So, other day I had a call off the farmer, corvids were on his barley field across the river.
So I get to the fording place and think, "ohh, that doesn't look deep" and I'd crowd it many times before, so in I went in 4wd. Got about 1/3 the way across and the water was up to the front edge of the bonnet, and the current was pushing me down stream towards the drop off from the hardened area. So hit the gas and went through a lot faster than was comfortable, or really safe, but managed to get across.
Managed two wood pigeons and five corvids, before it started to chuck it down with rain, so packed up quick and headed back across the river, with the same results LOL. 30 minutes later and the water had risen at least another metre, so not a moment too soon.
Then next morning he rings me to say corvids are in the field next the road. Get down there and it's not in the field next to the road, but the one behind that, and in the bottom right hand corner. No way of getting near it without causing far more damage than the crows are doing, so fired a single shot in the air, and 200-300 corvids took off and disappeared to farms afield, with no chance of a shot. But checked later and they hadn't returned, so one happy farmer.
This morning another farmer turns up, and says "I have a fox problem"
turns out sometime during the night, a fox got into the chicken coup and removed 7 of the 8 hens, plus the rooster that were there, leaving just one hen that's also lost most of its feathers.
So tonight I will set up the trail cam, and a nice trail of bait leading to it, and find out what time he/she is coming.
Then tomorrow night, more bait, but this time I will be waiting with the rifle, and hopefully end his/her chicken stealing antics
-- Edited by Redditch on Friday 31st of July 2015 06:42:45 PM
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
You were lucky! Once you get into water more than two feet deep your 4x4 starts to get boyant and any current will wash you down stream. It's good you still had some traction so you could get out of that situation. It could have turned out real bad for your truck!
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You were lucky! Once you get into water more than two feet deep your 4x4 starts to get boyant and any current will wash you down stream. It's good you still had some traction so you could get out of that situation. It could have turned out real bad for your truck!
I almost needed new undies LOL. Been through it deep a few times, but never that deep before
the only reason I still had traction is due to there being 6-10 inch sized Boulders which the tyres somehow managed to get a purchase on each time. Without those I would have been washed downstream and over the edge, into 6-9 foot deep water
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
So, got up at 01:00, was set up on the farm by 02:15 with a flask of coffee, and waited. At 03:08 I heard her go over the fence into the chicken coup, and at 03:23 heard her come back over the fence, so was just a question of time. She came part way down the hill path, but then she suddenly disappeared off into the bushes and didn't come back out again. So waited a minute and called her. Then she came back out, and looked at me but started to trot off so I took the shot. Hit her about 2-3" behind where I was aiming due to her moving, but she dropped on the spot at 03:30 exactly. Went over and checked her, and yep, a small vixen in very good condition, maybe 2 years old max. But her chicken stealing days are now over, and I can now get back to bed LOL
-- Edited by Redditch on Sunday 2nd of August 2015 09:51:57 AM
So, tonight have to bait the same farm and set up the trail cam again. While I was waiting for the one fox to come to the chicken coup behind me last night, the intruder light kept coming on by the turkey shed, and I could hear scratching, birds panicking, and also a fox calling, so I expect a fox was trying to get in at them. So, will set up and see what comes, then if there is one on video tomorrow, I will set up at night again and remove that one before it manages to do real damage.
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
So, cam set up next to the turkey shed, bait trail from over on the track, through the fence onto the grass leading. 5-10 metres in front of the camera, should keep its nose to the ground, IF it comes again :)
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
