The fox pages

[AJB]

a good start to the year heaps of silly young ones easy to call in

[marksman]

great start
good onya

[Blr243]

I had three or 4 the other night all spread out in a 40 m circle just sittin chillin waiting for something exciting to happen If somebody let go a 243 in my lounge room I would be out the door. But they all just sat there as if they were tourists watching a fireworks display . So I just shot three of them one after the other. As I was scanning around I got confused when I saw the fourth fox as he was sitting in a very unusual position and I thought he was a dead fox so I walked right up to grab him and he up an took off ... if I had not made that error I could have shot them all. I thought my god what exactly is it with these young foxes

[SomeoneElse]

Went fox calling for the second time with a mate and this time we had some success. He was learning his new Tenterfield and I had an app (Coyote & Predator Hunting Calls) with a bluetooth speaker.

First property we followed some water during the heat of the day, probably 35C-37C in the shade. At each stop I put the bluetooth speaker approx 6m-15m away from us then we sat back against a gum tree facing opposite directions and started making our calls. After about 10min on our first stop I caught the unmistakable outline of a pointy-eared fox head about 7m away behind some lignin, wondering what our racket was about. A quick "here's a fox" mutter to my mate, placed the crosshair and squeezed before it changed its mind.

Short tail

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Seems to be about 1 year old with a shortened tail. Likely a "one that got away" on previous hunters.

We spent the next two hours following the water, stopping and making calls for 10-15min every couple of hundred metres or so. Saw one @ 50m which rumbled us while we were between spots. It took off, never to be seen again. We covered 2klm and the BT speaker (or maybe my phone) was struggling with the heat. It eventually came good after some rest in the shade. My mate's Tenterfield technique was improving at each sitting. We had a well earned soft drink when we got back to the ute.

Second property was one where the farmer has been losing some lambs to foxes. The sun was getting low and we headed straight to a section which backed onto forrest. I left the bluetooth speaker in the ute and we just went with the Tenterfield. We found a good spot and he began calling. I'd swear it was only 90sec before the first potential customer appeared - a young fox which came in to about 5m from us. It figured us out pretty quickly and took off. My mate had a shot at it but narrowly missed - I think his rifle was sighted in for much longer distances. We stayed in the same spot and tried a bit more calling. Within 2min an older fox came charging in towards us. I gave it something to think about at around 15m.

Came to the call

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We walked on a few hundred metres and tried calling again, but nothing was showing and it was getting toward dinner time.

Both my shots were .223 60gn Nosler partition. Not the best shot placement but sufficiently devastating. My aim also also made for some clean scalps for my mate. Looking forward to the next opportunity, which is likely to be a few months away. We might try sitting/waiting for longer and increase the distance between our stops - we'll see.

Someone Else.

[Oldbloke]

Took my grandson out whistling on friday night and picked up this one.

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[Member-Deleted]

Well done I bet you made his day OB

[RoginaJack]

SomeonElse, Well done !

There are a few bird and rabbit calls that you can download to the Mobile - have a look on FoxPro and FoxBusters site.
Just a small suggestion, if there is 2 of you shooting, have one carry a shottie, it's great for close shots.

[SomeoneElse]

SomeonElse, Well done !

There are a few bird and rabbit calls that you can download to the Mobile - have a look on FoxPro and FoxBusters site.
Just a small suggestion, if there is 2 of you shooting, have one carry a shottie, it's great for close shots.

Thanks RJ. Yep, I agree re the shottie, and can now really understand the benefit of a combo. I'm used to wide open Mallee dune paddocks, not this <10m and lignin stuff. Mind you, I've only got the one rifle so if we brought a shottie it would be my mate carrying it, then he would have got them all leaving none for me!

I understand fox whistling is full of variables re fox response. Are there any typical distance between stops and whistling durations which are generally advisable, or is that variable too? Just wondering if we are "over whistling" the same ground (400m between stops) and are better off stopping every 500m-700m or so. I'm guessing the answer is "it depends". I think I should get a camelback too if I'm doing it again in that sort of heat.

Someone Else.

[Stix]

Good stuff all you foxy folk...

Im actually out in the mallee as we speak...supposed to ve home tonight but took too long packing up (wind dropped off this arvo so i wasted time checking a rifle on some tsrgets & skinning out last nights little pup... )...

So while im sitting in my all packed except for sleeping bag & jetboil car, im downloading (very slowly i might add) these pages to go back to shack & have a read...so while im waiting for the page to open up, i flick the torch about & there is a fox sitting 380 yds out in the paddock to my east directly out my passenger window & the gate to that paddock is open too...
But rifle is buried on back seat & im shagged so he lives another day...

Got 5 on this property & 9 on another...
A few bunnies & one big ass black as dogs guts cat...!!
Foxes all pups ofcourse...its a little too easy nailing them to honest--i much rather them bigger n smarter as i like the chase...
Anyway...i kept 4 furs--lost a lot of them on a 45 degree day as i didnt have time to skin em all out...

Couple had mange too which were left out yonder...

Here's a couple that were collected for show-off time......

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My mate was stoked when i told him how many i nailed...!!...& i mean really stoked...

Here...

Check out his reaction...he was yellin' for joy i tells ya...

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...


Hell im shagged...

Orf ta bed for an early start/departure...

Just checked...little fox has gone...i think its the last sibling of 2 families ive all but wiped out here...

Just hope more move in for the April afterbirth fest...!!

[AJB]

two more down with my trusty 22 mag its awsome for close range when your calling them in but i have the 204 in car as back up for the smart foxes that like to sit just out of range for mag thats when i grab the real fox gun not many get away love the thud it makes when ya hit one but its hard on the furs if ya dont place ya bullet right lots of messy stuff

[RoginaJack]

Yep, and it all depends on the country and terrain. The time you sit at a stop, try a few different calls etc., up to you.

Some days the foxes will run over the top of you, next time sit out at 100, 200 yds and won't budge.

So summing up, "it just depends"...

[AJB]

[bigpete]

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Got this fox last night using my 22/250 and red led torch. Lucky he was dumb as I squeezed the trigger on him at least 3 times before realising my bolt was up.....

[Blr243]

Well done b Pete I give you 2 out of ten for maintaining function and procedure under stress and ten out of ten for your honesty ...... at the end of the day its unusual things that we still remember years from now ... when everything goes to plan its just another fox down

[RoginaJack]

OK, All fox shooters etc., The Invasive Species Council is calling for a all out effort on cleaning up the ferals after the fires.
Hers a link to the site.
http://www.sportingshooter.com.au/lates ... very-plans

Yes, I know, millions have been donated to animal recovery and the council is looking to get their hands on grant money....

[Member-Deleted]

Yes after the fires I reckon ferals will be a force to be reckoned with especially the meat eaters. QLD has to open some crown land to hunters because this is where a large portion of ferals are breeding but once the fires are over and the country recovers all this talk about ferals will be forgotten as it always is we can't even get a bounty on feral dogs up here, (other states have it), yet the daily paper had a write up about how out of hand the dogs are . The government locks up thousands of acres of land and lets it turn into an incubator for ferals it isn't any wonder we have pest problems with such stupidity. What harm does a hunter do walking through the land if he only shoots ferals a lot less than motor bikes that sneak on reguardless.

[RoginaJack]

Couldn't agree more, GDB, not only lock up the land but neglect fire trail cleaning and hazard reduction burns and create a bushfire situation waiting to happen. Shrubs and undergrowth need to be cleared from the boundaries, drains, creeks and roads.

[Blr243]

Late arv today I was really looking fwd to setting up my new hi seat on my month ago water hole that had been very successful but today I found the water hole to be very much reduced in size and starting to look soupy. Watched two adults and six suckers hav a drink , short vid and they winded me before I could shoot . Saw Maybe another half doz on a short walk but could not get my act together. Headed over to some cattle yards but no pigs there either. Last time I was there shot a few foxes and I remember I did not get the last one. So I sorted that tonight ... no fuss. Prob have a midnight camp / beer and get up real early

[Stix]

Good stuff BLR...

The poor bugger...that mange is nasty stuff i rekon...would be a horrible way to go...you probably gave him a relatively painless way out of his distress...

[Blr243]

I saw a darkish wallaby last night with a bit of bark of its back. More than a scrape that would come from crawling under a fence .. they are not known here to foolishly dart across the track in front of a Ute they keep to themselves and stay out of trouble. It’s the greys here who’s antics Make you think they are auditioning for some sort of daredevil circus freak show..... so the wallaby I saw after I shot the fox and it got me thinking can wallabies get mange , Can cats get mange?



Pantics make you think they

[Stix]

Im not sure mate...

I dont recall seeing it on roos or cats...but compared with foxes, i dont shoot many of them either...

[bigpete]

Humans can

[RoginaJack]

Roos, can't ever recall seeing one with mange or a feral dog for that matter but foxes, hell yeah lots of them. Could be that foxes tend to live underground, so if one of the pack or litter get it,all get it. Dunno, just a theory...

[RoginaJack]

Humans can

Oh, I thought that was just due to "old age". You know, where things shrink or fall out except ya chest muscles; they just drop down to your stomach!

[bigpete]

Nah,a few of dad's fox shooting mates got mange off foxes

[Stix]

Roos, can't ever recall seeing one with mange or a feral dog for that matter but foxes, hell yeah lots of them. Could be that foxes tend to live underground, so if one of the pack or litter get it,all get it. Dunno, just a theory... :unknown:

id say that'd be a theory made real...

It is a mite, so like fleas would be sure to pass from one to another in a den...

Dogs will get it...

[Oldbloke]

Nah,a few of dad's fox shooting mates got mange off foxes

Fair dinkum. Ill be more carefull about handling mangy foxes in future.

Its scabies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mange

[bigpete]

Yep. Absolutely

[AJB]

[Stix]

Here's a few from a few weeks ago out in the mallee...
(Think i may have posted one or two of these pics somewhere else here... )

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Some from couple weeks ago...

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Within them & shot in same paddock are these two--completely different looking foxes with a very different colour orange...

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Here's last nights effort...
Shouldve been seven, or atleast 5...but someone missed 2 easy shots, & also got a little cocky & tried to see how close he could call in a couple, instead of taking easy 150 yd shots... ...( )

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Here they are layed out before i skun em...

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So i opened the account last night with one off the shoulder at a smidge under 80 yds... (looked a lot further)...
Was calling one in when it just went nuts & took off...so i swung the torch around to see a set of eyes checking me out from only 40ish yds behind the car...a brisk quiet swagger over there keeping it in the light & got within 30 yds of it before it figured it'd better get more distance...
I came to an electric fence & couldnt go any further, & the fox was well on his way to elsewhere...
I kept the light on him, gave a little squeek to pull it up & thought bugger it, ill give it a crack...
So i let rip & was most happy to see the eyes go down in the grass to the sound of a loud "pop"......
...popped right through the heart & left a big splod of coagulated blood on the lush lucerne...

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Ive had good success of late with the 20 cal Nos 32gr Varmageddon not blowing big holes in them, but all 4 of these had big exits...
Still kept the furs of 3--unfortunately left a big dog fox eith a thinning tail from the early stages of mange... ...shame cos he was a good looking boy...!!
Anyway, think i need to go back to hitting higher/the shoulder again instead of popping out the hearts...
The last bullet used to remove legs if i hit the shoulder...

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