Last nights hunt.

bigben · January 02, 2011, 07:23:31 AM

Most of my friends that know me away from the boards know I hunt predators at night. One day at work a friend was telling me a story of some pheasants his son got during the weekend. He had been walking around the field and seen a red fox. Well he has a furtakers permit because he had previously been trapping. He had caught a few critters but a fox wasnt on the list yet. Well that fox he seen that day didn't wait around too long to get shot. But two male pheasants had. He ended up getting one that was colorful and looked great. Well he is getting the pheasant mounted and wanted to get the fox he seen that day or a fox to get mounted with it. We have been waiting till we both could get out after the little rascal. Well last night was the night.

It was drizzling in the late afternoon and the warmup was welcome. I arrived at their house around 6pm. Finding my friend doug, his son thadd, and a friend of thadd's working on a quad. We got ready and headed out into the field beside their house. I had known of how I wanted to setup from looking at aerial photos. We walked a woods line out to a corner. I set the tripod up and got his .222 settled in the tripod. I started off with some squeeks on a lil pekker. After about two minutes of that I switched to a woodpecker sound on the fx5. After a minute or two of that I started wailing on a open reed from brad gainey. 10 secs of rabbit distress and there was a set of eyes on top the one rise. I leaned over to thadd so he could see the eyes out there. At that time they were around 250 yds out. I let out some softer screams and here he comes. bouncing down through the field till he gets about 80yds broadside. I whispered to thadd shoot him. He whispered back saying he couldnt see him real well. So I flipped the red lens up on the uniquefire I was holding beside his gun to expose the white light. As soon as I did that I heard the crack of the gun and the fox bolted. I said reload and woofed at him. I got him to stop around 150 yds away and I whispered shoot. the crack of the .222 echoed across the field and I heard the thump of a bullet finding its mark. I handed thadd the light and told him go get him.

He took off through the field like only a 16 year old could. His dad and I followed as well as a overweight man can(me) and his father could. He got to the spot and I seen him sweeping the light looking for him. Then seen he was lighting a area over the hill a little further off to his left. I hurried the pace a little bit and seen the fox was not dead yet. I heard thadd say something but couldnt figure out what he said. The fox jumped and started runnin down the fencerow. I yelled get another one in him. Two more shots and he was down. He was a big male that sadly had a little bit of mange on his tail. after some congrats we carried him back to the house and got some pictures.

We made two more sets and only called in a coon. With the tail having mange i offered a red fox up for the chopping block if his taxi can take my tail off the fox I have in the freezer and stick it on his fox. The mange is bad enough on the tail you can tell he wont be able to cover it up.

sorry for the bad pic. Once I get a better one I will post it.

coyote101 · January 02, 2011, 07:30:29 AM

Good job Ben.

Pat

SCcoyotehunter · January 02, 2011, 08:11:23 AM

Cool story.

FinsnFur · January 02, 2011, 09:36:04 AM

Nice little red.
I like your portable turret too.

iahntr · January 02, 2011, 11:18:38 AM

Nice !

Congrats to him !

Hawks Feather · January 02, 2011, 11:35:32 AM

Congrats on the fox and it was a nice thing (on your part) to call in the fox for another person to shoot. I am interested in knowing a little more about the tripod. It looks like a surveyor tripod that you made some modifications to.

Jerry

HaMeR · January 02, 2011, 12:13:45 PM

It's still a nice looking fox & glad you young fellas got out & took care of that one.

Jeb · January 02, 2011, 01:24:01 PM

Good job Ben and thanks for sharing.

Okanagan · January 02, 2011, 02:37:29 PM

Yep, great read and it is good on you for taking the young feller.

alscalls · January 02, 2011, 05:55:07 PM

Sounds like a Great time!!!

wked · January 02, 2011, 06:25:49 PM

Enjoyed the read. Congrats on the red.

bigben · January 02, 2011, 09:20:58 PM

Quote from: Hawks Feather on January 02, 2011, 11:35:32 AM
Congrats on the fox and it was a nice thing (on your part) to call in the fox for another person to shoot. I am interested in knowing a little more about the tripod. It looks like a surveyor tripod that you made some modifications to.

Jerry

I call alot for friends and family. this is number three now that has been shot by someone else that I called in for em this year.

The tripod rest is made by this guy. http://www.ewcalls.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=7 It is a surveyors tripod that he has adapted to a gun rest. It makes it nice for ground hogs or predator hunting at night. I set the gun in the tripod and can stand while hunting. just like shooting off a bench. only easier to follow targets through the field and easier to setup.

Hawks Feather · January 02, 2011, 11:28:12 PM

Thanks for the link. Interesting info.

Jerry

bigben · January 06, 2011, 07:25:34 AM

heres a better picture then.

Yotehntr · January 06, 2011, 11:12:28 AM

Great job Ben! We can't hunt at night around here... man that sounds like a blast!

Dave · January 06, 2011, 04:18:09 PM

That's great!
I'm sure you just got em BOTH hooked.

Frogman · January 07, 2011, 03:38:32 PM

WTG guys! Good shooting!

Jim