While still hunting I'm putting the stalk on 2 does.  Between me and the does is a fox that looks like he's stalking the does too.  The does wind me and blow, they take off and I step on a twig ... "Snap".

At the sound the fox turns and comes right for me.  While a tree is briefly between us I draw ... he steps out and I take the shot.

He looks like he turns inside-out and he's gone.  And I mean gone.

I can't believe he's disappeared that quick.  There's good blood on the arrow and I spend the next 2 hours looking for blood (or the fox) and not a drop.

I went back to the site of the shot and here's what I find.


I start looking around again and a few feet away I find this.


And here's where it goes.


I can't believe it.  This den is just a few feet away from where he was hit.  I have a shovel in the truck, so I go have a sit for a couple of hours and try to figure this out.

I go back, get down and take a look with my flashlight.  There he is, about 5/6 feet down the hole and not moving.  I cut a 'hook' from a nearby sapling and fish him out.

The wound was a bit gruesome so I didn't take a pic.  But I'm taking it to the taxidermist later today and I'll share a pic when I get him back.

Howard Hill 'Big Five' 55# and a 145 Eclipse.

Niiiiiccccceeee!

   Can't wait to see him, congrats.

Big 5 alive & well in NC!

Well done!!

Nice going and great efort on retreving him.

Well-done!

i love it. I had a friend try to "fish out" what he thought was a coon, it was a skunk.  bad day.

   

Good job.    I`m glad to see you didn`t give up on finding it.Some hunters barely give a effort to look if they don`t find any sign.

good job

Very cool!

 

Hittin' 'em with Howard! That's what I'm talking about! Congrats and look forward to the pics.      

Perserverance got you that trophy.

Great job!!!!!!

Thx all.  Back from the taxidermist; should have him back sometime next summer.  It'll give me time to get over 'sticker shock'.  

Nice shot and good work retrieving the animal

awesome job,killing a fox with traditional gear is no small feat either.iv got a fox mounted that i called in,it and the rock base cost me $500.so its not all bad having to wait until next summer to get it back,lol.more time to pay on it.

   Congrats!

What a disappearing act, glad you found him. Nice shooting! Congrats!!