Best time for lamping...

gavinO668

At this time of year is it better to head out with the lamp a half hour, an hour, 2 hours after darkness... The last 3 nights ive been out i haven't got anything. I saw 2 nice foxes the first night alright but they were both at the opposite side of a glen to me and i couldn't draw them across..

I read on this last week that someone thought the foxes were getting wise to the lamp and electronic callers and im beginning to think the same...

Jonty

Thats too early I find. You really want to be starting around 12am. Also look for fields that have just had slurry spread on them. It draws the foxes. Also try a misty damp night, it brings up the slugs and worms for the foxes.

Try a filter on your lamp, it might make a difference. Also remember that a slightly windy night is better than a still night.

Forget about going out in full moons. I have very poor luck on a full moon

foxshooter243

gavinO668 wrote: »

At this time of year is it better to head out with the lamp a half hour, an hour, 2 hours after darkness... The last 3 nights ive been out i haven't got anything. I saw 2 nice foxes the first night alright but they were both at the opposite side of a glen to me and i couldn't draw them across..

I read on this last week that someone thought the foxes were getting wise to the lamp and electronic callers and im beginning to think the same...

My experience of this would tell me that as soon as it gets dark then start to lamp, Foxes will start out hungry at the beginning of darkness and will be more responsive to a call moreso than later on in the night when they may have had a chance to have filled their bellys and the edge of hunger has gone off them.I have shot foxes leaving their dens just as the last glimmer of light was going, this works well when you know their dens and have knowledge of the dens being active, its a case of lying up with the rifle scope trained on the hole and watching.
Another very active time is in the morning, just as it clears, between the lights , foxes can be called , sometimes with much better results than calling in darkness as like all creatures they feel less threatened then .Myself and 2 buddys would go fox calling in the morning after finishing shift work at 5 am, we would simply pick a location that we knew to hold foxes, a nice piece of cover which offered a green field between us and it is perfect, then we would set up two rifles to cover the area and begin to call, this would take place in daylight and we never went home without knocking off a fox-on one occassion i shot a very healthy dog fox in great condition who had only three legs:eek:-he was missing a front leg -looked like it was amputated by a vet, it was that clean. So thats my two cents-as soon as darkness falls and as it clears in the mornings will be the highest activity zones.
As for lamp shy foxes, this year up here we have several new lamping crews in operation using shotguns, there is a strong tendency for them to shoot at foxes which are a bit on the extreme range end of things for a shotgun, with one crew using 32 gram no 6 as their preffered round, this has now resulted in a very high number of educated foxes who on seeing the light ,turn tail and run with hardly a glance back..but everyman to their game and they have as much right to their way of working as me to mines-however , the best and most efficient fox culling tool is a good rifle,
inthe hands of a good rifleman, you will have less educated foxes and more to the point less wounded ones:)

gavinO668

do you think the red filters are a better job than a normal white light? a friend told me last night that its too early yet for them, in the year i mean, and that there not hungry enough yet... any truth in that?

I never heard that one before about the slurry though. i must watch out for that. Going out to where we have the sanctuary for the pheasants tonight. see if there'll be any eyes appearing around the place...

gavinO668

Thanks foxshooter.. sounds like you've a fair idea what ur on about. ill chance that now tonight and see how it goes. i bought a lovely .223 earlier this year for the job and i need to start gathering some tails..

It gets frustrating when a few nights pass by without a shot fired...
By the way, did you take any pic of that 3 legged fox...

Trojan911

Jonty wrote: »

Thats too early I find. You really want to be starting around 12am. Also look for fields that have just had slurry spread on them. It draws the foxes. Also try a misty damp night, it brings up the slugs and worms for the foxes.

Also remember that a slightly windy night is better than a still night.

Forget about going out in full moons. I have very poor luck on a full moon

As above. I have had very little luck in the past unless it is after 11.30pm. Again, slight breeze & cloudy... No moon.... They will see you before you see them... And bring a bit of aeroboard to rub off the windowscreen/glass. Great cheap caller.

foxshooter243

gavinO668 wrote: »

Thanks foxshooter.. sounds like you've a fair idea what ur on about. ill chance that now tonight and see how it goes. i bought a lovely .223 earlier this year for the job and i need to start gathering some tails..

It gets frustrating when a few nights pass by without a shot fired...
By the way, did you take any pic of that 3 legged fox...

unfortunately I didnt gavin, that was back in the days before internet shooting forums and digital cameras:D-heres a thread containing last years activities and some photographs-with 223 killshots:eek:

<mod snip>

endasmail

went out last night,seen 3 foxes,two in one field
and one in another
tried callin them in ,they did nt even so much as acknowledge us
they headed for the hills as quick as ya like
got one shot of at one and missed ,
i think they have so much choices food wise that they arent to bothered with suspicious calls

Jonty

endasmail wrote: »

went out last night,seen 3 foxes,two in one field
and one in another
tried callin them in ,they did nt even so much as acknowledge us
they headed for the hills as quick as ya like
got one shot of at one and missed ,i think they have so much choices food wise that they arent to bothered with suspicious calls

I'd say they have been shot at before

foxshooter243

Jonty wrote: »

I'd say they have been shot at before

Id tend to agree with you there, this time of year foxes would tend to be mostly big green cubs who if not hungry will carry on about their business, not high tail it to the next town land:D-especially those that operate beside farm yards and road junctions as they are being lit up quite frequently with car and farm vehicle headlamps and arent that lamp shy-but hightailing it suggests that these boys have seen action:eek:

johngalway

endasmail wrote: »

went out last night,seen 3 foxes,two in one field
and one in another
tried callin them in ,they did nt even so much as acknowledge us
they headed for the hills as quick as ya like
got one shot of at one and missed ,
i think they have so much choices food wise that they arent to bothered with suspicious calls

I'm interested in the part where you say they didn't acknowledge ye, I presume you're referring to a caller? Did they walk off away from ye when they heard it? Or was it a case of afterburner? If it's the former I would say they have been over called, but if they went like the clappers then yeah, shot at and missed.

gavinO668

When you start to call do you think its better just to call for brief intervals and how long do ye recommend in leaving between the calls or even the lenght of time you let the caller on for?!

Some of my friends clock up serious mileage in the round of a night driving around tryin to catch foxes out in the fields, i kinda prefer to head where i know there's a few, park up and call away. But my question is how long do you think is enough to stay in the one place and seeing nothing before heading to another...

foxshooter243

gavinO668 wrote: »

When you start to call do you think its better just to call for brief intervals and how long do ye recommend in leaving between the calls or even the lenght of time you let the caller on for?!

Some of my friends clock up serious mileage in the round of a night driving around tryin to catch foxes out in the fields, i kinda prefer to head where i know there's a few, park up and call away. But my question is how long do you think is enough to stay in the one place and seeing nothing before heading to another...

Well the best way i can think to answer that question is this, I used to lamp with a guy who only called by using his mouth and the back of his hand, Ive never ever seen in my 30 years of lamping a better call!!-Ive tried all types of gizmos over the years but this guy had it nailed and you would hardly hear him making a sound, it was a series of short high pitched squeaks that you would think wouldnt carry any distance, but one night i seen him draw a fox from nearly a mile away in a few minutes, so its surprising how a fox will cover ground when he hears the right call, if you dont see any results after ten minutes on a stand I would move on, but I would be watching whilst moving for a fox that could be still on its way in..going to hotspots to call foxes is a good way to hunt but having the lamp on the move will account for more foxes in my experience, the season before last I shot nine adult foxes around late novenmber in four and a half hours with a lamp on the move-that was one fox every thirty minutes:eek::D

Cass

Was just about to ask about that foxshooter243. Which do you think is better. A mate of mine can call a fox in far better with a mouth on hand call than i can with my electronic caller. A week ago he called a fox in from about 200+ yds. Lamped the fox at the 200+ mark then turned it off. My mate kept calling. About a minute into it i gave another quick lamp and the fox was in full sprint towards us. My mate had to stop calling, throw the gun to his shoulder and fire quickly. It was all of 40 - 55 yds away. Never had a fox come so quickly to a call.

foxshooter243

ezridax wrote: »

Was just about to ask about that foxshooter243. Which do you think is better. A mate of mine can call a fox in far better with a mouth on hand call than i can with my electronic caller. A week ago he called a fox in from about 200+ yds. Lamped the fox at the 200+ mark then turned it off. My mate kept calling. About a minute into it i gave another quick lamp and the fox was in full sprint towards us. My mate had to stop calling, throw the gun to his shoulder and fire quickly. It was all of 40 - 55 yds away. Never had a fox come so quickly to a call.

The secret to hand calling is that an experienced hand caller will adjust his call with the actions of the fox, he knows when to give it some welly and when to cut back or stop and when to drop the volume and make the call intermittent on an incoming fox, all those types of scenarios he can cater for whereas no electronic caller can.As ive said ive bought and used more fox calls over the years but the proper lip squeak is tops and you cant leave home without it.:D

Terrier

My two cent..

personally I think a lot depends on the weather, 2-3 bad rainy days will always be followed by a good night lamping (assuming it stopped raining ).

I keep records of what I shoot, where and when, out of this years 114 foxes with the exception of 13 all have been shot pre 12:30am, so kinda lines up with what foxshooter243 is saying. I don't do the early morning runs.

Agree on the full moon, forget it.

Must be at least a good breeze also

endasmail

johngalway wrote: »

I'm interested in the part where you say they didn't acknowledge ye, I presume you're referring to a caller? Did they walk off away from ye when they heard it? Or was it a case of afterburner? If it's the former I would say they have been over called, but if they went like the clappers then yeah, shot at and missed.

most of the time when calling a fox, i find that if the fox is suspicious he ll sit on his arse for a minute and look down towards caller,giving ya an opportunity for a shot
the foxes the other night ,as soon as the lamp hit them ,gone like a bat out of hell they were

johngalway

I was asking as we had one particular fox who would walk away from us slow enough but always well well out of range. He'd not been shot at by me or my regular lamping buddy and I don't think anyone else had shot at him either. Best I could figure was either he'd been over called or he'd winded someone who'd tried calling him. Strange one, we never got him but no one lost lambs on his path so I wasn't pushed.

pajero2005

Hi all,

Nice to be back after a bit of time away. On the subject of fox shooting, I shoot bunnies on one farm in Waterford at least once every two weeks. Over the past few months I've spotted (and bein followed by) a big dog fox during daylight hours while out getting a few rabbits for the pot. Mr. Farmer does NOT want me to get rid of Charlie, as he has caused him no problem......so far. So I'll do as he asks (as he was so kind to let me shoot his land)

Question is this. Do you think the fox is picking up the scent of the rabbit and following it while I am there or is it just a coincidence I always meet him?

P.S. I've had great success over the past few weeks with the glass and aero-board on other shoots. Alot of fox on my permissions. What are numbers like in your area's?

Regards,
Paj.

Dusty87

Welcome back Paj, im having great succes wit the aeroboard and glass too. Yea theres a lot of good sized cubs around here this year. There is a bypass a couple of mile away, was thinkin that the work and loss of habitat might be sending them out.
I shoot a rabbit field too, and often had the opportunity to shoot a fox on it but i dont. Simply because they're doing the same job as me, keeping rabbits down, and harming no one.

gavinO668

Went out last night anyway lads with a friend of mine. we were out for about 9.30 id say and came home at near 11.30 with four tails.

all great shots ranging from 120-170yards. i used a friends new electronic caller last night and it worked great, well on the ones that didnt run off when they saw the lamp that is. shot the first 2 on stubble ground and the 3rd and 4th were both lying down in the corner of a field that had about 40 sheep in it. I shot the first one of them as he lay and the other one came back to the caller after a minute or two.

But in fairness id say there was about another 4 or 5 that legged it as soon as they saw the lamp. It seems to be a problem that most of us are having this year....

foxshooter243

gavinO668 wrote: »

Went out last night anyway lads with a friend of mine. we were out for about 9.30 id say and came home at near 11.30 with four tails.

all great shots ranging from 120-170yards. i used a friends new electronic caller last night and it worked great, well on the ones that didnt run off when they saw the lamp that is. shot the first 2 on stubble ground and the 3rd and 4th were both lying down in the corner of a field that had about 40 sheep in it. I shot the first one of them as he lay and the other one came back to the caller after a minute or two.

But in fairness id say there was about another 4 or 5 that legged it as soon as they saw the lamp. It seems to be a problem that most of us are having this year....

Fair play to you gavin..you had a good nights lamping then;)

stevoman

well foxy men you all would have loved to have been myself this morning. i was looking at a fine fox walking across the field when i was out running my bitch this morning.

two occasions now i have found eaten up pheasents i the last few weeks. i have pondered going down to hunt him myself with the shotgun as i dont have a rifle anymore and but i honestly dont think i'l bother.

the fox wouldnt really be a quarry of mine, and i know he is doing some damage to a few pheasents, that i would be looking to shoot anyway in november, but they are wild birds and the fox is only hunting like nature programmed him to do and getting by by as best he can so i think i will leave him be and maybe we will cross paths again.

foxhunter

stevoman wrote: »

well foxy men you all would have loved to have been myself this morning. i was looking at a fine fox walking across the field when i was out running my bitch this morning.

two occasions now i have found eaten up pheasents i the last few weeks. i have pondered going down to hunt him myself with the shotgun as i dont have a rifle anymore and but i honestly dont think i'l bother.

the fox wouldnt really be a quarry of mine, and i know he is doing some damage to a few pheasents, that i would be looking to shoot anyway in november, but they are wild birds and the fox is only hunting like nature programmed him to do and getting by by as best he can so i think i will leave him be and maybe we will cross paths again.

I think yez are all gettin soft in the head :eek:

gavinO668

foxshooter243 wrote: »

Fair play to you gavin..you had a good nights lamping then;)

Of definately... could hardly sleep i was so happy with myself:D

stevoman

foxhunter wrote: »

I think yez are all gettin soft in the head :eek:

LOL i have adopted a if you cant eat it, you cant shoot it policy. (except for magpies and greycrows;))

no harm though, if every hunter with a gun was willing to shoot foxes i bet they would be fairly thinned out around the country. personally i enjoy watching them i seeing them about. it all about keeping the balance!!!!

now if i was rearing birds and this fella was paying me a visit every night, then id guess we would have a conlfict of interest.

gavinO668

stevoman wrote: »

LOL i have adopted a if you cant eat it, you cant shoot it policy. (except for magpies and greycrows;))

no harm though, if every hunter with a gun was willing to shoot foxes i bet they would be fairly thinned out around the country. personally i enjoy watching them i seeing them about. it all about keeping the balance!!!!

now if i was rearing birds and this fella was paying me a visit every night, then id guess we would have a conlfict of interest.

I bet you would stevo...;)

johngalway

When he get's into your fezzer pen (if ya got one), that'll all change

wicklow_hunter

Ive been out stalking deer early in the morning, Many a time have i glassed foxes. just as dawn aproches is best

Day break at around 6.00 - 6.15 at the moment

Last Sunday morning got within 20 yards of a pair of foxes

I spared them as i didnt want to ruin my chances of spotting some deer

if you dont like the un sociable hours and got good gear - binos & quality scope i would reccomend you try dusk also

Last summer i got great milage out of a nest of Cubs and vixen

I watched the cubs for about a month bit off topic so wont go there...