Well it was another crazy night out in the woods chasing nocturnal creatures around, as first timer Doug came out for a preview of the fun, just to run the light and see what it's all about.
We met up shortly after darkness fell and proceeded to hit a few sets on some public land.
Wind and conditions were great, dark moon, light winds, quiet...real quiet.
I ran Doug through the procedure, the quick list of Do's and Don'ts, and we were on our way to the first set.
We ran through a series of distress calls with Doug panning the light like a champ, anxiously waiting for eyes to light up...but to no avail.
After 30-35 minutes, we deemed the first spot a total bust...nothing at all came in to check us out.
Off to the other side of the park, figured I'd escape the range of the caller and hit a more distant piece.
I hunted this set earlier in the week and had yotes calling back at me, but they wouldn't come in.
When we got to the spot, the wind was getting shifty...and quartering to our back going in.
I knew where they were located, so we swung around and were hoping our wind wouldn't carry that way.
We got set up and settled down...put the caller out and upwind of us about 35 yards.
We started in on some distress calls for about 15 minutes with nothing showing...then Doug caught eyes in the brush for a quick second.
I got ready, but the wind was shifting all around, and the eyes never showed again.
5 minutes later, we hear something behind and downwind of us, sounds of movement through the woods about 100+ yards in.
Nothing we can do, we do some desperation calling, but it's a yote downwind...we're done.
We call that set quits shortly afterwards and head back to the truck.
Off we go to the total opposite side of the park. Nice field, low cover, good visibility. Walking in, I see no signs of footprints or tire tracks, good sign.
Wind is near perfect when it's blowing the expected direction, but there are some easterly kicks hitting the back of my neck from time to time.
We set the caller out and in front of us, quartering the wind to our right and anticipating movement from our front or side left.
I start off with some mouse squeaks for about 5 minutes or so...nothing is interested.
We move on to some more distress calls...it's quiet, real quiet...they are reaching out nicely...something has to hear them.
We hear a crash behind us in the brush and sounds as if something climbed a tree near semi ground level...could have been a raccoon, but it was fast as lightning and we never saw eyes or anything up the tree a mere 15 yards from us. Have to wonder if something didn't come on the ground behind us, then turn and burn after getting spooked and hit some brush against the tree real hard. Who knows.
We continue calling and sweeping for the next 30 minutes, then try out some coyote locator calls, interrogation howls, and invitations...but no answers...and they are reaching out far.
Another bust...no eyes.
It's after 11:00PM now when Bill calls. He's on his way out to meet up with us, so after 3 busts...we decide to head off to some other woods...a nice private piece Bill and I called two foxes in the other night but couldn't get a shot off in time. Good part is, no shots were fired...questionable part is...will they come into the call again this early since the last time.
The three of us meet up and head on over to the patch. After some discussion, Bill decided we should head deep in to the other end of the property to call into some new woods rather than setting up in/near the same spot we did last time. We head in, and as we come up to the old spot I flash eyes out in the field...a couple deer...and one looks nice. He's at least 250+ yards away...but Doug and I swear we can see rack. We move up closer to get a better look, but they eventually spook and we never did get a solid confirmation on the buck.
We continue on, and eventually get setup in some high grass in the middle of the field. It's a seemingly odd tactic, setting up standing mid-field...but we wanted to experiment...as many of the eyes we pull come right up to the wood's edge and lock up. Meanwhile we are tucked in cover on the other side of the field and well out of shotgun range. So this time, we grab a little cover and plan on relying on the lights blinding the targets and keeping us hidden behind the glow.
Bill sets the caller out 35 yards quartering upwind and close to the edge of the woods. We're rolling through some fox distress calls, as we did the night before, and again nothing is happening. We're about 20 minutes in and getting antsy...again like we did the other night. We know they are here...but I tell Bill to sit tight...they took awhile to get to us the last time. We pass the 25 minute and 30 minute mark, still nothing. Bill cycles through another call, it's about 35 minutes in when I sweep through a section and see nothing, I pan off to the right about 30-40 yards when Doug picks up eyes where my light was 3 seconds earlier.
"Pssst, PPPPPSSSSSSSTTTTT...THERE!!!", Doug says in as much of a quiet but urgent whisper he can manage. I pan over and light him up, get shouldered, safety off...and Bill whispers "Take him".
BOOM, the 3.5" SBE2 speaks...the fox rolls but keeps moving...BOOM...another shot, my lens pops off and I lose the fox in the light from the recoil. We're certain he's DRT...but when we get up there...nothing. Say what?!?! How in the world!
Bill is like a bird dog, running around the immediate area looking for the downed fox...meanwhile Doug and I are looking for blood. On the shot it looked like the fox was headed left, but upon further review, the second shot must have spun him...because he ran 180 degrees in the opposite direction and completely right. We have good blood, and follow it about 15 yards to the nastiest briar patch on planet Earth. I mean, I've been through my fair share of briar patches...but this one was virtually impenetrable...and naturally...right where the blood trail leads.
Then, we hear another fox barking at us from about 150 yards away. It sounds an awful lot like the FoxPro Red Fox Rally. So we hit the caller and do some distress, hoping to bring him in too. Doubtful, given the shots fired, but what the heck...why not give it a try. We assume they are grays and from what Bill has read, they often travel in pairs...so we are guessing I must have shot the female and the male was pacing in the woods line rallying to her?
The distress calls shut the rallying fox up, but it isn't coming any closer. We give up the call, and proceed to look for the fox I shot again. 5 minutes later, we get rallied at again...LOUD, over and over...so Bill proceeds to rally back at the fox...it's back and forth, back and forth...but the fox won't come...which is what we figured anyway. Ultimately, we give up again and just focus on finding the fox I shot.
Doug does the good deed of the day and dives into the briar patch following the blood trail. I circle around and enter in from the other end to see if I can cut blood in a more open area. Nothing on my end, and about 20 more yards in Doug sees fur! He belly crawls through the briars and eventually reached the downed fox and retrieves it.
Doug gets him out of the briars and into the field, a beautiful male gray fox...and my first gray fox ever! Awesome!
He didn't go too far, about 35 yards. I just couldn't figure how he went anywhere. I hit him smack in the center of his chest head on at probably 30-35 yards with a 3.5" Dead Coyote #T load...broke one leg too...yet he still somehow kept going after getting rolled...and took another shot...and still kept going and made it 35 yards and into the briar patch.
Well, overall a short tracking job...just a hellacious recovery.
Big thanks to Doug for braving the briars! ;)
Also a big thanks to Bill for holding back and letting me take first crack at the foxes...it's his turn now!
Alright...enough story, let's see some pics!
Here I am with the male gray and my SBE2.
Bill and I.
Doug and I, me having a little fun! ;)
OK, OK, no rabbit ears...
Beautiful coat.
Pretty animals.
Nice full tail.
That's all for now folks, until next time...maybe Monday evening if the weather looks good.
NJ's night season is coming to a close on the 18th...so we'll be hitting the woods heavy next week trying to score on a few before it does!
Equipment Used:
Shotgun: Benelli Super Black Eagle II
Shell: 3.5" Dead Coyote T
Choke: Ported Rhino .660 2" Extended
Call: Knight and Hale Mouse Squeaker, FoxPro FX5
