National Trust bans blood sports on its land

MaizieD

Lilydrop

I have never understood any kind of hunting. What do people get out of hunting and killing a poor defenceless Animal.

Well, if the young lads I used to work with are anything to go by, they trained their dogs to rip rabbits or hares apart and got a big thrill out of watching them do it. They're the ones that sicken me the most.

Most hunt followers rarely, if ever, saw a fox being killed and didn't follow for the pleasure of seeing an animal killed.

Few people are aware of the strong link with the hunters in red coats, and the activities of their 'terrier men'. The riders in red coat don't want to know and close a blind eye- because the terrier men fo their dirty work. Very strong and proven links to coursing, lamping, badger digging, baiting and fighting, with or without dogs. Ask any wildlife Police Inspector- and anyone from local wildlife and badger groups.

To quote Oscar Wilde "the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable" Difficult to describe him as being "anti toff"

Well, if the elite need one sticking on 'em, then I'm all for it.

MissAdventure

Your argument is unsubstantiated by the fact that hunting isn't just for toffs, as has been pointed out on here.
Personally, I'm not in favour of and find it sickening that any person could gain pleasure from killing an animal for "sport".

I know that hunting isn't just for toffs. I live in the country. There is a local hunt. People I know hunt, not 'toffs' at all. But, 'stick one on the elite' has always been part of the anti hunting rhetoric.

All I'm saying is that they're not 'toffs' and they don't hunt out of some sort of blood lust. Drag hunting is about the last opportunity horse people have to ride at speed across country.

I don't support the killing of animals for sport at all. I'm even rather meurgh about fishing, where the poor things can potentially be caught and handled time and time again...

Anyway, I'll leave you all to get on with it, now.

To continue - it's undemocratic when the NT uses proxies but not when public companies use them for their shareholders? By the way, more than 76 thousand voted for the ban and 38 thousand against.

Urmstongran

Hmm. 21,000 proxy votes to be used by the chairman as she sees fit does not seem to be very democratic to me.

Do you have any evidence as to how those proxy votes were cast?

A member can lend their vote to the proxy or tell the proxy which way to vote. I checked the NT agm results and there are no discretionary votes recorded for the ban against trail hunting (there are for other motions). This means that the proxy was given directions.

If you think about the motion it's highly unlikely that anyone voting would not specify whether they were for or against.

Daisymae

Good news. This is about attempting to uphold the law, hunting with dogs is illegal in this county and this is a way of getting around it. I don't know why hunts feel they can act with impunity.

No, upholding the law would be prosecuting hunts which illegally kill an animal, 'accidentally' or deliberately. And giving them big fines.

It's a bit like sticking around while someone is beaten up, but not not throwing a punch, as far as I'm concerned.

Lilydrop

I have never understood any kind of hunting. What do people get out of hunting and killing a poor defenceless Animal.

Well, if the young lads I used to work with are anything to go by, they trained their dogs to rip rabbits or hares apart and got a big thrill out of watching them do it. They're the ones that sicken me the most.

Most hunt followers rarely, if ever, saw a fox being killed and didn't follow for the pleasure of seeing an animal killed.

I loathe all blood sports. The class of people carrying out these abhorrent 'sports' is irrelevant. How can anyone gain satisfaction from killing an innocent animal? Absolutely disgusting.

Good news. This is about attempting to uphold the law, hunting with dogs is illegal in this county and this is a way of getting around it. I don't know why hunts feel they can act with impunity.

It's about time these cruel 'traditions' were laid to rest (along with cock fighting, bear and badger baiting etc.) so I'm glad to see the NT get with the times.

Your argument is unsubstantiated by the fact that hunting isn't just for toffs, as has been pointed out on here.
Personally, I'm not in favour of and find it sickening that any person could gain pleasure from killing an animal for "sport".

and they often just abandon the dogs and leave them behind

well hare coursing is illegal as well

It is the laying of a 'scent' for dogs and riders to follow rather than chasing a fox.

Oh, it's drag hunting. Not sure why the old established terminology has to be changed. Drag hunting isn't illegal.

Right from the start of the anti blood sports movement I've felt that it is in part motivated by an 'anti toffs' feeling.

There were probably thousands more innocent bunnies slaughtered each year (and continue to be so) by 'lampers' with dogs, but they operate in the dark, at night, and aren't high profile at all... They're not very well off, either...

Does anyone have strong feelings about saving the bunnies, or is it just foxes that get all the love?

Where I used to live we often saw the hunt and the hounds occasionally got into our garden. They were really thin, to keep them keen I suppose, poor things. After fox hunting was outlawed I challenged the master when they all appeared one day, asking him what they were doing as fox hunting was illegal. ‘Hunting for rabbits madam.’ Yeah, right. I reported them to the police who just weren’t interested.

Good results but where did you find the figure of the 21,000 proxy votes, Urmston? I saw that members could authorise the chairman to vote on their behalf and wondered what the point of that would be (either vote or abstain??). 21,000 apparatchiks is a lot.

About time too.

Not NT land, but recently the local hunt here worried some alpacas on private land. They had not asked the landowners permission to hunt there!

There is an article here about how the law is manipulated

This is a blog which is quite distressing but shows the other side

The culture warriors have been active alongside covid which prevented the AGM last year.

But the culture warriors have been seen off by the more progressive arm of the NT,and their membership as gone up as a result.

Win win all around.

Trail hunting can be used as a cover for fox hunting, which still goes on, despite being illegal.
There are ways and means to do it, if you're determined and entitled enough.

this is the legal stance

But hunts do go ahead, usually on private estate land.

I'm surprised it wasn't banned earlier on NT land to be honest

My thoughts exactly Lilydrop.
I wonder how those that do it would feel if their pet cat/dog was mauled to death by another animal?.
And in nature that does happen.

Yes Polly I’m with you in that I don’t agree with fox hunting. But it’s illegal anyway.