A foxer’s field guide

A heavy snowfall often means the stalking rifle is left in the cabinet, but for those of us with time-sapping work commitments, every opportunity to be out with the rifle and keep up with one’s cull plan must be taken – so let’s look at the practicalities of stalking in the snow.

I tended to ease off the foxes from March, as their pelts are nigh on worthless during the summer. As I relied on the months from October through to March – when the foxes have grown their winter pelts – to produce a year’s income I knew I was in for a very busy time.

I intend to examine the pelts of the foxes I shoot from now on as I suspect the heavy winter skins will be a bit later these days, as we no longer get the clearly demarcated seasons that we had years ago. However, old habits die hard and as we hit October all the old memories come flooding back.