Would you shoot a fox while out rough shooting?

daniels.ducks

Today I was out shooting with my father, mainly for pheasant but it is good rabbit country with a few ponds thrown in. We were both using 12g shotguns with no.6 cartridges.
So were were having a good day, bagged a rabbit and a pheasant.
Next thing a fox comes out of the clash and I fire two shots at him, the second one definitely hit him as i saw him go down a bit. The fox then goes through the ditch where my father hits him again but the fox didn't stop.
This made me think, should I/is it right to shoot a fox while out rough shooting? I have knocked foxes before with 5's/6's but most of them either limp away to ground or run away with a few pellets up the arse. What's yer opinion on this. Maybe i'm just gone soft but I thought of the fox today.

It wasn't me!

If I weren't confident of killing it outright, I wouldn't put a finger near the trigger. To me, confidence wouldn't be a barrel or two of 32gr 5s or 6s at any range I'd typically encounter one.

charlie10

the last one i shot was when i was out pointer one day and one sneaked out between me and dog never saw me and i hit him with a 32g 6 at about 20 yards and turned him upside down, i will take the shot at any quarry if its in killing range otherwise no

meathstevie

Yes I would if I was any way confident he was in range for what I had up the spout. I was out yesterday with a friend and didn't fire at two mallard rising from a drain because I deemed them to be too far for a clean shot..if a fox would have bolted half that distance I would have fired and I had 32g 6's in the gun.

daniels.ducks

meathstevie wrote: »

Yes I would if I was any way confident he was in range for what I had up the spout. I was out yesterday with a friend and didn't fire at two mallard rising from a drain because I deemed them to be too far for a clean shot..if a fox would have bolted half that distance I would have fired and I had 32g 6's in the gun.

I know what you mean. I would never fire at a game-bird if I wasn't confident in killing either. But there is something different about a fox. What if i said it was a magpie or grey-back?

Spunk84

diffidently yes, if theres a fox there shoot it:D

patdahat

3 weeks ago hunting a bank of sally's for a woodcock saw the fox sneaking away got 1 fast snap shot and droped him in his stand 32g 8. he was the reason we met nothing else.

meathstevie

Same thing, if I believe they're in range they'll be fired at, there's no point giving animals shallow puncture wounds if you can avoid it and there's no point wasting ammo either.

steyrman2

Yes i would and have this season i shot a vixen in a beet field came running towards me if it was in range straight forward yes if out of range no i would not want to have a injured fox on the ground

blackstairsboy

daniels.ducks wrote: »

I know what you mean. I would never fire at a game-bird if I wasn't confident in killing either. But there is something different about a fox. What if i said it was a magpie or grey-back?

All animals not only gamebirds deserve proper respect from shooters. When I shoot anything be it game or vermin I am shooting for a clean kill with minimal suffering. I was thought that when I started out and have and always will stick to it.

It wasn't me!

daniels.ducks wrote: »

But there is something different about a fox. What if i said it was a magpie or grey-back?

Not to me. If I'm shooting at something, I intend killing it instantly. If I can't do that, I'm not taking a hail mary poke at it either.

Tackleberrywho

I always carry 2 BB's 3/0 and a few others in my shell belt.
Second Fox I ever shot was with my Old Baikal and Alphamax 4's.

Never miss a chance to control Vermin

poulo6.5

i shot one yesterday while out for duck. we had it cornered and it popped out about 20y away so i gave it a 36g 6 and then a 4. my brother in law shot it at the same time.
it didnt get far.

so in short yes.

lads only shooting it when in range should go without saying

Grizzly 45

As Tack said keep a couple of BBs or 000 shot shells with you for those "close encounters" with mr Fox.Seen last Nov a fox take a double or triple load of no sixes and not go down and that was from zero meters out to 30 meters from a live trap release.:(
BBs or 000 or nothing for fox.

FISMA

daniels.ducks wrote: »

This made me think, should I/is it right to shoot a fox while out rough shooting? I have knocked foxes before with 5's/6's but most of them either limp away to ground or run away with a few pellets up the arse.

To be honest, there's not a lot that I would not shoot at.

I wouldn't take an in-between shot, one that could wound but not kill.

However, I have taken an out of range shot, from a shotgun, at certain areas to let Mr. Fox know that he's on sacred ground, knowing all that's going to hit him is a longitudinal pressure wave.

garv123

I had a chance to fire at a fox when i was jumping over a double ditch. I hit the safety and the gun up. If he had stopped and looked back I would have fired but he kept going and all i would have done is put led up his backside twice with 32g6's hoping he'd go down with the 3rd shell which was a 34g5 but when i hesitated to think there was no point firing

cavan shooter

Without a doubt.. Once I put a pheasant up and at the same time a fox burst from the cover..I shot the fox;)