The heat is on

Deano gets out on some freshly cut rape stubble to take care of any unwelcome foxy visitors ahead of the arrival of the shoot’s birds – and takes a few tricks up his sleeve with him!

- DEAN HARRISON

Harvest had started. It was mid-July and with the rape cut on a few of the fields it would be my first trip out this year. With Covid-19 in mind, the decision had been made on the shoot where I control the foxes for the season to go ahead, but only on one area. It will only be four drives that are close together; the thinking is the beaters will be able to walk from one drive to another, therefore removing the need for the beaters’ cart. I am sure many aspects on most shoots this year will be different, but it’s good to see that a big effort is being made to keep everybody safe. I know we are fed up hearing about it, but we all have to put plans in place to make it work so we can enjoy the sport we all love.

The drives we are shooting this season are mainly partridges with a few pheasants mixed in. I think I got most of the foxes in this area shot in the spring, meaning there shouldn’t be litters of cubs coming out of every field they cut, but like everybody else when lockdown came I had to stop, so there could well be a vixen or two bringing on a litter of cubs and that’s the last thing we need with the birds arriving soon.

The place I chose to sit would give me a chance to look over two fields that had been cut. Now, I don’t like shooting on rape stubble as I have missed so many foxes as a result of my bullet deflecting off the tough stalks, and I’ve had to watch the fox run off. After waiting a couple of hours, that is not the best feeling in the world!