WHAT A WEEK!!!

Eddie B

Well this story started almost a week ago now, when a neighbour called into me in a bit of a state!
Something was taking his chicken's, one every other week or so at the start but now he,d lost two in a week! I went down to his farmyard to see what was going on, and it looked like the work of a fox due to the fact that all that remained of the chicken's were mere feather's!




I guessed that it was probably a vixen with cub's that were demanding more and more food the bigger they got, and that might be the reason why she has taken more hen's recently, even during daylight!

I followed the trail of feathers of the latest victim across a field which led to a big plantation, and found some remains of the hen but no earth! I also found some nice passes leading into the plantation and thought that snare's might be the way to go!

After returning to the farm to ask was it o.k to set a couple of snare's, the farmer said no bother, but to leave it till the morning for at this stage it was raining, so i agreed!

Next morning i was up early, stuck on the kettle, and was putting on my boot's when their was a rap on the door! The fox is just after takin another bird, the wife saw him, it's a bloody fox!

I told him to calm down, and explain to me where he went (plantation), and after he did, i told him to go back home, keep his dogs in, and that i'd try the fox call from the field adjacent to the plantation!

I tipped up the field with the shotgun, sat into the hedge and began calling! Within seconds, a fox appeared on my left, coming closer and closer, and then stopped, just out of range!
I could have chanced the shot, but wasn't sure of a clean kill, Just another couple of steps and i have ya But no! he walked around me, got the wind of me, and off like a rocket! Jesus i must invest in a rifle, i thought to myself!

Had i missed my chance, should i have taken the shot!

I went ahead and set my snare's, and blocked up any other hole's in the fence to give me a better chance of catching!





and on the way back i came across this lad! He was in the corner in which the fox had come from!



Well too late for this one, but hopefully he'll be the last!

Three day's later, and no sign of our fox but thankfully no further losses either! I've tried everything, lamping each night, calling each morning, snare's, the lot!
I almost gave up on this lad when finally this morning, here he, or rather she was!



A nice little vixen, and after a quick dispatch it was all over!



I usually don't bother with fox's this time of year, but if someone ask's me to deal with a problem fox, i do what i have to do!
Farmer's allow us to hunt on their land's so when they ask for favour's then i feel it's only right that we shoud oblige!!

deerhunter1

good on ya well done

kildare.17hmr

happy days lad great write up with all the pics!

Shoot2kill

Nice one! snares are fairly effective alright.. They keep me going this time of year!

Sika98k

The new snares with the stop on them are much more humane. The last fox I caught in one of the old style snares with no stop put me off them.
I dont mind killing foxes or magpies,squirrels or grey crows but the older I get the less I want any animal to suffer.

virminhunter

great write up eddie:)

Justashotgun

Thanks for putting the effort into a great little tale.

Remmie 223

Nice one Eddie great pics & a great read

nite owl

good result eddie

poulo6.5

a job well done and a story well told

cheers:D

No6

I've lost two ducks in the last few days the last one just last night!, I'm heading out with the rifle and the lamp now!!!

Spunk84

cool pics Eddie and great write up:D

Birdnuts

sean raff

nice one was she feeding cubs?maybe a closer look through the wood

DJandDeid

Well done! Thanks for the pix aswell, gives the uninitiated (me) some idea how to go about it.

Eddie B

sean raff wrote: »

nice one was she feeding cubs?maybe a closer look through the wood

Yea definitely had cub's but now that their at the stage where their eating meat, they'll be able to servive on their own!

Searched through that wood, and another two, plus countless ditches in the area, but couldn't find the earth!!

Spunk84

pity you didint have a vixen fox call, you could of called them to the mother;)