More fox fun
At the back end of last week, the oilseed rape was cut in the 70 acre field, next to our game pen … & as anyone that knows oilseed will know, thar be foxes ... & that is the cue for hours of waiting & watching to see what might poke its nose out as the combine munched through what has been home.
So, suitably tooled up with just about the entire contents of the gun cabinet & flasks of industrial strength coffee the vigil commenced…
Exhibit 1 ( Thursday night) – 325 yrds
With about 20 minutes of light remaining on Thursday, this little girlie wandered out of the rape, sat down & sniffed the air. I freely confess, that my first shot was a clear miss having underestimated the range & it went into the ground at foxy’s feet. Rather than bolting, this red made the mistake of just sitting there & I am sure, sneering at your humble correspondent’s consummate lack of skill – which was again manifest in fact the second round wasn’t a whole heap better – gut shooting the poor animal.
Now something that that consistently surprises me is that how much damage a small animal such as a fox can take & still move. Consulting my ballistic chart this morning, I see that a (.308) 150 grain soft nose bullet would still be travelling at just over 2,000 fps & be carrying 1,300 ft lbs of energy at that range. This didn’t stop Charlie taking off back into the rape & with the light now gone, it was left till the next morning as it would have been impossible to locate in darkness without a dog.
Sure enough, we found it the next morning when the combine cut the clump that it had disappeared into - some 30 feet from where it had been hit. Looking at the extent of the wound, shock & blood loss will have killed the beast very quickly but even so, I remain amazed that it moved at all, having been so hard hit.
Exhibit 2 (Friday night) – 170 yrds
This young man was trotting along the south side of the small amount of still standing rape in the last couple of minutes of shootable light when he was given the good news! It was just as well that he was a clean killed because out of the corner of my eye, I could see the farmer driving across the field in his tractor & to miss would have been a tad embarrassing to say the least.
Exhibit 3 (Saturday morning) – 5 yrds
With a small amount still to cut (the weather wasn’t that kind to us last week) the shoot captain & I ‘stagged on’ on Saturday morning both with our respective Beretta’s & some big boys cartridges. In practically the final sweep of the combine, the capt accounted for this handsome chappie at all of, let me see, a very manly 5 yards.
So, all in all, not a bad job & now that the crops are off & we have a decent field of fire at last – a lot of nights out lamping are on the agenda.
Comments
Nice work! Good to see some progress made against these furry little insurgents.
Posted by: Robert Douglas | August 8, 2005 4:57 PM
Further to your comments , I feel I was obeying my own instructions to 'forget the sporting b****ks and smack the b****rs'!Anyway he was probably at least 10 yards away - possibly .
Posted by: Shoot Captain | August 8, 2005 5:32 PM
Why does nobody rise to the bait when you post these pictures any more?
Posted by: Bishop Hill | August 8, 2005 10:17 PM
.308/150grSP on a fox? Whoa, talk about serious overkill, heh, heh. Of course 325 yards would be a bit much for the old .22Hornet. Good shot.
Posted by: emdfl | August 9, 2005 9:37 AM
Ahhh... 325 yards.. Finally a respectable distance... Now all you need to do is load up a few 175grainers...
I am assuming that the 5 yard one was rushing you with big pointy teeth exposed...
Posted by: Kirk | August 9, 2005 4:50 PM
Looked a bit cross to me & I confess that I didnt have time to slap an ASBO on it... so I just shot it instead!
Posted by: Mr Free Market | August 9, 2005 4:56 PM
Captain is clearly limbering up for those tricky running fezzez - normal serviced resumed.
Posted by: haggis | August 9, 2005 5:12 PM
Well, at least the chickens will sleep safely at night.
Little buggers are everywhere, Last time we were Over There, The Mrs. and Daughter saw one in SOUTH KENSINGTON.
And me with no gun... although the rozzers would no doubt have taken a dim view of me a.) having said gun at all and b.) potting old Renard.
I note with some bitterness that offers to hunt ANYTHING were somewhat lacking when we were Out West. But now that I'm back here, oh no, Mr. FM is blazing away like a Vietnam chopper door-gunner and posting the pics to taunt me, withal.
Hmph.
Posted by: Kim du Toit | August 9, 2005 6:34 PM
I will send u the tails of 3 we shot in 3 hours on fri night. the a-team will give u some lessons! I hope u didnt get ne blood on the disco.
Posted by: keeper | August 9, 2005 9:56 PM
ASBO! You have to be kidding me... Anti Social Behavior Order?
Quick Immigrate to Texas. Crikey you brits have had all your teeth yanked...
I can't believe that you government made up such a thing...
you need a couple Holy Hand Grenades of Antioch to help with this foolishness...
"And the LORD spake, saying, first shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three. No more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither thou count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it."
and I can guess who you foe would be...
Gah...
Posted by: Kirk | August 11, 2005 10:14 PM
150 grain didn't stop a fox in it's tracks?
Egad, our Virginia foxes would have just laid down in a big pool of surprise.
If you're plinking foxes at 325 yards, the coffee can't be that strong.
Good shooting.
Posted by: Sedate Colonial Boy | August 21, 2005 1:50 PM
you are all. you only kill animals because you are stronger than them. i wouldnt be suprised if you dont have a wife and shoot animals to get your pleasures. if i could i would personally shoot you. SICK C*NTS!!F*CK OFF!!!!!!!!
Posted by: twats | November 7, 2005 12:26 PM