The fox pages

[marksman]

last week l was having a look around for a deer when l saw this fella watching me, l got closer to get a photo using the pard 007, l just decided to take it so went for my rifle and got barked at by a deer in the bush so the fox took off before l could send him to fox heaven, lucky fox

and yes l have to reset the dates on the pard

[Grandadbushy]

Yeah mm he's got that ''I dare you look '' staring you down thing did you get the deer? or

[marksman]

Yeah mm he's got that ''I dare you look '' staring you down thing did you get the deer? or

l didn't even see the deer Grandad, it was when l left cover near the bushline getting the photo that they sprung me, bugga
l usually give the deer a break at the moment because the females will be pregnant but was hoping for a spiker because they are in there family groups at the moment and they will be easy to spot, the farmer had been seeing groups of over eight in the area but a bit later in the morning when the sun was out
maybe next time

[Grandadbushy]

Yeah mate always next time that's what keeps us interested hey lol

[AJB]

[Oldbloke]

Just trying to move this c hat to a more appropriate thread. Hope it works. Lol

G'day Oldbloke, I have used cheap canned dog food with some success, but I am amazed that the chook is still there. I've just been out the back having a scan in case there was some activity before the rain came, but there's nothing there. Not even 'roos at the moment. Now it's raining and that's it for the night I reckon.

Jim

I've only tried old fishing bait and food scraps in the past. But in my case always on a farm. Not my property. So relies heavily on being able to visit almost daily. Seems more suitable if you live on the property. Reminder, must try a rabbit.

[Grandadbushy]

I worked with a bloke up here once , he stated he used tinned cat food, i think he said '' whiskers'' if my memory is correct , although i wouldn't know because i know anything about hunting fox or for that matter just feeding one , i think he used to open the tin and punch a hole in the lid then wire it to a bush or pin it down so the fox couldn't pick it up and run for cover out of sight.

[JHB]

I think this thread should be shut down!!!!


Only because I don't have foxes up my way and I get bloody jealous!!!!

Well come on down...ill take you out...ive got another property in the south east to get to so you'd be welcome company cos ill have to go by myself...!

Hey Stix - well behind the eight ball on this post I know, but if you could help a fellow South Australian out I would hugely appreciate it. After months and months of going through a firearms licence application (with all the COVID stuff adding more delays than usual), it looks like I am finally very close to getting it. I have a .22 MAG sitting waiting for me to collect once the licence comes through. I like to think I'm not a complete idiot, I do have firearms experience from a previous life in the UK, have already got hunting permit, but have never hunted. I'm absolutely desperate to get out among it once I am allowed to. Obviously I will have to find some property access, but before that would love it if I could shadow an experienced hunter. I'm in metro Adelaide, but have no problem travelling. Would you be good enough to allow me along on one of your trips mate? Always happy to supply the carton

[Die Judicii]

XXXXXXXXXX

[JHB]

Thanks Ed. Really appreciate the heads up. And will definitely be in touch if I am up in your part of the world.
Cheers
John

[Oldbloke]

So I went to a small property today. shot a rabbit and half gutted it and dragged around about 30 acres I then wired it to the fence. ill go back in a day or two and see if there's any action.

[Oldbloke]

I worked with a bloke up here once , he stated he used tinned cat food, i think he said '' whiskers'' if my memory is correct , although i wouldn't know because i know anything about hunting fox or for that matter just feeding one , i think he used to open the tin and punch a hole in the lid then wire it to a bush or pin it down so the fox couldn't pick it up and run for cover out of sight.

Yeh, have heard about canned food being used.

[NTSOG]

G'day All,

Some of you may remember that I dragged a dead chook along a paddock at the end of July and, that night, shot three foxes that followed the scent trail. After that night I saw only one fox on another property and the chook styed untouched until the night before last: I found it yesterday morning half plucked yesterday morning! In other words the chook lay out for nearly two weeks at a spot where I have shot 11 foxes in the last couple of months and I have seen quite a few more travelling through, but I couldn't get a shot. It seems foxes, at this time of the year, like underground sex more than choice chook! I'm also a bit surprised that the crows or even the eagles hadn't had a go at it as it is lying just downhill from where the pair of Wedgetails came and ate a couple of foxes I shot.

I waited out for a customer last night, but got rained out fairly early - we had 5.7mm - but after I retired the chook was nearly completely 'retired' so maybe there will be some activity tonight on the remnants.

Jim

[Oldbloke]

A good read here for those who want to have a crack at calling foxes.

http://www.sportingshooter.com.au/hunti ... e-wily-fox

[NTSOG]

G'day Oldbloke,

That's a useful article, but the comments about watching out for where one walks and also watching the wind direction raised a question that has bothered me for some time in relation to our scent. I work and walk all over my property on a daily basis, and, especially, walk the fences regularly to check for problems with the 'hot' wires. My scent is everywhere including where I put bait out in front of trail cameras most nights. In theory that scent should warn off any fox, yet they keep coming. I asked a more experienced shooter neighbour and he suggested that, because my scent is a constant on and around my property, the foxes are used to it, hence they keep coming around and into shooting range.

What's your opinion?

Jim

[Oldbloke]

I think what puts them off is mainly very fresh scent remember scent dissipates over a few hours with wind, rain and sunshine/UV.

Plus they do seem to learn to avoid people.
In some ways they are stupid but generally I think they are fairly switched on to us hunting them.
The two properties im currently hunting foxes on have a lot of human activity and I'm convinced this is making it very difficult.

As someone has said here in the past Fox whistling is a bit like going fishing some days they simply go off the bite. Today you using a Tenterfield whistle to replicate a rabbit but the fox is actually looking for magpie stew or a fried frog. Lol There is a huge number of variables.

You might have set up thinking they are in the creek but they are behind you up the hill sunbaking under beside a log.

IMO scent & movement are the 2 things most likely things to give you away.

I don't wear blue and wash my hunting clothes in a seperate wash because most colour blind animals see blue and UV spectrum.

IMO if you really want to shoot numbers, spotlight or use night vision gear.

[Die Judicii]

Last night I proved that "thermal" certainly ain't everything.
I got this pair of foxes an hour apart, and did not actually use the thermal to initially find them.
Once set up, I scan the area, and if nothing is about I sit back, shut my eyes and just tune in to the area, and listen.
There are many and varied sounds that tell many things.
The first (the little vixen) was in milk, and I actually heard her walking along the edge of the lantana.
I slowly swiveled the rifle around to point at the sound, and there she was in the thermal.

How I could hear her walking through in the dark I cannot explain because, I have difficulty understanding what is being said on the television.
But I have heard things like the fox walking,,, many times out bush in the past.

The dog fox was a big old fellah, and again I was sitting with eyes closed and just listening.
What told me of his presence was a couple of ducks that were sitting on the water about two meters out from the bank.
They changed from the usual sounds they make talking to each other, to a totally different sound.
Again, I slowly pointed the rifle in that direction and looked through the scope, and there was the dog standing at the edge of the water looking at the ducks.

So it really helps to attune to your surrounds primarily,,, then use technology.

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[JHB]

Hey Die
The fact you could hear those discreet sounds in the bush but sometimes can’t hear the telly is not surprising. I suffer from very similar myself.
It’s a common condition in us older blokes, often as a result of a lifetime of abusing your hearing or industrial deafness. They call it Cocktail Party Syndrome. Basically means that it is really difficult to seperate one sound out from all the background noise. Sitting out in the bush in a quiet night there is no background noise, so your and my hearing can be as good as anyone’s.

[Oldbloke]

die judicii, do you stay out half the night waiting?

[Die Judicii]

Hey Die
The fact you could hear those discreet sounds in the bush but sometimes can’t hear the telly is not surprising. I suffer from very similar myself.
It’s a common condition in us older blokes, often as a result of a lifetime of abusing your hearing or industrial deafness. They call it Cocktail Party Syndrome. Basically means that it is really difficult to seperate one sound out from all the background noise. Sitting out in the bush in a quiet night there is no background noise, so your and my hearing can be as good as anyone’s.

Dead right there Mate,,,,,,,
At a typical party you can be standing talking to some-one face to face,, and struggle to hear what they are saying.
Yet,,,,,,,,,
You can hear what some-one on the far side of the room is saying over the top of everything else.

It amazes me that with all of the todays technologies that are available,, when you tell the audiologists,,,,,, they don't understand.

[Die Judicii]

die judicii, do you stay out half the night waiting?

Hey Mate,,,,,, ya gotta be in it,,, to win it.

And yeah,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I think it's called "meditation" or something akin.

You should try it,,,,,,, even lowers the blood pressure.

[Blr243]

It’s cool to locate game with senses other than our eyes .....occasionally I hear them squabbling ,a few times I have smelt them first , once I heard them chewing grass , once I saw glinting from the sun on the waterline of a billabong ..a closer look with my binos revealed a bathing boar blowing bubbles with his snout ....another time I heard a sow in her Grass nest quietly grunting as she was allowing her piglets to suckle ....once I heard squealing and I looked up to see a wedgtail swooping down on a sucker that was running towards me

[Oldbloke]

die judicii, by golly, you must be keen.

[Die Judicii]

die judicii, by golly, you must be keen.

Soon as the icy winds (from your State of Mexico) stop coming up here, I'll start doing all nighters again.
From just before dark thru till an hour or so after sunrise.

[Daz243]

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Redcoat from last night. His mate wouldn't stay to chat.

[Die Judicii]

One of two taken last night.
This one hit with .223 BT and ran like greased lighting with little or no gut for 30 meters before suddenly running out of adrenalin.

NO PIC UPLOADED ,,,,,,,,,, TOO MUCH BULLSH!T TO DOWNSIZE JUST TO BE ABLE TO POST.

MODS,,,,,,,,,,, I BELIEVE YOUR SLOWLY CHOKING THIS FORUM

[brinny]

Another 174 to take in to collection point today.....

[RoginaJack]

[Skinna]

Sheesh...!!...

Good on ya Brinny...

[Blr243]

My god. It’s taken m 30 yeas to shoot 50