Hunting foxes

[on_one_wheel]

Lets face it, the fox you miss is a fox that might never get shot at again. It can be a waiting game of stealth and skill... or you can get just plain lucky and have one handed to you on a plate.

Not so long ago I was sitting high up on a open slope alongside the only bit of vegetation there ( one small 2' bush ) having a whistle while I rested, when I got bored of calling and was ready to move I sat upright and to my surprise there was a fox about 50 yards out trying to get behind me for a whiff.

He was just as surprise as me and started slinking away... a few short bursts of the whistle and he stopped for another look... I spun around, took aim and fired just as he bolted ! .... MISSED

I recon I still see that fox from time to time..... piss bolts asap, so I figure I might as well snapshot at him, one day he won't be so lucky.

Every fox that comes to the whistle must either be shot dead or left to roam another day, you must make the conscious decision to shoot only if you are 100% sure you will make the shot, other ways unlike rabbits you will never get another chance. They don't call em cunning for nothing.

So here's a thread to share fox hunting stories, lessons, advice and questions.

Happy hunting.

[Lorgar]

My girlfriend put me to shame the first time we went hunting.

We went out on a private property for a few hours and I got nothing (included a few missed shots).

A fox ran past at 300m and she nailed it free-hand, first shot

[Aster]

I reckon I still see that fox from time to time

There is this one fox (pretty sure it's him all the time) on a property I go to that mocks us all.

He's learnt if he stands behind the crest of a hill with his head popping over we don't shoot.

Little bastard

[Boatman]

He's learnt if he stands behind the crest of a hill with his head popping over we don't shoot.

Take some friends and flank him

[AusC]

I'll just say that fox whistles can be a blessing.

Sit down, still, with the rifle across your lap.

Toot away on the whistle and you can just about get them to sniff your boots some times.

[VICHunter]

Never underestimate a foxes hunger I reckon.

More than a few days I've been down range from a rabbit warren picking off the bunnies.

Foxes will run across and pick up lunch a few minutes after the last shot.

Then it's their speed vs your skill

[Noisydad]

My girlfriend put me to shame the first time we went hunting.

We went out on a private property for a few hours and I got nothing (included a few missed shots).

A fox ran past at 300m and she nailed it free-hand, first shot

And how did you feel then?

[Lorgar]

Between that and blowing your target apart for everyone else on my first shot of your .54 black powder rifle I obviously don't make of a presentation of my shooting skills

[whert]

A fox whistle is a must I reckon.

I can't call myself an expert but you get on the end of one of those and the foxes come running.

[on_one_wheel]

my collection of whistles.

The brass button one is very quiet and sounds good, the tin whistle has the most realistic rabbit sound and volume, the 12 gauge one is very loud but makes the right sound ( great on windy days ), I dont rate the penny whistle very highly but it works best when muffled with your hands, other ways its pitchy and not as realistic. The 243 cartridge drilled out to take a squeaky toy squeaker sounds like a bird in distress and can be very loud or quite, it sounds good when used with both hands to cover it to control the volume and your outside hand making the sound quiver.

[Hatter]

Cool collection there OOW.

You still find yourself using all the others even though the tin whistle gets the best vote for realism?

[Lorgar]

I'm using one the same style as your tin one there.

I'll see if I can get a copy of it, but a mate of mine was sitting against a tree waiting for some game to come by when a fox came to check him out.

Didn't shoot it as didn't want to give himself away, but took a photo of it sniffing his boots. No whistle...

[on_one_wheel]

Cool collection there OOW.

You still find yourself using all the others even though the tin whistle gets the best vote for realism?

I manly use the tin one, the 12 gauge one comes out when I've had no response with the tin one just in case there is something just out of earshot.

The other whistles normaly live in the gun bag so they are never too far away but very rarely get used.

The brass buton is too fragile and I think it is too quiet but I'm sure it has its place somewhere.

The squeaker 243 has had limited testing, the foxes are thin on the ground at the moment so its not fair to judge it yet

Apart from being a bit pitchy, the penny whistle doesn't feel good in the mouth either

I went out last night for a whistle and didn't even see a single set of eyes, the rabbits I shot the day before had been left untouched.

With the cooler months closing in they might get a bit more mobile for breeding.

[Hatter]

Mmm, interesting.

Cheers.

[Harts]

I'm using one the same style as your tin one there.

Ditto.

Nothing fancy but has worked for me consistently.

[Oldbloke]

Has anyone tried the "tenterfield " whistles. I made one but just blew a lot of hot air. Couldnt get sound out of it.

[Oldbloke]

Went out this evening to a small property. Been there a few times and shot the odd fox and lots of rabbits. Lately I havent had any come into a tenterfield or button whistle. The property isnt far from town so they are well educated.

Once again at about 4.45 there was no action with the tenterfield so I tried my old duck caller for fun, 1 munute later a fox came in. Unfortunately due to an awkward position and me rushing the shot it was I clean miss.

Anyone else tried unusual callers like duck callers or others?

[valkyrie]

Was out hunting one night and stopped for a piss break. Mate of mine let rip the biggest loudest fart I had ever heard in my life and when we finally got the light back on about 5 minutes later, I s**t you not there was one sitting about 50m in front of the ute. May have been a coincidence butbut I likelike to think the little bastard just had to see what the hell made that ungodly noise

[tom604]

i have a button whistle, a shotgun brass whistle and a tentrefield, they all work but all i can get out of the tenterfield is a raspy spitty sound but not a loud sound like the salesman did the button has worked for me but its not as loud as i would like.

[FuzzyM]

Have been meaning to get out my grandfather's fox whistle.
My mate got 2 .22's into a fox while we were spotlighting, the bugger left a fair bit of blood on the ground and somehow got away into thick scrub.
I actually got my gun license because I was sick of the ridiculous amounts of foxes around my family farm.
They used to actually run around the paddocks in broad daylight.
Haven't got one yet .

Doesn't help that mum has stupid expensive horses everywhere.
Otherwise the .223 would come out and a lot more pests would go splat.

Went away for a weekend last winter to a state forest a couple of hours away, walked around all day, missed a shot on a rabbit, went to collect firewood with the boys later in the day and a bloody fox trotted across the road and up the hill I had been hunting on.

[Member-Deleted]

Have been meaning to get out my grandfather's fox whistle.
My mate got 2 .22's into a fox while we were spotlighting, the bugger left a fair bit of blood on the ground and somehow got away into thick scrub.
I actually got my gun license because I was sick of the ridiculous amounts of foxes around my family farm.
They used to actually run around the paddocks in broad daylight.
Haven't got one yet .

Doesn't help that mum has stupid expensive horses everywhere.
Otherwise the .223 would come out and a lot more pests would go splat.

Went away for a weekend last winter to a state forest a couple of hours away, walked around all day, missed a shot on a rabbit, went to collect firewood with the boys later in the day and a bloody fox trotted across the road and up the hill I had been hunting on.

Haha that's the lowest! Which state forest were you in? I'm planning on doing some camping/shooting in a state forest in the next couple weeks and my goal is to come back and make a mountain man fox hat... all I need is the fox

[Oldbloke]

The last fox I shot with a 22 ran about 200 mtrs before it fell over. A lost 1 a few yrs ago, so got a 223. Have only shot 4 with it so far but all dropped like a rock. Happy with that.

[Die Judicii]

Was out hunting one night and stopped for a piss break. Mate of mine let rip the biggest loudest fart I had ever heard in my life and when we finally got the light back on about 5 minutes later, I s**t you not there was one sitting about 50m in front of the ute. May have been a coincidence butbut I likelike to think the little bastard just had to see what the hell made that ungodly noise

Or maybe it was the smell that attracted it ???????

[bigfellascott]

Foxes aren't that hard to hunt once you get to know what's doing with em, I use a few diff things to attract them depending on whether I'm sitting and whistling or spotlighting them. I use a Fox Pro when sitting and whistling (and when spotlighting at times) I have a good collection of diff whistles but mainly use the AHN SS Tenterfield and I also use styrofoam at times.

They all seem to work well, this time of year they are less responsive to those particular techniques and are more interested in finding a mate, generally they tend to be very light sensitive for whatever reason (they generally ignore the light and whistles etc and will often bolt when the light hits them) so if you do get a glimmer of eye shine I'd suggest you take the light off them and get ready to shoot then whack the light back on em and take the shot quickly.

I've had em come stand right next to me when out calling em in, don't discount the area you think they are least likely to come from either, I've had em come running in from the direction the winds blowing to more times than I can count, they can be predictably unpredictable at times!

As for cals I like the 222's, 204's and 22.250's used them all on them with great success but really enjoy the flat shooting 204 for them (hard on skins so not the first choice if you want those) but none the less a great cal for taking long shots on em as is the 250.

When it comes to spotlights I still reckon the Halogens are better in a lot of ways, I've got both HID and Halogen and I find the animals don't like to look at the HID at all very much (they have a quick glance then look away and often they will start to move off or run (I couldn't get a rabbit to sit for love or money the other week) as soon as the light was on them they were off and wouldn't stop until they were down their burrows type thing) Kangaroos tend to hop off or turn their backs and avoid the light, foxes didn't seem real keen to sit for the light either (could be just the time of year on them) but have found the same sort of thing earlier in the season too.

I'm going to try a filter on the HID and see if they makes a diff to them (hope so cos I like the light)

[valkyrie]

God kniws but it was bloody effective

[Oldbloke]

So does everyone mainly only use traditional whistles and callers?

[Oldbloke]

So does everyone mainly only use traditional whistles and callers?

[Oldbloke]

So does everyone mainly only use traditional whistles and callers?

[Oldbloke]

Forgot to mention, had an easier oportunity about 30 seconds prior to my missed shot. Didnt get the shot off because my safety was on.......

[Oldbloke]

Forgot to mention, had an easier oportunity about 30 seconds prior to my missed shot. Didnt get the shot off because my safety was on.......