Moonlight Serenade

johngalway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n92ATE3IgIs

Last Thursday night, after sitting out with my Yukon Digital Ranger for a few hours for that infamous fox, I thought I'd take a ramble around a valley I have a lot of permission in. Glensman will know it, the one where the rabbit eat rocks

Sneaked up one one fox but I made a foolish error, my silhouette against the bright night sky and my fox a long way lower down than I :rolleyes: That one scarpered.

Next guy I spied was obviously lamp shy, zooming off like a rocket at first sight of the lamp.

Decided my next course of action should be to set up camp on top of hillock where I've shot a few foxes from in the past. It's a gem of a spot on the right night. There are larger hillocks running up the side of the mountain to my left, in front of me is a large rushy field usually dotted with sheep. To my right is a small hillock which descends to a flat that stretches away off to the river. Behind me is a small flat boggy area.

It's not long before two pairs of eyes are seen patrolling the greener fields at the base of those larger hillocks. I take a moment to see where they're headed, looks to me like they'll keep moving right to left and head over the ridge beyond the larger hillocks to my left. On goes the caller.

The farther out fox stops, stares, and doesn't make another move. The closer fox starts motoring at a rate of knots curving around to the left onto the big hillocks. It's not long making up the ground and enters the field near where the sheep have gathered up due to the squealing of the caller. I figure the sheep startled the fox as it stopped, turned and went back a few yards in the direction it just came from, out of time foxy, I'm down behind the Remington and sending a Federal across the field resulting in a lovely thump. I know it's hit home before the smoke from the WD40 in my mod has cleared.... I did buy smokeless cartridges didn't I?.........

Dog fox, 105 yards.



Tonight I'm returning to the same valley. It's become a bit of a novelty to be able use my lamp again. It's real bright out, there's no trouble at all walking really rough ground with the lamp off.

The plan is to head up the top of the valley and onto the land of two farmers I know. Passing to the left of the sheep shed I see a big red fox in the field over the wall from me. He spots something is up and starts walking a bit faster, I've the lamp clipped on and rest the rifle on a post in the wall. Just getting this fox in the crosshairs and I'm about to Yap! at him when Brrrrringggggg! Brrrrringgggg! Brrrrrriinnngggg!

'Sake!

Niall ringing to invite me to a party next week

The funny thing is that all of the calls I've received while being right onto a fox have come in this one valley!

I called for a while the far side of the shed, spotting a fox far, far up the side of the mountain behind me. Now I like my hill climbing and I haven't done much since I hurt my knee but even I wasn't attempting that one.

Pushed on then, down from the sheep shed towards the river running through the bottom of the valley. There's a nice little spit of a hill that runs out on it's own, commanding a good view of this part of the valley. The river does a big S bend right past the end of the hill. The far side is pretty much wild mountain commonage, as it is to my right. This is a really beautiful part of the world. To my right is a small valley about 200 yards across, behind me the land rises up to the sheep shed and the mountains beyond. This valley is fantastic, even on a night as bright as tonight I can stand on a hill, pretty high up, and the mountains that surround the valley still keep me of the sky line!

Calling for a while I spot a pair of eyes bouncing through a rushy field beyond the sheep to my left. When I get behind the rifle it vanishes. I've seen them do this before, the fox has gone behind the hill to my left to try to wind me. Just before that happens it pops up from behind the hill and slips into the field with the sheep in it, bad move for you my friend. Another squeeze results in a fat popping thump 155 yards across the field, a vixen this time.



Who's idea was it to walk all the way down into this valley My lungs aren't liking me hauling myself back up it

Next part of the plan is to head down to the bottom of the valley near the farm of a guy I met recently at the mart. Previously I had been misinformed this guy didn't at all like shooting going on here. So, being the diplomatic sort *coughbull****cough* I asked him straight out about it. "Jesus I love seeing lads come up and shoot a few foxes, especially at lambing", "Give me your number and..." goes on to tell me all about his land and a lot of other stuff, result

Driving down along the windy valley road, about half way to my next stop I thought the car headlights caught some thing off to the left hand side well well out on the mountain. Hmm, it's beside an ESB pole that has ceramic bits on the stays, I bet it was them. Curiosity got the better of me and I pulled in at the next lay by. Got the rifle out and the lamp and headed up off the road.

I see me a fox! Settling down on the hillock, oh he's a long way out. Adjusting the rifle I see a glint to the left, ahhh another and you're not as far out at all! Switching targets I'm down well now, not a budge out of me or the rifle. Fox isn't a happy chappy and moves to the right a bit, settling the cross hairs behind it's shoulder I carefully squeeze off a Federal. Thwok! Feckin non smokless cartridges.... But I do love that sound!

Another vixen, look at that colour! A respectable 230 yards.




That'll do ya for the time being Fish

Tackleberrywho

I was out today after a deer and a fox ran, and ran; and then ran some more across my path. He should be in Shelbourne park as he ran the width of two fields at full speed.

I could not take a shot as second field was full of cattle.

So today, I saw; 1 huge Dog fox, 3 phezzies, umpteen greycrows, a billion pidgies
And the track of one small deer, but oh dear, no deer!

I also near lost the Wellington in serious much whilst crossing a drain. I had to take my foot out, lie on my belly on the bang and thug on the Wellington as if my life depended on it.

On the upside, good to see something whilst out walking!

4gun

At the rate your going John the only foxes that'll be left in your area will be diurnal

johngalway

I'd never, ever look to eradicate my poor fox. they're the most cunning of animals. The frustration, the maddening of mankind. I can but only admire their survival and mourn each of their lives I take. Beauty, that pure survival gene they possess. the adaptation to circumstance. It's but to be admired.

dicky82

have to say, the day you dont respect or admire your quarry is the day you should hand in your gun. even trapping the magpies, id ofton sit and watch them figure out how to trip the trap and try sneak the bait out. or even when there is a call bird its as if they dare eachother to go to the trap first.
man is probably the least cunning of all:rolleyes:

Birdnuts

johngalway wrote: »

I'd never, ever look to eradicate my poor fox. they're the most cunning of animals. The frustration, the maddening of mankind. I can but only admire their survival and mourn each of their lives I take. Beauty, that pure survival gene they possess. the adaptation to circumstance. It's but to be admired.

There an amazing species alright - their ability to sustain any level of harvest is quiet remarkable and its a pity theres no real market ATM for their pelts. Though I think the Chinese would be up for taking some, something that needs to be fully explored given the economic state of the country!!

J.R.

Birdnuts wrote: »

There an amazing species alright - their ability to sustain any level of harvest is quiet remarkable and its a pity theres no real market ATM for their pelts. Though I think the Chinese would be up for taking some, something that needs to be fully explored given the economic state of the country!!

Great story John........really enjoy them.


In the series of books written about foxes.....'Run With the Wind' Tom Mc Caughren, written 27 years ago, there are very interesting statistics at the end of the book indicating the fox's resilence.

He wrote six in all - RUN WITH THE WIND, RUN TO EARTH , RUN TO THE ARK, RUN TO THE WILD WOOD, RUN FOR COVER and RUN SWIFT RUN FREE ....I've only read the first two!

The books are not about shooting, rather about foxes trying to escape persecution from mankind. The facts in the last chapters of the books are very interesting though.

There's a copy of the books around here somewhere ...just can't find them.

If anybody has copies it would be interesting reading for all if the chapter at the end of each book was scanned and put up for all to read.

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Anto...

thats great shootin jg! and i see youve terminated that problem fox:) he's a cute one to attack during daylight hours! glad ya gt dt one