The Condemned Ate A Hearty Breakfast

cookimonster

Was out lamping this morning but only came across two sets of eyes watching me from a far hill side. The owners of those eyes wouldn’t come to the call and gave me a wide berth as they circled around to my left.

Shortly afterwards the sun came up and it was time to headback to the Ma’s for boiled eggs and toast. I put the rifle on my back as I had a good few gates to cross before I came to the car and heading up the lane I could clearly see my outgoing foot prints. Suddenly all thoughts of breakfast vanished when I saw the fresh fox tracks trailing over my muddy imprints and away from me back towards the farm. The gun was off the back and I began scanning a head of me.

At a left hand dog leg in the lane there was an open sided field with sheep and some very young lambs. Sitting in the middle of the field was something peculiar. A large sheep was lying down with two brown lambs sitting up beside it. Well it only took this city lad a second to realise that these where the proverbial wolves in sheep’s clothing. A quick glassing clearly showed two foxes, one eagerly munching down on the dead ewe.

Quick as a light I was across the open lane and down in the grass, I slide forward to ensure the muzzle cleared the wire fence, the backstop was good and the sheep had grazed away to the far side of the field. I took aim on the bigger animal still busy with its meal. A controlled exhale, a squeeze of the trigger and at 120 yards out 100 grains of lead brought instant death.From the deliberated shot I turned my attention to the fleeing fox, now running from left to right across my position. A chanced whistle paused it and then it instantly veered away showing me nought but its flanks and even with a steady hold and the animal running straight away from me my second shot came to nothing.
The dog fox, as it turned out to be, literally never knew what hit him as the picture shows he died with a mouth full of sheep. The sheep was so fresh I had visions of bringing home some Mutton to the Ma for the dinner later on, if it was the same feckers I saw earlier no wonder they weren’tinterested in a few squeaks when they had a running buffet laid on for them behind me.



As shot.........


Mouth Full.......

clivej

Good shooting

Be sure to tell the farmer about the loss of one of his heard. He'll be gutted with the loss but glad you got a fox

dodderangler

Excellent mate well done
Farmer will be happy of the fox pity bout the sheep
Dunno if you know if they killed it could've been a sick old ewe that didn't have the strength to fight back or it just naturally died

cookimonster

I couldn't tell if it had died or was killed. It's eyes where still intact so I would say it wasn't dead long. The meat was fresh and correct me if I am wrong but do'nt furred carrion eaters go for soft tissue such as belly, around the anus. Altough I would put money on it being a carrion find the exclusive damage to the neck area could suggest a attack. The fox was fairly hefty and could have easily held a sick animal. Was not able to contact the farmer as yet, I would love to know the crack, weather it was a sick animal or not.

salarluttra

the neck damage is unusual when sheep at home get broken by carrion eaters it's normally belly area that is 1st touched, neck damage would be dogs in my experience but there would have been noticeable sign of an attack agitated ewes etc and wool scattered on the pasture
looking at the ewe she may have been on her back and died the foxes then pulled her over it's hard to tell

tac foley

Excellent shooting and instant execution of Mr Fox.

There will no doubt be an opportunity to get the other one soon, I hope.

tac

An truicear tochasach

Nice Shooting - forgive my ignorance but what type of gun/calibre is it?

cookimonster

That's what I call my super market gun, as you can buy one in the USA with your stick of butter and loaf of bread.
It's a Marlin Xs7 in .243, again in the old US of A its considered a youth's gun.

Vizzy

cookimonster,you mentioned young lambs in your OP.
Is it not a strange time for lambs to be born?

cookimonster

That's what I thought, but there was definitely half a dozen knock kneed lambs sticking close to the adults around the field. The farmer always has sheep in the fields that border his farm yard and house. He has some pigs and chickens but his main live stock is beef, so maybe the sheep are just a side line if that makes sense. I only have the permission a short while and am still building relations. But every time I do speak to him my permission gets bigger ( there's always a new patch of land I'm directed to). Happy days.

An truicear tochasach

cookimonster wrote: »

That's what I call my super market gun, as you can buy one in the USA with your stick of butter and loaf of bread.
It's a Marlin Xs7 in .243, again in the old US of A its considered a youth's gun.

Thats one f#cked up country!! Handy as it would be to just go out and buy a gun with your weekly shopping - there's probably a strong link between gun deaths and access?? Anyway - thanks, and in fairness, it doesn't look like a supermarket gun - I'm sure Mr Fox didn't think so!!:rolleyes: