What Fox Cartridge?

Foxes can be taken with a variety of cartridges ranging from the humble and effective .22LR up to some of the largest centrefires and anything in between. I have four cartridges that I like to use and select them accordingly based on the situation at hand.

17HMR

I select the hummer when hunting in close proximity to dwellings to keep the noise down. The light weight projectile is also less susceptible to ricochete than the .22LR and provides a bit more range and versatility. The HMR does however suffer from wind drift when it gets a bit blowy and to remain ethical I stick to shots under 100 yards.

204 Ruger

The flat shooting 204 is my goto caliber when spotlighting . Its flat shooting trajectory makes it simple to place shoots out to 200 yards and beyond. Sending a fast hard hitting 32gn or 40gn projectile with little to no recoil is devastating on foxes.

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308 Winchester

The trusty 308 Winchester is one of the most versatile cartridges for most Australian game. It is certainly overkill on foxes however when shooting in gusty large open hills where wind drift is an issue the 308 can get the job done. There are of course flatter  cartridges available like the 6.5 creedmoor or 25-06 Remington, however I have none of these in my safe at this stage.

12 Gauge

The trusty shotgun comes in handy in the thick stuff or especially when you take a buddy along to your stands. Having a centrefire and shotgun shooter is the best combination for close and long shots and covers all bases. I like to use an under and over with two different loads. In the top barrel I run an Elley AAA which provides a bit more range, in the bottom a trusty Winchester super-x BB for closer shots or as a second go if the AAA’s don’t connect.

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What’s in your day pack?

It’s the cliche old question, what should I take in my pack for a day or night fox hunt? Due to the fact that I do most of my fox hunting on foot day or night, my pack is usually pretty full. I like to have most things on hand if possible within reason, however I cull items if i find they don’t get used within a couple of trips.

Here is my basic list:
  • Medium size pack
  • 1.5 litre water bladder
  • 10×42 vortex binoculars
  • Basic first aid kit (bandages, panadol, trauma bandage, latex gloves, spare plastic bags)
  • Rain coat
  • Hat
  • GPS
  • Fixed blade knife
  • Drop point folder (spyderco delica 4)
  • Rifle mounted torch
  • Handheld torch
  • Head torch
  • Spare batteries for torches and GPS
  • Various fox whistles
  • Poo tickets
  • Cigarette lighter
  • Fire starter (flint rod)
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First Light Hunting

There is nothing quite like watching the sun rise from a nice vantage point with the crisp breeze blowing on your face. Hunting at first light is my favourite time of the day to hit the fields. I like to walk in whilst it is still dark and make myself comfortable while the sun peeks over the horizon. My most successful stands usually revolve around finding an area where I can place myself up against a tree or a rocky outcrop where a fox can’t easily come in from behind. Once I find my spot I sit patiently for at least 10 minutes, this gives me time to glass around to ensure I have every chance possible to spot a fox that may already be in the area. Sitting quietly for a while also allows the bush to settle down, as often when walking in birds are alert to your presence and sound their alarm calls which foxes are all over.

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There are several signs I look for when initially glassing an area. The first thing I try to observe are the birds. More times than I can count on my hand birds have given away foxes. I have found nothing stinks more like a fox than a couple of magpies swooping down repetitively. Magpies love to swoop foxes and give them a bit of a touch up especially when they have babies in the nest.

If I’m a bit late to the stand, another great place to look is in amongst the rocks on a sunny hill side on a cold morning. Foxes love basking in the sun to get their core temperature up on a chilly day.

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My glassing setup

Now the fun begins , if I have unsuccessfully spotted any foxes skulking about it is time to bring out the tenterfield. I usually start off with a few quiet peeps for about 30 seconds to a minute then glass around. The first calls of the stand should not be too loud, every fox hunter I know has been too eager on the call on at least one occasion and sent a fox packing.

If all remains quiet it’s time to step up the loudness a touch, I generally call in bursts of 30 seconds or so with a two to three minute gap. It is important to try and sound realistic and not over the top. After 15 minutes or so I put away the caller if there has been no action and wait quietly for another 5 minutes or so. I have spooked far too many foxes being inpatient and noisy, packing up and moving on to the next stand.

So what are some of your early morning techniques that have paid off? feel free to comment by clicking on the blog title and scrolling to the bottom of the page.