Big fox

johngalway

Saturday 13th February

Allez le Bleu, apparently.

Well, the weather is supposed to turn tomorrow night. Back to the old fun and games of our wonderfully "mild" climate for the next week, which the scientographers tell us will be "changeable", right. Time to go look for a fox then isn't it.

It's a cold but beautiful night out. I'm on the move just as dusk is leaving us alone with the dark starry night. Although I see signs of fox on one part of Dads land, I've not seen any eyes there. Perhaps an early morning visitor. As I've said before, I like my bed just well enough so as those foxes don't bother my beauty sleep.

I'm practically becalmed in the valley. Thinking about how well developed the foxes hearing is it's a little eerie how much I can hear, trudging through the semi frozen fields I probably sound like the proverbial bull in a china shop. There are no eyes to be seen and after a time just waiting for a fox to wander by I decide to put the caller to good use.

I run through a few spells of having the rabbit distress playing, then waiting ten minutes or so in silence. No results so far, and I'm considering moving down the valley and closer to the river to prospect for charlies there. Giving the caller one last shot I catch the brilliant reflection of a foxes eyes in the lamps beam.

We're in business.

As I'm looking forward at the fox, the tiny bit of a breeze is coming from behind, crossing me to the left. On a breezy night, this position would be a waste of my time because downhill to my left is a tidy gully that would hide an elephant happily, not to mention my fox.

My gamble works though, as the fox trots straight in towards me. There mustn't be enough of a breeze for him to try and wind me. Again, two fences are between me and the fox. So at one hundred fifty five yards he gets bowled over by a forty grain Vmax. Pretty big fox I must say.



I did see another fox at the bottom of the valley later on. But, he seemed to have experience of lamps before and only settled near to some houses. I left him off for another night.

Damo123

Where did you hit him?? I dont see any blood or anything.

johngalway

I always aim for the heart/lung area. So he got hit just behind the shoulder. The forty grain bullets are great, most often they completely expend their energy inside the fox, no exit wound, just a 22 cal size entry.

dwighet

Nice going John...
He`s(was) a big old.
I got the Green machine in the shop at the moment gettn a trigger fited and threaded for a t4 I had lying around....I`ll give ya a shout when the deer season is over and call over for a weekend if ya free......

Glensman

Good shootin John. I'm surprised there're any left in the valley!

iwsf

oui allez les bleus
not good to be a fox arround Clifden ....

Vegeta

Ah that's just camera trickery, look how close the fox is to the camera and how far away the rifle is.

He's a tiny fella altogether

Do you weigh them at all John, he'd have been hard to lift I'd say

poulo6.5

good going thats a fine fox, and a lovely rifle also. i got a couple of big dog fox out reciently they all seem to be in good condition, the cold snap didnt do them any harm.

you should take up writing short storeys , i thought i was there with you while reading that.

ferrete

great pic an lovely fox an rifle

johngalway

Dwighet,

I got accepted to a course there a couple of days ago, Friday evenings and all day Saturdays, so weekends are caught up for me now. (I'm acquiring a really complicated schedule lately :eek: ). But, Wednesday & Thursday nights are the least problematic... usually... :rolleyes: I know, I know! We'll figure something out.

Veg,

I have a gizmo for weighing them around here somewhere, I keep saying I'll use it. I'll get around to it one of these fine days!