

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... BasicHover

I have a pair of Leigh Light ear muffs and always wear them on the tractor, even in the cabin, but find that they make it awkward to remove and then replace my spectacles one handed when out hunting being 'clamped' firmly over my ears: I see better through my thermal viewer without my glasses so will slide them back on when I see a fox coming while holding the rifle with my other hand.

Jim

Yes I understand those issues just let you know that those earplugs only provide a fairly low level of protection

[NTSOG]

Perhaps a pair of these would be better as I have constant tinnitus:

https://www.earjobs.com.au/collections/ ... 0423246660

They are reasonably priced, are apparently better at blocking noise and have a lanyard making it harder to lose them.

Jim

[Vicko]

Chalk up another three last night on the family farm in western district Vic. This time with my hmr using a red light as we’re starting to get down to the cagier ones. Definitely starting to get on top of them there. That’s 17 in about a month.
There’s still a pair of cagey buggers that don’t look at the light... haven’t got a shot on them yet. And saw another one behind cover and couldn’t get a positive id so didn’t take the shot.
Think I’ll go back to the 223 tho. Was pushing it last night with the hmr out past 150 for each shot. Only one dropped on the spot.

I’m up for a new rifle soon anyway... anyone using 6.5CMs on foxes..?