Fox Hunting Near Bancroft

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Son of a Woodcutter

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Hi guys,

I am new to hunting in Ontario and I'm looking at going after some foxes next week, I checked the WMU and it's open season year round. I have shot many foxes before growing up in the UK, 'rough shooting' with a dog and shotgun but never here.

I am looking for some advice, my friend has a cottage close by to Bancroft and he says that he see's them all of the time, so I know they're there and his property backs onto crown land. I only really know how to move quietly through the bush and hope for a shot, but should I be calling them in? Should I set up a hide or set up a tree stand? I have a predator call that I plan to use for Coyotes when I eventually get some permissions.

Any advice would be very much appreciated, I am just desperate to get out! I have a nice .22 and .243.

Thanks in advance! Jack
 
22 should be fine. Predator call from a blind while paying attention to the wind should be a good place to start. Lots of food in summer so low probability of responding to a call but it’s better than nothing. Hides won’t be any good right now and cottagers will be around so be mindful of shooting in areas that aren’t used to shooting in the summer.

Patrick
 
Better recheck regs there used to be no help hunting in some cottage country between June to September
 
Don't have time to respond fully now, but I have hunted Ontario foxes (no pun... let it go) for 30 years... I will offer tactics here soon.
 
Forget the Turkey call... foxes won't mess with turkeys this time of year... when the poults hatch in the spring they might try to snatch one, but an adult Turkey can handle a fox, so can an adult goose.

My best luck has come from running and gunning fence rows and windrows between bush lots or paddocks... catch them out early and late while they are mousing, carry a cottontail distress and a mouse squeaker... I have called in many by squeaking on the back of my hand with pursed lips. I don't use a blind, it takes too long to set-up and takedown and move around... in a blind, you are also tempted to stay too long. Just wear camouflage and keep your movement WAY down... spot them before they spot you. If you have an animal patterned, you might stay all morning or evening, trying to catch it moving from or to its den, but most of the time, I give a stand 30 minutes to an hour and then move if nothing has showed... once in a while you get busted by a late runner, but covering more country more than makes up for that. IME, most will respond within 20 minutes, if they are near enough to respond at all. My all time favourite fox gun is a bolt action .222 Rem, but I have taken them with .22 LR, .22 WMR, .17 HMR, .22 Hornet, .223 Rem and a bunch of random rifles that I happened to be carrying when the opportunity presented. Scouting is key, but after a while, you get a good feel for "foxy" country. My best day was six adult reds taken with a .222 at ranges of 20 yards to 200 yards... most were closer to 20 than 200... a .22 Mag or .22 Hornet is an excellent close range fox rifle option. Most of the time, I use one of several .223 rifles with a soft SP fox load. The 45 grain SP Hornet bullet over 21.0 grains of H4895 has been a consistently accurate, moderate load in several rifles.
 
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phinton81 said:
22 should be fine. Predator call from a blind while paying attention to the wind should be a good place to start. Lots of food in summer so low probability of responding to a call but it’s better than nothing. Hides won’t be any good right now and cottagers will be around so be mindful of shooting in areas that aren’t used to shooting in the summer.

Patrick
Click to expand...

Thanks Patrick, I will likely give that a go. And yeah, its pretty off the beaten track but always mindful of a safe shot :)
 
hoytcanon said:
Forget the Turkey call... foxes won't mess with turkeys this time of year... when the poults hatch in the spring they might try to snatch one, but an adult Turkey can handle a fox, so can an adult goose.

My best luck has come from running and gunning fence rows and windrows between bush lots or paddocks... catch them out early and late while they are mousing, carry a cottontail distress and a mouse squeaker... I have called in many by squeaking on the back of my hand with pursed lips. I don't use a blind, it takes too long to set-up and takedown and move around... in a blind, you are also tempted to stay too long. Just wear camouflage and keep your movement WAY down... spot them before they spot you. If you have an animal patterned, you might stay all morning or evening, trying to catch it moving from or to its den, but most of the time, I give a stand 30 minutes to an hour and then move if nothing has showed... once in a while you get busted by a late runner, but covering more country more than makes up for that. IME, most will respond within 20 minutes, if they are near enough to respond at all. My all time favourite fox gun is a bolt action .222 Rem, but I have taken them with .22 LR, .22 WMR, .17 HMR, .22 Hornet, .223 Rem and a bunch of random rifles that I happened to be carrying when the opportunity presented. Scouting is key, but after a while, you get a good feel for "foxy" country. My best day was six adult reds taken with a .222 at ranges of 20 yards to 200 yards... most were closer to 20 than 200... a .22 Mag or .22 Hornet is an excellent close range fox rifle option. Most of the time, I use one of several .223 rifles with a soft SP fox load. The 45 grain SP Hornet bullet over 21.0 grains of H4895 has been a consistently accurate, moderate load in several rifles.
Click to expand...

This is a wonderful help! Thank you. I will likely go with my .22 LR as I am expecting the range to be less than 100m.I have a rabbit distress call but have been practicing the pursed lip idea with some good results, well I think so anyway!
 
It's beautiful cottage country. I still have relatives in the area, but most live up in the heart of Muskoka now. It has changed a lot over the years. Where grandma used to live is all new cottages, houses....but still so pretty there. Don't forget to hunt down some wild leeks in the spring. What a treat....have fun
 
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