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Two "Kings of the Castle".

Looks like great stuff. And more than a bag of reynard too.

Yes, please more info too on how you do it.

Cooch, nice to meet you too at the SHOT Show. Next time it would be great to have a chat over a beer.

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John aka NitroX

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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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What fun!!

OK, more's needed...

How is it done?

Hunters strung out along roads surrounding likely haunts?

What shotshells are used; shot size, etc.

All shotguns? Or rifles cattered in also?

What kind of gorund here? Grazing land, sheep country??

MORE!!

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Ok.....

It's flat central-southern NSW riverine plain. Sheep and cropping country, altho as you can see, the crops badly need a good drink.
Most of the country in question is cleared, so you look for the areas that provide cover. It's daytime, so they're lying up.
For a linear feature, such as a timbered creek line, you place a line of "shooters" across it. The beaters start somewhere between 1 and 2km upwind, and walk down towards the beaters, making noise, firing shots, and using dogs to find anything that doesn't bolt. Running-dogs are handy for foxes that break out into the open. Terriers work dens, hollow trees and any dense cover. Do a section, then step up and do the next section. Same thing goes for swamps, except that you need more people and some savvy to cover extra exits.

Our mob split into two parties and beat some 12km of the Billabong Creek, nth of Dayesdale. Then we combined to do swamps.

Shotguns only, and no shot larger than BBs, for safety's sake. Not saying that BBs can't hurt, just that they don't bounce as far... Fluoro items of clothing are a must. Usual gun-safety issue are observed. No shots fired into the area between the lines unless the beaters are still a km away.

The majority of foxes were shot at the stop-line. They seemed to be travelling on average at least 500m in front of the beaters along the creek. Closer in the dense swamps, but still the same result. I only know of two that were found in trees that hadn't bolted. One was located and evicted by my terrier - the taller one - to the delight of half a dozen other dogs. The other was chopped out.

Kids do better in the beating line, under supervision, rather than trying to make them sit still. Give them a cow-bell and they're happy as Larry.

The shoot is conducted over two days, with people camping at Finley. Some people come up from Melbourne just for this weekend.

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"The only logical response to an animal that lives obsessed with avoiding capture is to chase it." - Jose Ortega y Gassett

Edited by cooch (04/06/09 09:14 PM)

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