Fox Hunting?

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  • TRW

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 10, 2017
    67
    6
    Jeffersonville
    Hey all,

    I am new to hunting. I was wondering if I get some tips on hunting fox. Is handgun hunting fox realistic? What kind of caliber should I be thinking about? How important is camo with fox? Do I need to worry about scent elimination? Fox calls? Should I even be hunting fox as newbie?

    I saw some fox yesterday as it was getting dark in Hoosier National Forest that made me get interested in the idea.

    In my imagination I just buy a small game license, tramp around the forest in my street clothes with my revolver and blast some fox with a .38 special. However, I'm guessing that's stupid? :)
     

    MRP2003

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 50%
    1   1   0
    Aug 16, 2011
    740
    28
    Greenwood
    I have never hunted fox myself but always thought of fox as more of an animal you would be better off trapping rather than hunting.

    Hunting any animal with a pistol makes it at least twice as hard as it does with a rifle. While it can be done, you have to be really good with the pistol and get the animal in much closer than a rifle.

    Hopefully if you are going hunting to harvest the meat or the fur, rather than just going to shoot an animal so I would not recommend a 38 but rather a 22 caliber round.

    You should get several responses to your post from others who are a lot more experienced with fox

    Good luck
     

    yetti462

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    May 18, 2016
    1,627
    113
    Unglaciated heaven
    Fox are thin skinned. 223, 204 and bigger will blow a large hole in them. The best cal for them is a 17, 22 or 22mag and 12ga with #4shot too. My favorite fox rifle is the 17wsm.
    Camo is needed when hunting in daylight, night hunting not so much. I use all red led scan and scope light for night hunting. As for scent, hunt the wind.

    Calls anything will work. High pitch low volume is best. On my FoxPro I use bird distress sounds and baybee cottontail. I've had fox come to crow calls and regular rabbit distress sounds.

    If you are pursuing gray fox hunt thick cover. Reds seem to be more fence row and open farm critters.
     

    x10

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Apr 11, 2009
    2,711
    84
    Martinsville, IN
    I used to fox hunt a bunch and we would hunt with one guy with a 222 rem rifle (great cart.) and the rest with shotguns with bb or some duplex shot like bbx4 ect. we used a call and started on still low moon nights about 10pm to about 2-3am, Fox are a bit stupid and will come in straight at the sound but coyotes would circle us until the wind hit them right or they couldn't stand it any longer and either charge or take off. everything always happens at once we used wheat lights with red lens' and we would adjust our light as low as we could so that you could just see the beam hit the ground about 25yds out in front of you. even then we never let anything pass in front of the light and always saved the center beam of the light for the critical second of taking the shot. we called in more grey than red and called about everything else at one time or the other. deer, weasels, owls, cats, dogs, ground hogs, skunks, ect. of course it doesn't need to be said but the 4 rules really matter at night. scout your places in the light and hunt with guys who stick with the plan no matter what. you can't take it on your own and walk into someones field of fire. the night really closes in around you and you develop bad tunnel vision but with those eyes come at you it all goes away and it's a blast
     

    x10

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Apr 11, 2009
    2,711
    84
    Martinsville, IN
    ooh and we used mouth calls, cassette calls of rabbits in distress, and the little squeaker out of a kids toy makes a great coaxer call, for getting a fox out into the open, tear the sqeaker out and blow on it
     

    Hookeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Dec 19, 2011
    15,039
    77
    armpit of the midwest
    I'd think .38 special to probably be a good match for fox.
    Know .357 can rip a yote pretty bad when bone hit.
    Was zeroed for 140 gr Hornady Leverevolution, so that's what I took yote hunting.
    Little cheap JS electronic caller pulled her right in.
    Pulled a couple of others too.
    Of course m bud "upgraded" to some $$$ digital deal and we haven't called one in since LOL.
    They were going nuts by my house last ight, 1 AM. Didn't hear the neighbor shoot this time.

    mc5gJv7.jpg
     
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