Hello from the United Kingdom

[valleyboy]

Hi Everyone,
                 My name is Steve, and I'm from South Wales, UK. I'm a 58 year old married man. who has enjoyed all forms of shooting since a very early age.
Here in the UK (Wales in particular) the main quarry that I hunt is our native Red Fox. Most of the farms that I shoot on rear sheep, which in turn, attract many Foxes. The farms are small compared to yours, and average 800 -1000 acres. But, with boundaries being a fence or wall, my access to others is easy to get to.
This time of year, the cubs have been kicked out by the Vixen, and she is now looking for a mate. Cubs will be born next February/March. We have many Foxes on the farms I shoot on, and it's not unusual to shoot 2-3 within a few minutes of each other, although I mainly shoot one, then another on a different part of the farm. I mainly shoot at night and use a lamp (NS X searcher) or LightForce, with a red filter. This time of year is good for us hunters, as there are many 3/4 grown cubs roaming around, who have still to learn the dangers of mankind.
I have recently purchased a Pulsar N750A NV scope, which will be used on my Tikka T3 Lite (.243) rifle. This is my main rifle for Foxes. I also have other's, including .22 Hornet, .17 Hornet, .22 LR and many shotguns.
I have a very good friend in the USA, - David Vance from Virginia. We correspond regularly, and I hope one day, to join him for some hunting. I really envy you guys, with all the land that you shoot on, and the easier gun laws that you have. We have one of the most strictest European firearm laws, but there are many, who would make them stricter, to the point of banning firearm ownership altogether.

I look forward to being a regular reader on here, and hope to contribute as well. Any questions that you may wish to ask, please feel free.

 

                                         Best Wishes

                                           Steve. 

[Hacks]

Welcome to the site Steve. It is a great forum and hope to hear some of your stories of your hunts. We aren't that lucky as far as shooting 2 or 3 fox in a sitting, if we get 1 or 2 a night sometimes we are doing good. Some of us will go a bunch of sets without seeing anything. Good luck.

[Deleted]

Steve, welcome, I check your "Lamping Foxes" site regularly on Facebook and you guys sure do stack them up! There may be farms that are over a 1,000 acres, but we are primarily out of the northeast (NY in particular). Most of the farms around here are much smaller (50 to 300 acres). If you shoot 3 fox a night around here, you're doing really good.

[valleyboy]

Thanks for the welcome guys. To be honest, if I can get one fox during a lamping session, then I'm happy with that. I did shoot 3 in the same field once, and they were all taken within 20 minutes. The most I have ever shot in one session is seven. These were taken on five adjoining farms, and I started out at 9pm, finishing around 5am, as it was just getting light. I intend to start baiting some foxes on one particular farm. I'm just waiting for some time off work and some good weather. I use cat/dog food, some boiled hoof fluid, and my Foxpro Spitfire, with my own sounds added. This combination usually gets me at least one fox, and others can be seen in the distance, but won't commit to coming in closer. I'm hoping that we have a hard, cold winter this year, so that the foxes will search harder for food. I need to thin them out for the farmer's, to reduce the loss of lambs next spring. One thing that many hunters have said on our shooting forum, it that many town and city foxes are trapped by 'do gooders' and released on farm land. They don't stand a chance, as they are used to McDonalds and KFC, and probably wouldn't recognise a rabbit, even if it stood in front of it. Also, some foxes, after being shot, have been found with wounds that have previously been stitched up. These 'people' are doing the foxes no favours at all.
As soon as I have chance to get some fox shooting done, I'll post it up, hopefully with some photo's.

Regards to all
Steve.

[pamick]

Welcome to the forum ! Great group of guys on here mostly from somewhere along the East coast. I'm from Pennsylvania just south of Lake Erie. Small farms scattered around the area but disappearing more all the time to housing. Look forward to your posts.

Mick