how big do foxes get outside of New England?

sleddogg

sleddogg

New member
Hi Guys - How much do everybody's foxes get across the U.S.? I shot what I considered a large male, and he weighed 14 lbs. Of course he was almost blown in 1/2 by my .223 using a real modest handload and 55 grain SP bullets.

This same load is pin hole in dime out on 35 lb yotes, but our fox just seem real little and fragile.

Are our fox just really small in New England, or do people have a better load for fox in .223? I read about fox and the .223 alot, and the 2 just don't seem to go together.

They have beautiful fur in the winter months, and it is just not worth pulling the trigger with my .223. What are you guys using to shoot your foxes with.

A few local guy say .22 mag or Hornet. What do you think?
 
14lbs is larger than average for an adult. In WY they are a little bigger. I guess out of the hundreds of fox that I have taken I never weighed one. I stretched a couple that were in the 50 some inches range. these were probably more than 14, but not sure.
I used to hunt every day there was snow before the mange took most of them 13 years ago. I used a .223/ Sierra fmjbt, 55gr. and about 27 gr of 4320, but not positive on the weight of the powder. A Mach IV might be a decent fox round, but not for coyote. A .222 would be a good one, espesially in the fmjbt bullet, for fox.T.20
 
I use the Ruger 77/22 Hornet with reloads of 40 gr. V-max, 12.5 gr. Lil' Gun and OAL of 1.800". Performs perfectly on greys and reds. Have not shot past 65 yrds....did an appropriate job calling, haha. .22 cal. entrance, @12ga. slug dia. exit. Our fox in NC average 12-15 pds. for greys and 16-18pds /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif or so for reds. Cheap gun to reload and shoot, quiet, and no recoil. 3000 fps...according to reload info. Hope this helps.
 
Hey Sleddogg, Here in alaska they do not get any bigger that new england. They just grow more fur in the colder part of winter. I like the 17 HMR on them. 223 is to big.
 
The best calibers I've found on fox have been the .17 Rem, .22 Hornet, .218 Bee, & the .222 Rem. All of these are loaded down to reduce velocity.
I have found to .223 Rem too destructive. I guess if you use FMJ - it may be alright. I personally have never been a real big fan of them as I've found if a shot is slightly misplaced, chances are not good you'll find the animal.
I know alot of people are using the .17 HMR, I too have had some success & some failures with it. I do think thank with in 100yds it is about as good as any.
I have not really heard good vs bad on the .204 Ruger as of yet, I would guess at that speed - it may also be a little tough on fox fur. Any reports??? Let us know!!!!
 
I've often heard of 20 lb foxes but have never seen one. I've had some folks send me pics of foxes they said were over 20 lbs but when looking at them, I have to doubt it.

I had one guy tell me he kills foxes from 25 to 28 lbs every year and he anticipates eventually getting one that is 30 lbs. I doubt it.

I've killed a lot of foxes and they all run about 12 lbs give or take. A big one will go 15 lbs.

As far as rifles. I think the .17rem is the ultimate fox rifle. It's a long range, flat shooting rifle that seldom makes a mess out of the fox.

Randy
 
R Buker is on the money again. A 30 lb fox would be like 100 lb bobcat. I guess predator callers are like fisherman, they always make there catch a little bigger then what it really is. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Those big stories fly around... the biggest coyote I've seen in person went about 30 pounds here in my neck of the woods yet I've heard stories of dozens of 40-50 pounders! LOL. 99% of these estimated animals never touch a scale, I have a feeling if a guy carried a good scale around long enough he could stop a lot of the fish tales in his area... not all... but a lot! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
well i guess i won't mention the 80lb coyote i shot while he was carrying a black angus on his back..and the shot was at 250 yards, with my little cousin's BB gun and i smacked him in the right pupil in a wind storm /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

did i mention Bigfoot stopped to help me skin him? :eek:

LOL!

my biggest red fox was 13lbs, and shot after being caught enjoying one of my training pheasants.
 
To all the guys that have never seen a 50lb. 'yote, here he is. They are not at all uncommon here in the Berkshires.

big_dog.jpg


Our foxes are average I guess.
 
Sleddogg I use a 222 Rem on Fox and I down load it some.But I thought this year I would try out my 221 Fireball as see how that does.BTW I have shot a fox that weighed more than 20 pounds a couple of years ago at a kids camp not far from here in Keene.
 
Now that is a stout coyote. I saw two when I lived in NY, I could tell they were a good amount bigger than the IA ones. One was looking over the tall grass at the Keene ,NY airstrip. It looked big enough to be a wolf.T.20
 
jrbhunter -

That guy touched 2 scales one read 54 and the other 52. I call him 53lbs.

drewMIhunter- Just 'cause you haven't seen it does not mean its not out there.

I told this story alot, but I shot a 51 pounder a few years back, and entered him in a season long "Largest coyote " contest. He finnish 5th or sixth. I was dissapointed but it opened my eyes to the size that Easterns can grow to. If I remember correctly 63lbs. was the largest that year.

Thats why I am curious to the sizes of Fox outside my world here in New England.

Thanks for all the imput on fox size, and guns so far!
 
Sled, I wasn't talking about northeastern or northwester or canadian or alaskan animals... I was talking about MY AREA. If you'd killed that 50 pounder here you would've been on the evening news.

I saw a picture of a coyote that supposedly weighed 113(?) pounds in New York... entered as the new state record last year. I have no doubt they get that big up there, I've seen four or five on this website in the last couple months.

The average coyote here is probably 22-27 pounds I'd guess... a big one would be 28-33 pounds. There are probably guys that have killed 40 pounders here... I haven't seen them. I've heard more "stories" of 50 pounders than I've seen actual 35 pounders though! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I do belive sleddogg's original thread was about the size of foxes outside of N.E. By the way jrbhunter that photo is bogus and been around the net more times then that **** carmin electra.
Now, a 22wmr or hornet makes a fine fox rifle.
I consider fox to be a cunning predator, habitat and human intrusion will answer it's size.
 
my fox dont get very big at all the greys jus loook like big house cats and the reds aint much bigger the yotes get decent sized i seen what i thought was a yote a wile back when deer huntin scoped in on him it was a damn timber wolf big ulgy sob musta been 120+ lbs had me thinkin world record yote for a min lol
 


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