Good post - I always liked a specimen where the mask fur was perfect and looked sly....like a Fox!!

People need to know what to do if they decide to keep a fine fox specimen for the taxidermist.

First step is not to shoot the fox in the head...very difficult to hide and repair perfectly.

If keeping a fox for mounting you need to get it to the taxidermist quickly - otherwise freeze it until ready to visit him/her.

Foxes, moreso than any other mammal or bird, are prone to fur slippage very soon after death. Due to the amount of bacteria they carry the rot can set in very quickly. This will first be noticeable around the back of the ears...the black triangles...if you rub the fur here very gently and it comes away in your fingers then the pelt is no more use for mounting....decay has set in....this can happen in an hour or two in warm conditions.

On a warm evening with a fox carcass in a warm boot for a few hours while you continue hunting ...it can disentegrate very quickly.

A little preparation can ensure you get the once in a lifetime specimen home in good condition. The condition the taxidermist gets the carcass in determines the quality of the finished mount.

On every hunting trip a few simple everyday items should be stored in the car in preparation for the day the specimen is acquired. These include some paper tissues, old newspapers, old cloths, some adhesive tape or loose rubber bands and a large bag made of material (preferrably not plastic). The bag can be a shopping bag purchased from any of the large retailers. In the shooting jacket some tissues and balls of cotton wool should be stored. These items don't take up too much space. They can be placed in the car and jacket and left there.

The next step is to ensure that the specimen is kept clean and not soiled from blood or body fluids. Don't take a head shot. With the tissue paper, dampened with water if necessary, wipe away any mud and blood, stroking in the direction of the fur. When all is clean plug the mouth, vent and any other openings / wounds, that fluids can drain from, with the cotton wool. This is particularly important with a fox. Check, and plug, the eye if a pellet damages it and the bullet entry and exit wounds. This will keep the specimen clean until one returns to the car. Exposure to the air for a short time, if not too warm can be helpful as it allows the blood to congeal, helping to stop blood drips and splashes.

When one arrives back at the car further preparation is necessary. Wipe any blood, fluids or soiling with tissue and gently rub the fur towards the tail to ensure all are lying flat, in their natural position. Wrap an old cloth or towel loosely around the carcass. The fox can then be put in a hessian / material shopping bag for transportation. I never use a plastic bag as it tend to heat up and could accelerate decomposition, leading to fur ‘slipping’, which renders the specimen useless for mounting.

If no cloth is available never wrap a the fur in newspaper. The newsprint ink, when wet, will destroy the fur with black ink.

Place the specimen in a cool place in the car. Under the front seat, or in the rear foot well is ideal. Never put it in the boot with the dogs as disastrous consequences could ensue. The carcass must remain cool so do not turn on the car heater. Instead, it is advisable to turn on the cool air fan aimed towards the floor where the bag is.

Unless you intend to give the species to the taxidermist within a couple of hours it needs to be frozen. You can now place the fox in a plastic bag - a bin liner is perfect - and place in the freezer sealed. When placing it in the freezer check that it will not be damaged or crushed. You can take your time locating a taxidermist. The fox carcass is safe and will reach the taxidermist in perfect condition.

All this sounds very long winded - it's not.
Very little preparation and insight can mean you get a specimen fox back from the taxidermist that you'll be proud of.

J.R. wrote: »

Good post - I always liked a specimen where the mask fur was perfect and looked sly....like a Fox!!

People need to know what to do if they decide to keep a fine fox specimen for the taxidermist......

Brilliant, thank you for the time and information you put in to this post.

Zxthinger wrote: »

I took a big male in kilkenny at 329yards. He was just over 15kg. I should have have preserved him but I didn't.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/9122498/Britains-biggest-fox-killed.html#:~:text=The%20huge%20specimen%20was%20bagged,size%20of%20an%20average%20fox.

Biggest UK fox shot was 38lbs a little over 17kg so your fox, at 15kg, was a huge fox, as well.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_fox

The largest red fox on record in Great Britain was a 17.2 kg (38 lb), 1.4-metre (4 ft 7 in) long male, killed in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in early 2012

Ahh FFS.

That's one huge fox or a tiny child. At least you have one picture. Congrats

Eddie B wrote: »

Wasn't there a lad who sent a photo into Fieldsports Britain last year, who claimed to have shot biggest fox ever in Ireland, or might be biggest fox ever shot in Ireland. Think Galway direction.

Would love to see that picture, steyrman on here is the fox killing machine around Galway so maybe it was him?

Always been fascinated with huge foxes ever since I was young. My interest in hunting started with working terriers a long time ago and I've seen a few huge ones but they were never weighted and rarely photographed.

Rows Grower wrote: »

Here is a poor picture taken many years ago of a huge fox that one of my brothers terriers killed in ground. In hindsight it should have been stuffed.

That is a fine fox. My uncle got a head mount done of a very large fox he got with the terriers. It really stands out size wise. As you say, weighing and measuring fox's aint the norm, and even less so years ago. Yes even photo's wasn't a common thing to do and for many, still isn't.

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

I wonder what was the biggest fox ever took by hounds.any of the hunt lads might know.surely they would have found a few of them iwith the ground they cover

Id say plenty of record breakers, got with dogs. The fact that many frown upon hunting with dog's these days, most lads wouldnt even take a photo.

Haven't figured to post a picture on this but the one I took 3 weeks ago under the lamp was a monster. At least 30kg. Nose to feet from my toe to above my waist ( I'm 6foot 3)

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

I wonder what was the biggest fox ever took by hounds.any of the hunt lads might know.surely they would have found a few of them with the ground they cover

I never kept hounds myself but a lot of my friends and a few relations did and do and they'd live for the game.

I often went out for the day with them or even a weekend away at a joint meet and from what I've seen and heard they very rarely come across huge foxes and it would be even more rarely they would account for one.

If anything I'd honestly think that the average fox taken by hounds would be smaller than the average fox.

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

There’s nothing like the sight of hounds working a line,heads down and tails up and they in full cry and picking up the pace.
Ye May keep the horses.
Go on the hounds.

Now you're talking, a high vantage point and whoever is best on the day wins.