Foxing

Cass · 14-04-2019 4:17pm #1

Anyone doing any foxing this year?

Normally i get a call or two from land owners/farmers about lambs being taken, attacks, etc. but nothing so far.

I've taken a few trips out, granted not many, but seeing next to nothing even on land were i'd normally run out of ammo before foxes.

They don't seem to be down as there are signs of them, dens, etc. but curious to know if lads are heading out, how they're getting on, what are numbers like, and is the weather playing games with your shooting or their behaviour?

Benny mcc · 14-04-2019 5:26pm

Out at it all year and numbers were high in places. Most near me are gone but have two farms lost lambs earlier we got five fox on one farm and only one on the other. River runs about 150 yards behind my house and a lot of foxs travel along it .They use it like a highway but never bother my lambs. Shot 9 fox in 3 weeks in the back field but nothing the last 3 weeks or so.

Rows Grower · 14-04-2019 5:47pm

Benny mcc wrote: »

Out at it all year and numbers were high in places. Most near me are gone but have two farms lost lambs earlier we got five fox on one farm and only one on the other. River runs about 150 yards behind my house and a lot of foxs travel along it .They use it like a highway but never bother my lambs. Shot 9 fox in 3 weeks in the back field but nothing the last 3 weeks or so.

Jaysus that's some amount of foxes in one field. I'd have to travel a long way to meet 9 foxes, but the land around here doesn't really suit them to be so densely packed.

Benny mcc · 14-04-2019 7:01pm

Rows Grower wrote: »

Jaysus that's some amount of foxes in one field. I'd have to travel a long way to meet 9 foxes, but the land around here doesn't really suit them to be so densely packed.

Not that dense around me but I keep lots of game birds and there's something about the river. They travel along it and up the field to my house but they never leave ;-)

Eddie B · 14-04-2019 7:22pm

I'm sure the lack of rabbits in some area's, have an effect on fox numbers

Rows Grower · 14-04-2019 7:26pm

Benny mcc wrote: »

Not that dense around me but I keep lots of game birds and there's something about the river. They travel along it and up the field to my house but they never leave ;-)

Ahh, I get ya now.

That's great shooting in fairness.

Cass · 14-04-2019 7:53pm

Eddie B wrote: »

I'm sure the lack of rabbits in some area's, have an effect on fox numbers

Very true.

A scarcity of them around my parts for the last few years and also the drop in the number of farmers keeping sheep makes me think what foxes were around are moving onto greener pastures.

Vizzy · 14-04-2019 8:25pm

I have been out on a few occasions over the last 2 weeks or so.
Shot 3 so far. ( but loads around)

Early mornings and just before dusk are working for me.

Lamping around these parts is getting more and more difficult due to the number of "illegal lampers" and even when you get a farmers permission to operate at night, the local Community Alert are calling the Gardaí when they see lights shining.

homerhop · 14-04-2019 9:09pm

Vizzy wrote: »

I have been out on a few occasions over the last 2 weeks or so.
Shot 3 so far. ( but loads around)

Early mornings and just before dusk are working for me.

Lamping around these parts is getting more and more difficult due to the number of "illegal lampers" and even when you get a farmers permission to operate at night, the local Community Alert are calling the Gardaí when they see lights shining.

It’s getting harder and harder, we got a call from a landowner about chickens being killed. Weren’t there 15 minutes when there was a light shining at the car. When we went back to it it was the Garda waiting for us. Told them the land owner called us to lamp a fox. It’s nearly at the stage now that it’s not worth the hassle.

Vizzy · 14-04-2019 9:53pm

I had the Gardaí waiting for me twice, once I told them that the landowner had given me permission, all was grand.
But I was met by 2 members of the Community alert another night, and lets just say that they were not very welcoming:eek: Had to do a bit of quick talking and phoning to get out of that one.

That was a couple of years ago so I have now made a point of meeting the landowners/lessee's and got permission to shoot during daylight hours.
As you say though, it is getting to be too much hassle and our gamebirds are getting a hammering.

Doctors room ghost · 14-04-2019 9:55pm

There’s plenty bastid foxes around.i met one walking across a narrow road bridge last night.he wasn’t long with turning the fcuker when the headlights were on him.

cookimonster · 14-04-2019 9:57pm

I could be in for some flack here, but when we going lamping we always give the local Garda Station a bell. They usually ask for a contact number and the details of the car.

No doubt we attracted a few calls in the beginning but never had the Gaurds call on us. The farmers that we lamp for soon got a few curious remarks from some of the less enlightend members of the community but all was put right.

Cass · 15-04-2019 12:32am

Vizzy wrote: »

............ when you get a farmers permission to operate at night, the local Community Alert are calling the Gardaí when they see lights shining.

homerhop wrote: »

............ the Garda waiting for us. Told them the land owner called us to lamp a fox. It’s nearly at the stage now that it’s not worth the hassle.

It is getting that way especially when you consider the amount of lads being asked to have "fox licenses" gotten from their local station. I sh*t you not. It's a thing, apparently.

cookimonster wrote: »

I could be in for some flack .........

Not flack. If it works for you grand, and i'm not opposed to contacting people before traveling, but not AGS.

I have my permission, my licenses, and the only person i feel any need to contact is the farmer/land owner. Everyone else can piss right off including the Hi-Vis brigade (community alert).

Luckily i don't suffer that as GPS wouldn't find most of my permissions and there are little to no houses within miles of the permissions however it is a battle for others and i feel for them having to jump through stupid hoops that are not legal requirements.

The other point is even if it were a necessity who do i contact. Three of my local stations in all directions have been shut in the past 5 years leaving only the district station.

I also still hang the foxes tails so the farmer know it was me there that night on the off chance i cannot get him or it's too late to be ringing anyone.

Vizzy · 15-04-2019 12:55am

Cass,

Just to be clear, the Community alert that I am talking about are all farmers as well.
Can't say that I blame them at all.

Just yesterday I shot a fox and met the farmer shortly afterwards. When I was walking the land I noticed a calf that looked as if his leg/ankle was broken, but the farmer advised me that the local "ethnic brigade" had chased the calf up and down the field with lurchers WHILE HE WATCHED but he couldn't manage to accost any of them.
This guy also had all his diesel stolen in the yard so he attends whenever he is alerted by Community Alert ( he wont be attending alone in future)

Cass · 15-04-2019 1:03am

Vizzy wrote: »

Cass,

Just to be clear, the Community alert that I am talking about are all farmers as well.

Thought you meant the busy bodies with hi-vis jackets, a flask of soup and a whistle that only live to cause trouble even though they only moved in last week.

I'm my land owners community alert. Wasn't too long ago i caught lads trying to steal one of the farmers tractors out of his shed. Was 4 in the morning and i called the farmer, then the Gardaí. Caught the boys red handed. Needless to say i have permission for life.

steyrman · 18-04-2019 10:53am

The last 7 weeks has being no stop foxing day and night on 10 farms in Wicklow alone over 112 foxes shot long nights and early mornings all sheep farms this is the the first week I have had a chance to pick we’re i want to lamp pressure is off big time I will stop once the lambing complete but there will still be the odd chicken house cleaned out but there easy handle with trail cams

tac foley · 25-04-2019 10:28am

Cass wrote: »

Thought you meant the busy bodies with hi-vis jackets, a flask of soup and a whistle that only live to cause trouble even though they only moved in last week.

I'm my land owners community alert. Wasn't too long ago i caught lads trying to steal one of the farmers tractors out of his shed. Was 4 in the morning and i called the farmer, then the Gardaí. Caught the boys red handed. Needless to say i have permission for life.

A couple of years back here a local farmer caught a car and trailer with occupants helping themselves to the contents of his tractor hitch shed. He drove the fork of his manitou bale lifter through the windows of the car to stop them 'leaving too quickly', while his son locked them in the shed with another tractor against the doors.

When the three would-be thieves went to court they admitted over three hundred similar offences, and were already wanted on warrants in Scotland and West Wales.

Part of the so-called 'travelling community' they sure had done some travelling around for the previous few years, 'redistributing' valuable farming assets, mainly to Eastern Europe.

Grizzly 45 · 25-04-2019 11:45am

Amazing said famrer&son weren't done for harrassing and intimidating an "ethnic minority" going about their cultural traditions.Or be charged with kidnapping and wrongful arrest and racial discrimination against said minority...
World is going that crazy,esp the UK these days,where it seems HM constabulary has become the arbitrater of what free speechand opinion is these days too. Removing a lads FAC's because of a comment on FB post Paris massacres that maybe the French should consider concealed carry to prevent future such events.Is grounds for a UK copper to decide thats "incitement to violence.":rolleyes:

looksee · 08-05-2019 8:45pm

On the subject of foxes can I ask a question here? I have a piece of woodland, good few acres surrounded by farmland (arable and cattle). It is supposed to be private and has notices to that effect, but it has been neglected for a good few years till I bought it a while ago and its obvious that people have been using it. A few days ago we found a fox thrown up into a tree - way up, hanging neatly over a branch, out of reach. Its impossible to tell how it died from ground level and getting up to it isn't feasible or worth the trouble at the moment.

What I am wondering is, is this a 'thing' - throwing foxes into trees? Or is it a weird one-off? Its in a rather out of the way bit of the wood. We have had a local hunt going through (without permission) breaking down ditches and churning up tracks, but this is nowhere near any of that activity.

Kran · 08-05-2019 10:10pm

looksee wrote: »

On the subject of foxes can I ask a question here? I have a piece of woodland, good few acres surrounded by farmland (arable and cattle). It is supposed to be private and has notices to that effect, but it has been neglected for a good few years till I bought it a while ago and its obvious that people have been using it. A few days ago we found a fox thrown up into a tree - way up, hanging neatly over a branch, out of reach. Its impossible to tell how it died from ground level and getting up to it isn't feasible or worth the trouble at the moment.

What I am wondering is, is this a 'thing' - throwing foxes into trees? Or is it a weird one-off? Its in a rather out of the way bit of the wood. We have had a local hunt going through (without permission) breaking down ditches and churning up tracks, but this is nowhere near any of that activity.

Definitely not a thing around my way anyway. This is probably a stupid thought but do you live in an area where any of these white tailed eagles were released? Is it possible one could have picked up a fox carcass and dropped it as it was too heavy.

Eddie B · 08-05-2019 10:23pm

looksee wrote: »

On the subject of foxes can I ask a question here? I have a piece of woodland, good few acres surrounded by farmland (arable and cattle). It is supposed to be private and has notices to that effect, but it has been neglected for a good few years till I bought it a while ago and its obvious that people have been using it. A few days ago we found a fox thrown up into a tree - way up, hanging neatly over a branch, out of reach. Its impossible to tell how it died from ground level and getting up to it isn't feasible or worth the trouble at the moment.

What I am wondering is, is this a 'thing' - throwing foxes into trees? Or is it a weird one-off? Its in a rather out of the way bit of the wood. We have had a local hunt going through (without permission) breaking down ditches and churning up tracks, but this is nowhere near any of that activity.

Yes, I suppose you could say it's a thing. Seldom you see it now a days. It's an old tradition where hunters used to throw fox's up into tree's etc, to show the farmer that they have shot a fox. This would be welcome by the farmers especially if they were loosing, lambs, chickens etc to fox's. These days, fox's are usually placed out of sight.

looksee · 08-05-2019 10:24pm

No, we have a pair of buzzards, but this was a big fox. It was also in such a position that it had to have been thrown from below, there is too much immediate tree cover for it to have fallen.

Birdnuts · 08-05-2019 10:26pm

Eddie B wrote: »

Yes, I suppose you could say it's a thing. Seldom you see it now a days. It's an old tradition where hunters used to throw fox's up into tree's etc, to show the farmer that they have shot a fox. This would be welcome by the farmers especially if they were loosing, lambs, chickens etc to fox's. These days, fox's are usually placed out of sight.

I'd be inclined to go with that - back in my youth GC members would show appreciation for permissions by letting the farmer/landowner know they were taking care of the vermin. Foxes hanging from fences, low trees, posts etc were a common sight back then.

looksee · 08-05-2019 10:26pm

Ah, the above reply was for Kran. Thanks Eddie B, I wondered if it was something like that, though it could have been there another 12 months without ever being seen, it was not in a place where anyone was likely to pass usually.

Edit - Birdnuts - I am amused by the 'appreciation for permissions' - er...see that great big sign that says 'keep out, private' put up by the previous owner

I think we have an uphill battle on our hands!

Eddie B · 08-05-2019 10:34pm

looksee wrote: »

Ah, the above reply was for Kran. Thanks Eddie B, I wondered if it was something like that, though it could have been there another 12 months without ever being seen, it was not in a place where anyone was likely to pass usually.

I remember seeing it regularly years ago. I remember one tree where a fox was hanging in it for years. Just the skeleton, and fur. It just dried out and sort of mummified from being up off the ground.

looksee · 08-05-2019 10:41pm

Now you mention it, we did find a fox skull in a low down fork of a tree, kind of hidden in a hollow. No sign of the rest of it and it was covered with leaves and moss, could have been the remains of a previous 'fox in a tree' situation.

cookimonster · 20-02-2020 12:03am

Hunting - a definition

the activity of hunting wild animals or game.

or even

Hunting is the practice of seeking, pursuing, and capturing or killing wild animals. ... Lawfulhunting is distinguished from poaching, which is the illegal killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species. The species that are hunted are referred to as game or prey and are usually mammals and birds.

....or to even expand on the topic:

Vermin - (Preditor)
wild animals that are believed to be harmful to crops, farm animals, or game, or which carry disease, e.g. rodents.

....and hence vermin/preditor control:

WHY PREDATOR CONTROL?
Predation is the act of catching prey for food. It is a natural and necessary process.
Predator and prey populations can ebb and flow, however, sometimes one population becomes too low or high, which can cause undue concern for farmers, conservationists, hunters and authorities at local and national levels. In some cases, predators cause considerable loses to rare and threatened species.
As a member of the European Union (EU) and signatory to a number of international agreements, Ireland has a legal obligation to conserve biodiversity, and, in cases, predator species need to be managed through control or eradication.
Predator control has been a well-known key component of game management for centuries. Properly planned predation control, as part of game management, is justified as it leads to the conservation of habitats and species, whilst not threatening the conservation status of protected species (GWCT, 2005).

So I struggle to link the above activities that are legal, jusitfiable and, for those who have little or no practical experience, difficult to carry out with the term coward.
a person who is contemptibly lacking in the courage to do or endure dangerous or unpleasant things.

As for polls, you know the old adage:Lies, damned lies, and statistics" the persuasive power of numbers, particularly the use of statistics to bolster weak arguments

...... facts manipulated by selecting demographics that will give you answers or opinions that you actively seek. Polling middle class suburbinites that won't even know what the smell of manure is. The suburban snack box fox is not the same creature as its cousins found in the countryside.

Ahhhh I see my contrived post was in vain as the offending post ( that as one of its points linked cowardice with hunting, has been removed!!!

Hunter456 · 20-02-2020 9:27am

chasing a 20 pound pike has me sidetracked from the foxes only out a few times must get out to the sheep farm and have a look, shot alot of foxes last year and still alot around majority of the foxes where shot on 2 sheep farms and on GC lands.

deerhunter1 · 20-02-2020 2:07pm

Benny mcc wrote: »

Not that dense around me but I keep lots of game birds and there's something about the river. They travel along it and up the field to my house but they never leave ;-)

same here about a river,my mate and I took about 20 foxes out of one marshy field near a river,every night at 2030hrs we would go into same field and there was a fox there,shoot him/her next night same time another fox,done that and took over twenty foxes in less than 3 weeks from there,we took another dozen or so from surrounding fields within 5 to 700 yards radius of this field

minktrapper · 21-02-2020 3:49pm

Is it the only marshy field by the river.

deerhunter1 · 21-02-2020 3:53pm

minktrapper wrote: »

Is it the only marshy field by the river.

No land pretty wet and soft over a wide area a lot of the rushes were cut this year in the fields

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Foxing

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Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County