Back the Ban

[Kevin Milkins]

Having spent most of my adult life in the country, I feel I have a balanced view on fox hunting and yet have no answers as to what would be the best way of controlling numbers.

In my early years of country life, I could not comprehend the (hooray Henry) life style and thought them all to be a bunch of dicks, but in later life as a rugby player, I did get to know people from all walks of life and began to understand,(if not appreciate) all of them.

I used to hunt with a gun, (rough shooting), and most all I shot got eaten. Although I was never in favour of the fox and hounds coming onto our farm, I was forced to except it as "tradition", but I soon became much more tolerant of them when I started to keep chickens. To return home from doing your shopping to find all of your chickens dead and mutilated by a fox is more than enough to change anyone's perspective of this nice little persecuted creature.

I would like to live in an ideal world, but nature has taught me that is just not possible.

[Leanne]

I apologise for repeating myself here - there is a lot of talk of shooting being enough to maintain numbers if it required. But the problem is that the shooting isn't managed - it's indiscriminent. Foxes are going to go the way of the wolves. As distasteful as people find it - hunting with hounds is managed so as not to obliterate the species. It is also 'seasonal' so during the breeding season mothers are not killed leaving a den of young to starve. Cubbing is a truely barbaric practice but when people talk of going cubbing now - it isn't do go cubbing, it is to take the new hounds out to learn the ways of the hunt (that they have to stay with the pack, leave 'other' prey alone, etc).

Hounds will hunt until they are old or frail enough not to be able to do. The hounds have a good life while they are alive - much better a life than a pet in some cases.

When my horses get PTS (a long time off as they are still babies) their bodies will be given to the hunt to feed the hounds. That way my horses will be able to continue to run if only in spirit

[JimH]

I hear what you're saying but to be ripped apart even for a few seconds is a truly barbaric and undignified way for anything to die.

Yes farmers have to do what they do to protect they're livestock but why can't we keep the fox population down when it is too high in a way that does not mean such horibble suffering and a barbaric death??!! Killing foxes in such a way that is done during a hunt to keep numbers of population down would appear acceptable for some people but would it be acceptable if the tables were turned and foxes were keeping the numbers of humans down by chasing us to the point of exhaustion and then having us being ripped to bits by hounds?!

No it would not but of course we are supposable the most advance and more intelligent than animals aren't we not? I sometimes wonder if we are not. Animals do what they do out of nesscaity be it out of hunger or to surrive. We do things to surrive and mostly out of amusement. Our differing attitude to procreating to animals is an example of that. Animals reproduce to carry on the speices as they do not live long we have alot of control over whether we reproduce at all and mostly do it for fun.

Humans are animals as we are mammals and the urge to protect our young is the same in humans and animals. Mammals will protect their young feircely and would do anything to ensure their surrival but know when they must say goodbye which is where we struggle. The maternal instinct in humans is the same and i doubt that there is any parent who loves their children that would not do anything to make sure they surrived over themselves. So how is it so difficult to realise that animals have feelings and feel pain as we do?!

Yes we have the upper hand and must do what we can to protect the animals in our care against being killed by predators but to destroy an animal in the way that is done through a hunt is just unnesscary and wrong. Quick and painless as possible if an animal needs to be killed due to them attacking livestock not drawn out so cruelly. If you can think about the hens being killed horribly then you can think of the fox or other predator doing the killing and give them a decent quick death to prevent them doing the same again.

A Fox will destroy a whole flock of chickens, yet it will only take the one away it wants to eat. it is indiscriminate killing. Not just for its needs.

[Stavro]

As many of you probably know, if David Cameron gets into office at the next election, he wants to repeal the ban on fox hunting. For those who are interested in Backing the Ban against Fox Hunting, please let your voice be heard here.

Thank you.

No problem. I completely agree with a ban on fox hunting.

As for David Cameron, isn't he the same one that promised a referendum on Europe and then changed his mind? Just another Gordon Brown, I suppose.

[Metalattakk]

Just another Gordon Brown, I suppose.

Of course, they're all the same. He's a politician, as are all the rest. And as a group, they are all insidious, self-serving, self-promoting, self-aggrandising numbskulls.

My Grandfather fought in WWII, in Africa and Italy, and he successfully escaped Dunkerque. He didn't do any of that so that I could vote for the type of politician we have today.

[Vistravi]

Another thing with the shooting is it isn't always a clean shot and foxes escape horrifically injured. Hounds guarantee a quick, clean kill. Not necessarily pleasant to watch though.

How can you watch an animal being ripped to bits?

How exactly is being shot and being horrifically wounded any worse than being chased to the point of exhaustion and then ripped to bits?

[buggyracer]

yes, back the ban....and next it will be shooting then angling, i dont think they will stop at just fox hunting, as ive said before fox hunting culls the weak and infirm, only the fittest survive a rifle is indiscriminant it doesnt care

But i wont back a ban simply due to the fact i really beleive if they manage to ban this (in all forms, i know its already banned) they will move onto other fieldsports, it really is more to do with class than animal welfare im afraid

[BINBOB]

No problem. I completely agree with a ban on fox hunting.

As for David Cameron, isn't he the same one that promised a referendum on Europe and then changed his mind? Just another Gordon Brown, I suppose.

Spot on,Stavro.

[Tubthumper]

I always wondered why they don't do hunting with hounds, horses, daft red coats and silly horns in the USA. I think its because the anti-lobby are much more switched on there...

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[Leanne]

Since moving up here and getting meat straight from the farm, game straight from the hunter and fish straight from the river and also my chickens are free range I find intensively farmed meat distasteful and now rarely shop for meat in the supermarket.

Vistravi - In my post I stated that I used to be anti fox hunting - I haven't chosen to watch a fox being torn to bits. I went to a hunt to become informed and it wasn't what I expected. But...the hounds are guaranteed to kill the fox. One that escapes after being shot might die from a maggot infested wound 2 weeks later.

The population is managed not obliterated. I for one wouldn't want to see the fox go the way of the wolf - and that is how it seems to be going

[Phill]

I always wondered why they don't do hunting with hounds, horses, daft red coats and silly horns in the USA. I think its because the anti-lobby are much more switched on there...

Probably more to do with different traditions, why use mutts when you have the right to bear arms!

Anyway, the yanks do tend to go for overkill (no pun intended), why tootle around on a horse looking for a wee fox when you can straff whole swathes of the countryside with uzi's and automatic shotguns.

[Leanne]

I always wondered why they don't do hunting with hounds, horses, daft red coats and silly horns in the USA.

they do

[buggyracer]

I always wondered why they don't do hunting with hounds, horses, daft red coats and silly horns in the USA. I think its because the anti-lobby are much more switched on there...

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erm they do

[buggyracer]

i recently read something that made me laugh, it was from an anonymous Countryside alliance donor, it read,

"i hate you and i hate hunting, but i will do anything to get those socialists out"

[Stavro]

My Grandfather fought in WWII, ... and ... He didn't do any of that so that I could vote for the type of politician we have today.

Well said. My grandfather, too.