So, set up tonight at just gone 22:00 as a fox due at 23:30 and then some more.
Was planning to sit till 00:00-00:30 max, but in the end decided to sit till 02:00 and see what extra I could get.
Was scanning every 2-3 minutes, but was difficult, as the ground was very damp, so mist rising and fogging the scope lens and the IR lamp lens, meaning I had to Defog every time I scanned, and within a minute it was fogged up again.
However, I stuck it out, and at 23:10 noticed one running away like an express train from the bait, so gave him a quick squeak and he stopped to look. Bang, straight between the front legs and he was down. Went to look for him, but in the stubble walked straight past him a good 30 metres. However, turned around, and his eyes glinted in the lamp, so recovered.
Then at 23:10 another glinted from the hedge, but no matter how much I squeaked, he wouldn't come out, just moved 10 metres along the hedge, then looked again each time.
Couldn't take the shot, as a herd of cattle in the field behind, so had to let that one go for another night.
Then at 00:45 another, same game, looked, moved, but wouldn't come out, so he's for a nan other night too.
Was expecting another at 01:18 and bang on the dot saw him crossing the field to the bait like an express train. Squeaked him, he stopped to look, and bang, he went down too.
Stayed till 02:00 but nothing more came (another due at 03:30) but my back was killing me, so called it a night.
Right, just checked video footage from last night.
Not counting the two I shot, and the two that peeked from the hedge but wouldn't come, there are at LEAST another 4-5 foxes coming between 03:00 and 05:15, SO, electric blanket ON, batteries charged, then make a thermos of coffee, and off to bed at 09:00 as the alarm clock will go again at 01:00, so I can walk the dogs and feed them, then go to the field and set up by 02:00
Just hope it's not raining, as it's bad enough with the scope and IR light misting all the time (God, I miss having a sunshade on this scope, would cure the misting problem), without having rain too.
If it's raining, I think I will just go back to bed LOL
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
So, set up on the field tonight at 23:45, and the first fox appeared at the bottom of the field at 00:10, but even though the IR was on just a glow, as soon as it touched him, he was off, and didn't come back. The next one appeared on the top hedgerow at 00:30 but that too was extremely wary, going backwards and forwards sniffing around, and not committing to the bait. Again, I 2 as on just a glow, so could just see the outline, but as soon as she clocked the I she started to backtrack. Took the IR off her and turned it up so I would be able to see her to take the shot. Until now she hadn't turned her eyes towards me, just the glow of the IR on the ground was enough to spook her. Soon as the brighter (still not very bright) IR hit her she took off like a shot. Squeaked her and she stopped for a couple of seconds and I got a bead on her, and as I squeezed off she took off again. So I hit her 4-5 inches behind where I aimed. She did a couple of turns and tried to run further but dropped dead. A nice vixen, and one of the wiley ones I've been after for months too, so well chuffed
So, was up at 03:00 and set up on the field by 04:15 3 foxes were due between 05:20 and 06:15, so was hoping for at least one, and these are all VERY Wiley foxes, that I've been after for months. The fog started to come down really bad, and had IR turned down to absolute minimum, so as a) not to spook them, and b) avoid bad reflection off the fog. Scanned every minute, and each time I scanned I had to wipe the scope lens and IR glass as it was totally misted up after each sweep, This combined with a full moon that was reflecting off the fog, ensured shooting was going to be extremely difficult. At 04:50 one appeared, but being wiley she came from the right of the field behind the chicken coup, whereas most come from the bottom of the field, or the hedgerow to the left of the field. So, I had to wait until she moved a bit further over, and when she clocked the IR she froze. I still had to identify her as a fox too, as in the mist it could easily have been been a cat So, switched the NV off, off and re cleaned the scope and IR, then turned it up very slightly and switched on again. Just as I managed to identify her, she turned to face me again, and once again froze, so I took the shot, as all I I could see was her eyes, I aimed just below them for a neck chest shot face on. Bang I heard the thump of a strike (04:55), so put the rifle down, the headlamp on, and went to search for her. Found her (small vixen), and picked her up. Took her to the path behind the coup, and made the photo. Then back to the stand and wait again, and at 05:15 another set of eyes appeared, this time at the hedge to the left, but it wouldn't move into the field, and with cattle in the field behind the hedge, no shot was possible. By now, the fog was getting so bad I could only see maybe 50 metres clearly, so it was getting time to pack up. By 05:45 the fog was that bad I could only see 25 metres, and nothing at all if I put IR on, so called it a night and headed home. Now time for bed LOL
So, last night a fox came at 22:00 to 22:40 on the trail cam, which meant he was long gone by the time I got there last night to set up (but got two vixens :) ) So, armed with that knowledge, tonight I set up in my bale hide (nice and dry and warm, despite lashing with rain) at 21:15 and set about waiting. I had laid a bait trail from the cam down to my "kill zone" and reckoned it would take him 10-15 minutes to work his way down. At 22:10 he appeared on my NV sweep, and I had the IR turned right down, so only the glow of the eyes showed up. Even then, soon as the IR touched him, he got "agitated" and as I slipped the safety off, I started increasing the IR. That was enough for him and he started into a fast trot to the safety of the big red silage trailer. I gave a quick squeak, and it stopped him just long enough to get a bead on him. As I squeezed off he took off again, and disappeared behind the trailer, but I was sure I had nailed him. Put the headlamp on, got down out of the hide, and went through the lashing rain onto the field, and there he was, behind the trailer, dead as a door nail. A big old dog fox, good 11-12kg in weight. I've been after this one for 6-7 months now, so it was a relief to finally get him, but in a way I felt sorry, as he was a worthy and respect earning adversary, and very very Wiley. but! His luck ran out tonight. I stayed until 00:30, but nothing more came, and as my back was aching, I packed up and came home. Will check the camera tomorrow and see what else is about
So, that was an "interesting" night. I baited my back field, and the other farms back field about 19:00-19:30, and used some very "smelly" meat as bait. The meat used had been in plastic bags in my "bait fridge" for a week, and was starting to go off. BUT, I had deliberately left them to get to this state, in the hope it would bring in the wary foxes with the overpowering aroma ....
AND IT WORKED IN SPADES !!!!
At first I wasn't going to shoot tonight, just leave the cameras to record what came, as they are extremely wary since the poachers have been, and I've had three nights of nothing doing.
But, at 21:30 I decided I would shoot, so texted the farmer and told him I would be down.
Head off, and already ground mist was settling, so time would be short, and shooting difficult.
Was set up about 22:30 and at 23:00 the first set of eyes appeared on the ridge of the field, but as soon as the IR touched it, it trotted off back across the ridge. It wasn't a safe shot, so left it to go, and it looked like a vixen. Then 8 minutes later, a big dog fox appeared from the same place, and again, as soon as the IR came onto it, it was off, but this one fairly quickly.
Then at about 23:35 a big dog fox appeared from the bottom of the field, and trotted up to the middle, but again, as soon as the IR came on him, he started running back the way he came. I squeaked him and he stopped a moment, but was at an extreme angle, and before I could get a bead he was off and gone :(
Then at about 23:55 I spotted another fox, smaller, but still a decent size, running backwards and forwards through the bait, very nervous, and wouldn't settle. BUT, it was in my killing zone, so a good chance. Put the IR on low onto it, and it started to trot faster towards the ridge again, so slipped the safety, bumped the IR up to high, and squeaked. He stopped and looked for a second, and BANG, lights out.
A nice dog fox of medium size.
I moved him back to the centre of my killing zone, in the hope that any other fox coming would b that fox used on him, they wouldn't see me, and settled down again.
However, despite seeing several pairs of eyes on the ridge over the next two hours, nothing more came into the killing zone, and as the ground mist was getting worse, I packed up at 02:15, and was back home at 02:30 :)
