New Benelli MRl Is Varmint-Hunting Ready
New Benelli MRl Is Varmint-Hunting Ready
New Benelli MRl Is Varmint-Hunting Ready
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include those chambered in<br />
.22-250, .223 and .204 Ruger. A<br />
.22 Magnum will work well at<br />
closer distances. Small, soft fox<br />
bodies do not handle expandingtip<br />
bullets well, and this is<br />
important if you plan to keep<br />
the fur or do a mount.<br />
You will need a good binocular<br />
and a window-mounted S|X>tting<br />
scope to scan and spot a red<br />
before you lx*gin your stalk. Note<br />
the wind where you are, where<br />
the fox is, and at points between.<br />
Wisps of snow can reveal the<br />
wind direction in areas where<br />
grasses arc buried under feet of<br />
white snowtlakes.<br />
Snow camouflage is important<br />
to wear if you are hunting in a<br />
snow-covered landscape. While<br />
I've written a lot about napping<br />
fox, they are also listening<br />
intently while they lie about.<br />
If you are crunching crusted<br />
snow during your approach,<br />
the fox will hear and look for<br />
you. Blending in with snow<br />
camouflage could provide those<br />
seconds needed to take a killing<br />
shot should a fox rise. Fox also<br />
are unpredictable and will, for<br />
unknown reasons, rise to look<br />
around, then turn about and go<br />
back to sleep.<br />
I saw a fox that I thought<br />
had frozen to death return to<br />
life and stand to look about<br />
when a huge grader with a<br />
back-up alarm reversed while<br />
plowing a far distant road<br />
ditch. That fox knew it was an<br />
odd noise and observed until<br />
it decided that grader was not<br />
a threat. Then it went back to<br />
sleep atop a snow drift.<br />
When looking for fox, also<br />
look for tips of ears or a faint<br />
hint of red in a stark white<br />
world. Fox like to hunker down<br />
behind snowdrifts when possible<br />
to keep out of the wind. Good<br />
optics are a plus when looking<br />
for a hint of red fur. If the sun is<br />
54 wimiriiiiiim cm xmtizw<br />
Battle of the Brrrr...<br />
Really cold weather — o degrees Fahrenheit and below — can change<br />
the pliability factor of many hunting items. Plastics can snap, and the<br />
grease used inside of binoculars and spotting scopes to help move gears<br />
and glass can become solid and the optics frozen. You can avoid this<br />
problem by keeping any binocular used on a sub-zero fox hunt tucked<br />
inside the top of your coat's front when not in use. With the binocular<br />
on a neck strap and held next to your chest inside your clothing, it'll stay<br />
warm and be ready for use in an instant. You'll also find tripods far more<br />
shooter friendly as a rest when you must settle a rifle over snow. Some<br />
shooting sticks can be adapted for use with snow bases or baskets.<br />
You'll find these at REI (http://www.rei.com/product/753991) and many<br />
backpacking stores for less than $10. Snow and cold temperatures<br />
changes many hunting principles, so plan ahead.<br />
out, consider wearing sunglasses and turn your optics' eye cups In as<br />
you scan. lxx»king at glaring snow through a binocular can give you a<br />
headache in short order.<br />
In shallow early-season snow it's not uncommon to notice a fox<br />
leaping. It's actually trying to get a snow-covered mouse or tiny<br />
rodent to move so it can make a kill. This tactic does not work<br />
once the snow is a foot deep or more. Fox also eat insects, rabbits,<br />
pheasants and other birds, and fruits and nuts. Take note of and<br />
inspect any apple orchards in your hunting area. You can also get<br />
a fox to stand with a pheasant call (see www.woodswise.com for<br />
a mouth-blown pheasant call) or other bird sounds. Fox seem as<br />
interested in birds as bobcats do. Start out calling in low tones and<br />
increase the volume as the time passes.<br />
Read Up On Red<br />
The more you know about fox, the better you'll be at getting a fox<br />
pelt. Research your state's hunting and nongame websites for specific<br />
details about how red fox in your area live, and possibly where they<br />
live. For example, Colorado's Division of Wildlife website had this<br />
statement at the bottom: "In Colorado, the species occurs throughout<br />
the state except for the southern half of the eastern plains."<br />
Another example is Kansas, where the state's Division of Wildlife<br />
and Parks reports this on its website: "Red fox occur statewide, but<br />
are most common in eastern Kansas, where urban areas and woodlots<br />
are most abundant." This site also revealed that reds In the U.S. are<br />
prol>ably a result of fox being imported and released from Europe by<br />
earlier settlers. I can attest that fox hunting is very popular in much<br />
of Europe and the countryside is dotted with fox hunting huts. Hie<br />
Kansas website also noted that fox kills by hunters had been on the<br />
decline in recent times: "About 500 red fox have been harvested<br />
annually over the past few seasons, though double this were<br />
harvested several years in the mid-1990s." They'll need to possibly<br />
update that site as reds make a rebound. The site goes on to note that<br />
hunters take less than a third of the annual state fox harvest. Trappers<br />
gather the others. Might be a good place to go fox hunting!<br />
Visit us online at www.PredatorXtreme.com for more info.<br />
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