Fox hunting weapon
“All hunts are good! Each has its ardent fans who prefer it to other types of hunting, but the gun should be given precedence over the others.” (S.T. Aksakov “Notes of a rifle hunter of the Orenburg province.”)
Fox hunting is one of the most difficult animal hunts. Firstly, before you is a truly worthy opponent - the fox is a cautious and smart animal; secondly, success and failure depend on you and your weapon. Currently, among Russian hunters, the most common methods of hunting foxes are: hunting with hounds, driven hunting with flags, from the approach and stealth, from ambush and on a lure, as well as with burrowing dogs. I want to tell you what weapons and cartridges are advisable to go on a particular hunt with. The choice of weapon for fox hunting also depends on the purpose of the hunt. Those who need a high-quality skin should cause as little damage to it as possible with their shot. Those who care about the process of hunting and the pleasure from it may pay less attention to weapons. Although, believe me, the sight of a broken, bloody trophy will not give you pleasure in any case.
Weapons for fox hunting with hounds
It begins along the black trail and continues until the deep snow cover makes it difficult for the hounds to work. The hunter's task is to determine the correct hole of the fox and fire a well-aimed shot. You need to stand behind cover without making sudden movements. The fox reacts to them instantly. Jump and shoot into an empty space. The gun should be raised at the moment when the fox's head disappears behind a tree or other shelter. Depending on the speed of movement of the animal and the distance to it, the lead is taken along the nose or head forward. For this hunt, double-barreled shotguns with barrels connected in both horizontal and vertical planes, with a compact and sharp fire, are quite suitable, since a shot is possible at a long distance. It is advisable to have double-barreled shotguns with two triggers, which allows you to vary the charges and shot numbers for short and long shots. The fox is such an animal that, with rare exceptions, it is unlikely to allow the third and fourth shots to be fired at itself, therefore, although I myself am an avid “machine gunner,” I prefer to go fox hunting with a double-barreled shotgun. Well, if you are confident in your machine gun, then why not. Cartridges for this hunt are quite suitable with shot No. 3 or No. 1, a “three” is inserted into the right (lower) barrel, and a “one” into the left (upper) barrel, since the animal may be at a distance of more than 35 m.
Fox hunting weapon with flags
It is carried out in winter when there is snow. Hunting is difficult. You have to drag heavy spools of flags or balls of them wound up into a backpack through deep snow for many kilometers. Therefore, a heavy gun will further increase the load. It is necessary to take into account that a fox that has been moved from its bed will try to go to a place where the bushes are quieter and denser. A very accurate gun will require careful aiming, for which you most likely will not have time. You have to shoot at distances no further than 40 m. Double-barreled shotguns of 12 or 16 calibers, and cartridges with shot No. 3 or No. 2, are quite suitable here.
Weapons for hunting foxes with burrow dogs
In burrows with a small number of exits, you can hunt alone. In such cases, after the dog is released, the fox jumps out of the hole almost instantly. If there are a lot of holes in the hole, passages between them and exits from the hole, then you can’t do without a partner. It is also advisable to shoot foxes in burrows with 12- or 16-gauge shotguns with a barrel length of no more than 700-720 mm. They are more maneuverable. Cartridges should be used with shot No. 3, and no larger, since the firing distance does not exceed 15-30 m. A point-blank shot is also possible, so greater accuracy is not required from the gun. On the contrary, a gun with a drilled cylinder and a dispersant cartridge is preferable.
Weapons for hunting foxes from the approach or stealth
It begins with snowfall. The most convenient for it are open lands. You should go hunting in the morning, when the fox is still mousing. The hunter must wear camouflage and have binoculars. The most suitable shotgun is a 12-gauge shotgun with a tight and sharp action and a “full choke” drill. Shoot cartridges with shot no finer than No. 1. The effectiveness of hunting increases significantly if the hunter is armed with a carbine, and all small-caliber carbines are quite suitable. I’ll name domestic ones. “Sable” chambered for 22WMR (Winchester Magnum Rimfire) 5.6 x 39 caliber is very effective against small game at a distance of 100-150 m. “Bars-1” chambered for 5.6 x 39 allows you to reliably hit medium-sized game at a distance of up to 300 m. In 2000, new modifications of the Vepr-Pioneer self-loading carbines appeared chambered for .222 Rem cartridges. Remington (5.45 x 39) and 223 Rem (5.56 x 45). The target firing range of both carbines is up to 300 m. At the end of the 80s of the last century, I had the opportunity to hunt with the Bars-1 carbine, equipped with a PO-4x34 optical sight. As a rule, approaching a mouse fox at 150-200 meters is not difficult. Of course, imported rifled guns (tees, doubles, carbines) with high-quality optics will only add to your chances. And if you are the proud owner of a German small-caliber rifle chambered for .222 Rem. or .223 Rem., and an outstanding shooter at that, the fox simply will not have a chance to save his skin. Misses when shooting from rifled weapons are mainly a consequence of incorrect determination of the distance. Today, optical sights with rangefinders allow us to get out of this predicament. When hunting using optical sights, you should keep in mind that they are ineffective when it snows. In the eyepiece you see a continuous flickering of snowflakes. Laser rangefinders provide good assistance in determining the distance to a fox. They are very compact. For example, the Laser 1200 rangefinders fit easily into your pocket. And if a hunter purchases laser rangefinder binoculars LRB 7 x 40S, he will significantly lighten the weight of his equipment.
Weapons for hunting foxes on bait and from ambush
These methods are widespread among modern hunters. For bait hunting, dugouts are made in the fall, and in winter, “bricks” are cut from compacted snow and a house with a roof is built, all structures are carefully camouflaged. Some hunters prefer to shoot foxes from towers. The bait is laid out at a distance of 20-25 m in a clean place. You can put the offal of shot ungulates and shot crows on the bait. They are chopped into small pieces, so the bait is less likely to be taken away by foxes. You can successfully hunt at fox crossings by sitting on a folding chair or climbing onto a stack of straw or hay. To make shooting easier in the dark, you can use an under-barrel flashlight. The illuminated fox remains in place for some period. This time is enough to fire an aimed shot. On moonlit nights, some hunters use an LED mounted on a bar and mounted in a tube. Voltage 1.5-3 volts. An optical sight with coated optics or a night sight makes shooting in the dark much easier. For these hunts, it is advisable to have a 12- or 16-gauge shotgun with a tight and sharp action. From a double-barreled shotgun you can shoot at both close and distant animals while approaching the bait. This is facilitated by choke constrictions - “poluchok” and “choke”. Rifled weapons are even contraindicated for such a hunt, since the fox will still come to the bait, and a close shot is more reliable with shot. Fox hunting continues until late winter. By this time, the hunt for ungulate animals was over, but hunting fervor and dissatisfaction still remained. If you go outside the outskirts of any village or holiday village, you will definitely see an even chain of fox tracks. So, dear readers, quickly get on your skis, put your backpack on your shoulders, pick up your favorite gun and go get the “gossip”.
V. Gurov. Magazine "MASTERGUN" No. 156
A few words about rifled weapons
A rifled weapon differs from a smooth-bore weapon in the inner surface of the barrel. It has spiral-shaped notches that cause the bullet to rotate. As a result, after the bullet leaves the barrel, it participates in translational and rotational motion. What does rotating a bullet at a speed of several thousand revolutions per second give? To answer this question, it is enough to recall the principle of operation of a gyroscope (or the stability of a rotating disk).
Rifled weapons appeared in the 15th century. German gunsmiths came up with the idea of making a barrel with rifled grooves in order to improve the flight performance of a bullet, but rifles and carbines gained due popularity only in the 18th century. Bullets for modern rifled weapons have their own distinctive features; their shape is streamlined and elongated in length. Such bullets are capable of hitting a target at distances of about two kilometers, while targeted shooting from a smooth-bore weapon can be carried out from only a few hundred meters.
Among the variety of rifled weapons, several groups are distinguished, characterized by design, barrel length and caliber. A rifle with a short barrel is called a carbine. By design, weapons are divided into rifles with manual reloading, semi-automatic and automatic.
The caliber of a firearm is the diameter of its barrel. In Russia, the most popular calibers are 5.45 mm and 7.62 mm, this is the caliber of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. Most domestic rifles have the same calibers. The only difference is how long the cartridge case is placed in the cartridge for a particular weapon. The United States does not adhere to such standards, and the universal cartridge for the NATO army is considered to be the 5.56 caliber cartridge, which is suitable for the AR-15/M16 assault rifle.
Hunting rules 2021: new edition of hunting rules in the Russian Federation
As you know, a hunting permit has its own expiration date, as well as a limit on the production of a particular type of game. In 2015, an innovation was introduced into the law, according to which the hunter undertakes to notify the employees of the place where the permit was obtained about what kind of game he caught and how much. That is. as detailed information as possible A number of changes also affected the rules for hunting ungulates and bears.
The following deadlines remain valid for 2021:
- 10.07-24.07 - hunting with the use of firearms and pneumatic weapons is prohibited;
- 07.25-11.15 - hunting with weapons, hunting dogs and birds of prey is permitted.
- 10.07-31.12 - hunting for field game is allowed using dogs, without the use of weapons;
- starting from 01.08 - hunting for waterfowl with dogs is allowed, without the use of weapons;
- starting from -1.08 - hunting foxes and hare with dogs is allowed, without the use of weapons;
- starting from 25.08 - hunting for fox and hare with dogs and using weapons is allowed;
- 01.07-31.07 - hunting for marmot-baibak is allowed;
- 01.10-28.02 - hunting for European beaver is allowed.
Check with our consultant for details.
Citizens can train a hunting dog at any time. There are specially designated places for this, namely, areas for racing and special places for training animals. Please note that any type of hunting in such places is prohibited.
One of the changes is that it is allowed to be with dogs without a leash in the areas for driving and training animals in hunting grounds at any time. You can train a hunting dog at any time, but without the use of firearms, bladed weapons or pneumatic weapons.
If you go hunting with a specially trained hunting dog, you are required to have with you a document about the origin of the animal and a veterinary passport with a note from the state veterinary service stating that the dog does not have rabies, is vaccinated, etc. The document must be confirmed by the current year.
There have been a number of changes in terms of hunting periods for roe deer, bears, moose, and wolves. Hunting for saiga was banned, while the period for hunting bears in the spring was increased, expanding it.
Those hunters who open fire at information signs will be subject to administrative punishment.
Hunting legislation
Punishment for non-compliance with hunting rules
Article 8.37 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation regulates liability for violation of hunting rules in the Russian Federation.
If the rules were violated once, the hunter faces a fine of 500 to 4,000 rubles, depending on the violation. There are also penalties such as deprivation of hunting rights for up to two years and possible confiscation of hunting weapons.
If the rules are violated again, they may be fined from 4,000 to 5,000 rubles with deprivation of the right to hunt for up to three years.
If the established hunting deadlines are violated, the violator may be prohibited from hunting for a period of 1 to 2 years. The same punishment awaits a hunter if he fails to provide the necessary documents and permits upon first request.
If damage to a state reserve was caused during the hunt, liability doubles.
Employees of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Environmental Safety pay close attention to the prevention of diseases of wild animals, as well as to the source of their occurrence. Therefore, if, as a hunter, you find an animal that behaves unusually, or a dead animal, you must notify the above authorities about the find. They, in turn, will try to identify the cause of the problem and its source, and then decide how to proceed further.
