 DISPATCH #3: Fox hunting tips and techniquesIn the area where I live in the Great Lakes basin, we have decent numbers of red fox. They seem to do well in the mixed farmlands here that are made up of 100-200 acre farms. This affords the opportunity to head out fox hunting as often as I can whether alone or with my buddy who is a fox hunting machine. For us, fox hunting is akin to fly fishing for wily brown trout. We love it.Red fox have more than just fox hunters to worry about. In particular, coyotes will kill a red at every opportunity. I suppose it's a territorial instinct that seeks to vanquish the competition. This adversarial relationship between red fox and coyotes often has a significant influence on red fox responding to a predator call. For one, I hardly ever use a howler to call predators. This is a sure message to a red fox that coyotes are in that direction and to head in the other. Foxes will also come in to the predator call hesitantly more often than not because they may be uncertain as to whether a coyote is the reason the jackrabbit is screaming blue murder. Normally, when fox hunting I'm not actually targeting fox specifically. Fox and coyotes respond in the same way to the same predator calls. Whether a fox shows up is merely a function of chance. However, where you really can engage in fox hunting with a targeted approach is spotting and staking. This style of fox hunting sees you search out a fox in the fields. Some time they are on the move hunting, other times they have curled up in the middle of a snow covered field or a snowdrift along a fence line, or atop a pile of wood or rocks. These are good places to look. Red fox are like cats in some respects. They love to soak up sunshine and on a sunny cold day, it's a good time to go fox hunting. If you locate a red fox doing the aforementioned behaviors, you must put all your fox hunting stealth to the test to close the distance and make the shot. When it comes to fox hunting rifles, the 17, 204 and 224 calibers are preferable because the small bullet size is more appropriate to the small frame of a fox. However, any of those can cut a fox in half and render the pelt useless if you do not heed two precautions. First, shoot as far as you can without missing. A 200 yard shot is a good distance simply because the bullet velocity and energy are reduced at that range. Secondly, avoid shooting the shoulder. This is not normally the wisdom you hear with other game but with fox, there is a reason. The chest is the better choice. Shooting through the lungs and that spongy tissue will result in far less damage from hydrostatic pressure, a tumbling bullet or bullet and bone fragment exits. A fox may run a short ways when shot through the lungs but he won't go far. The fox hunting sportsman should also remember that a fox from belly to back is only about 4 inches top to bottom. Don't let that fur fool you. Fox hunting is an exciting pursuit. I love it and pray I will never tire of it. If you head afield for your own fox hunting adventures, perhaps some of this information will help. And if you haven't picked up my video Winter Magic, about half the hunts are for red fox using the fox hunting tactics mentioned above. You should pick up a copy and see it for yourself. Good hunting! John Summerfield  |
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