Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

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

Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by xDom » 09 Apr 2019, 8:12 am

If I’m spotlighting after rabbits and foxes is there any times they’re more likely to be around? If it’s dark at say 8pm, is there just as much chance as seeing them as at say, 3 am?
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by Bruiser64 » 09 Apr 2019, 9:06 am

In my experience if there is a population of rabbits they start to become more active from dusk on. If they are prolific and abundant it really doesn’t matter if is day or night. You will see a shed load at any time. Where I shoot they seem to be around all through the night. Obviously if you really hammer them they get pretty gun shy.
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by womble » 09 Apr 2019, 9:17 am

Full moon
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by southwest shooter » 09 Apr 2019, 10:26 am

I go before it gets to late and try to be in bed by twelve , I can't be bothered being out at three am ! I still see plenty of rabbits , hares and foxes .
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by bigfellascott » 10 Apr 2019, 10:04 am

Still calm nights are pretty good for rabbits I've noticed, foxes well they get about all through the night really, it's not like fishing where the tide has an influence, these things are about all night as a rule, depending on what the weather is doing more so than anything else I reckon.
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by womble » 10 Apr 2019, 12:55 pm

Good point, no wind
Foxes i only see in the mornings here, pre dawn
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Whenever i spot a possum in a tree there will be a fox somewhere nearby waiting for it
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by Oldbloke » 10 Apr 2019, 6:11 pm

No expert here. But generally for traditional hunting i think morning is better than evening. But i dont spotlight.
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by SCJ429 » 10 Apr 2019, 9:10 pm

If it is drizzly rain during the day you can get lucky.
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by Crash77 » 13 Jun 2019, 6:16 am

G’Day All,

New fish here. I haven’t shot anything for over 30 years after growing up on a farm in the Otway’s. I am just about to help myself to a few pot bunny’s..... once I’ve finished jumping through the mandatory hurdles required these days.

After many years of chasing foxes on our farm as a young fella, I learned a lesson about them about ten years ago that would have helped and that you most likely know.

The smart ass little buggars can’t run very far before they seize up with what looks like lactic acid pump.

I was flying along low level in a chopper when I decided to chase a fox from the property I was working on. It ran up over the hill and half way up the next hill until it just seized up.
It was trying to move it’s limbs but they were slowly moving all sparatic and uncoordinated.

At a couple of grand an hour I didn’t hang around that long but it was left there pretty much rooted as I moved on.
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by Jon79 » 14 Jun 2019, 12:27 am

9:37pm


But na seriously rabbits and foxes and most things you’ll find them anytime of night,

The only thing I like to go out later looking for is pigs I grew up dogging and shooting them and more often I came across them in the early hours before daylight up til day break especially the big old cunning boars even more so if it was an area where they were under heavier hunting pressure
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by on_one_wheel » 14 Jun 2019, 9:50 am

As already said, Dawn's usually the best.

During the cold months they like to sun themselves (if it's sunny) when the sun's high and it's not blowing.

Any time during the night when it's not wet or windy.

I find that they don't like wet or dewy grass, I think they don't like to get their bellys wet.

They don't like wind, rain or the hot weather.

Basically if it's nice enough outside that you want to be out, they like to be out to.
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by xDom » 14 Jun 2019, 11:40 am

I've been told from a few guys that if there're foxes in the area, there's just as much chance of whistling them up in daylight hours as there is at night. Would you agree to that?
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by on_one_wheel » 14 Jun 2019, 6:55 pm

xDom wrote:I've been told from a few guys that if there're foxes in the area, there's just as much chance of whistling them up in daylight hours as there is at night. Would you agree to that?


I personally haven't bothered during the day, I'm normal too busy while the sun's up but I have watched a VHS called Whistling with foxes by Andre Georgescu, a local SA "hunter"
He has loads of footage of broad daylight fox shooting. It's a good thing to watch if you can find his stuff.
I wonder if he's doing it on CD now?
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by marksman » 14 Jun 2019, 7:11 pm

I like to get out in the afternoon and plink them on their burrows from a bit of distance then hit them while walking around under light
morning is ok but they will go underground mid morning
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by flutch » 14 Jun 2019, 10:16 pm

Ok so didn't read everything above but here is my 5c, I have shot rabbits all day long in winter, more so in the dusk and Dawn and early evening but when they're in good numbers you will find them all day, windy nights not so much as they can't trust their nose, but frosty dead still nights are just the ticket. Foxes are very active with a lot of moonlight, which is great when spotlighting with others but not so great if you're on your own as they will not sit for long during a full moon nor get as dazzled by the spotlight, they have brilliant eyesight with help from the moon and can make you and your car out clearly across a paddock and if they're slightly on edge will just walk off, even if they're not toey they will still be ratting around making keeping the light on them a pain in the ass. If you happen to be going it alone a new moon or overcast night is better, you may see less foxes, but they will sit better. Daytime fox shooting depends on a lot of things, how under pressure the population is, how shy of people are they, have they been whistled or driven before etc and etc... Best bet is to have a couple of different whistles, I use a tenterfield and a button and practice till ya start getting their attention but learning the nuances with older clueier foxes takes time, also wind and concealment and scent and noise and movement etc, best bet with this is wait till around end of July onwards and cut your teeth on Fox Cubs instead... They're idiots for the better part, bit still not stupid if you're being obvious
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Adler B220PG 12 gauge
Ruger 22lr
Remington 270 win
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by Member-Deleted » 14 Jun 2019, 10:41 pm

I don't hunt rabbit or fox like you blokes but I find with ferals I've had anything to do with there's only 2 things they don't like it's heat and wind but on saying that you do get the odd one that moves around in those conditions I find still dull days , still days, light drizzly days, early morning, afternoon through to early morning things slow down from 11pm to 4am then fires again till 8am ish but like I said I don't hunt rabbit or fox wish I could though
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by xDom » 15 Jun 2019, 8:30 am

flutch wrote:end of July onwards and cut your teeth on Fox Cubs instead... They're idiots for the better part, bit still not stupid if you're being obvious


This brings in my next question. Do you find different calls work more effectively at different times of the year.
I bought an electronic caller which I’m gonna put to use on my next trip in mid July.
Would an injured cub sound attract more attention?
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by flutch » 15 Jun 2019, 11:20 am

xDom wrote:
flutch wrote:end of July onwards and cut your teeth on Fox Cubs instead... They're idiots for the better part, bit still not stupid if you're being obvious


This brings in my next question. Do you find different calls work more effectively at different times of the year.
I bought an electronic caller which I’m gonna put to use on my next trip in mid July.
Would an injured cub sound attract more attention?



Not really on the sounds for time of year, a whistle works almost universally, have never had any luck with fox distress sounds on Australian feral red foxes, have however had them come into a coyote pup distress, I have a 2012 model primos alpha Dogg and a icotech g300 and find that the parrot distress, rodent, cottontail, coyote pup distress, crow distress all work well enough as long as they're not played too loudly. I also have a distress from a 28 parrot that brings foxes around here in like it's nothing, but for the most part good technique with a whistle is better
Guns:
Rossi S/S 410
Lanber U/O 12 gauge
Adler B220PG 12 gauge
Ruger 22lr
Remington 270 win
Howa 223
Weatherby 300 Winmag

Bows:
G5 Quest Drive
G5 Prime Defy
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by xDom » 17 Jun 2019, 7:54 am

Do you have a certain strategy you use when using the electronic caller? How far away do you place it? Do you place it in the open and hide behind a tree?
Thanks for the tip on not playing it too loud, I thought the louder the better!!
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by flutch » 17 Jun 2019, 6:25 pm

nah mate the speakers always sound unnatural loud, and the other thing is the real thing aint screechin that loud and as the fox gets closer it will know something is suss as the noise will be much louder than what theyre used to. I worry more about the wind and cover when positioning myself with it, dont really have a formula for using it. Just gotta get out there and use it. always put yourself in a decent vantage point and never put your back to where you suspect the foxes will come from, if you use a blind set it up a few days earlier and brush it in with sticks and make sure the sun isnt shining directly into it.
Guns:
Rossi S/S 410
Lanber U/O 12 gauge
Adler B220PG 12 gauge
Ruger 22lr
Remington 270 win
Howa 223
Weatherby 300 Winmag

Bows:
G5 Quest Drive
G5 Prime Defy
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by HomeBrew » 20 Jun 2019, 10:04 pm

I've started using a free app (Red Fox Hunting Calls) alongside my Tenterfield and button whistle. One may be good to bring them on, another to bring them in (plus a mouse squeak using my lips). Early morning usually delivers. Other times during the day, sitting over gullies with a tree or rock behind to break up my shape.
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by xDom » 17 Aug 2019, 6:00 pm

What do you reckon the max distance a .22 mag is good for on foxes? 30gr Hornady's 2200 fps.
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by Bruiser64 » 17 Aug 2019, 7:51 pm

I would stick to around 100 metres based upon my experience with my 22 magnum.
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by bigfellascott » 18 Aug 2019, 2:06 pm

Seen a nice Vixen the other morning heading out cutting firewood, she was about 150m away just sitting on a little hill watching us drive in, as soon as we stopped she bolted, ran about 50m or so then stopped and looked back, she was lucky I didn't have a Howa with me, she'd be red mist by now!
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by NTSOG » 18 Aug 2019, 3:40 pm

G'day, I didn't realise how many foxes there were on and around my small farm south of Ballarat until I bought a small thermal monocular [Nite-Tech 25] and spent some time wandering around from dusk on just watching so as to get an idea of numbers and traffic patterns. Silly as it sounds I went down to the road to a neighbour's farm and sat up a hill near his ewes and lambs using an Icotec caller last night. I saw nothing, not even a skippy, but I know that while I sat watching over the sheep my top paddock [bordering on native bush with pine plantations behind and then Enfield State Forest] is like peak hour in Melbourne from dusk on with foxes travelling from south to north along the paddock. The most I've seen is 6 in 35 minutes, but it's rare that I don't see at least two or more in short order. The difficulty is that that part of the property is wide open without cover for me and am not skilled enough to take shots over 100 yards at the moment. I gather that foxes have regular routes and schedules; the local ones seem to be heading for some new houses on 20 acre blocks to the north and are on a mission - they don't wait around for a novice shooter.

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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by bigfellascott » 18 Aug 2019, 4:26 pm

Yeah I don't think they will respond much to the Icotec at this late stage in the season, they generally ignore whistles and callers etc during mating/breeding season. I've had 8 come out of a hillside which was covered in blackberries to a call on my fox pro, I managed to shoot 2 of em before they disappeared, I doubt I'll ever see anything like that gain in my lifetime, most unusual.
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by NTSOG » 18 Aug 2019, 5:14 pm

I did call in a pair ten days ago on the same property down the road using a distressed lamb call in amongst the ewes and lambs. The vixen sat out at 120 yards behind a ring-lock fence, but the big dog came into my range and was an easy shot. I figured there was a chance of the lamb call working given the number of lambs around. The foxes I have shot on my property recently were all baited into range over a week or two. They seem to like cheap canned dog food.

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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by xDom » 18 Aug 2019, 5:41 pm

Same boat as you, Jim. Didn’t realise how many foxes were running around in my local, shot out spot until I took out my Night Tech 25.
Very effective in locating the little bastards.
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by NTSOG » 18 Aug 2019, 5:56 pm

Hi Dom, the thermal spotters are brilliant. I quickly learned to tell the difference between a skippy, hares and foxes by the size of the image and the action of the animal even out to nearly 300 yards and it sure beats holding up a rifle to scan through the IR scope. The dog I knocked off ten days ago was looking towards my caller from behind a small bush at about 170 yards from me, but the colour of his head/face showed different to the foliage of the bush. Since I got the device there have been a number of occasions where I have seen them first and they have walked past me at about 25 - 35 yards as I stood still in a gateway - but no rifle at hand.
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Re: Best time for Rabbits and Foxes

Post by bigfellascott » 18 Aug 2019, 7:03 pm

NTSOG wrote:I did call in a pair ten days ago on the same property down the road using a distressed lamb call in amongst the ewes and lambs. The vixen sat out at 120 yards behind a ring-lock fence, but the big dog came into my range and was an easy shot. I figured there was a chance of the lamb call working given the number of lambs around. The foxes I have shot on my property recently were all baited into range over a week or two. They seem to like cheap canned dog food.

Jim


Wish they were that keen to come in around here, soon as they hear or see ya they are gone. :silent: It's normal for em to be like that at this time of year as a rule, not sure exactly what that is but they seem less inclined to come to the whislte etc for the most part, I like dragging a rag with tuna oil on it around behind the ute, then park up and wait for a bit, wack the light on after a bit and see what's around. :D
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