Fox hunting protects cows?

100% against hunting. Surely drag hunting provides the participants with the experience they enjoy and does not lead to the ripping to pieces of a defenceless animal

I think that is the idea, somerset, and I would have thought that most 'hunts' are exactly that and therefore within the current law.

A few months ago we had fox hunters chasing a fox across local fields near to where I live. The farmer had not given his permission for them to do so. Nevertheless, they continued across his field, destroying some winter crops in the process. They then continued onto a small housing estate and continued to chase the fox which had fled into back gardens, seeking refuge.

The residents came out and told the hunt to leave. They were shouted and sworn at by the hunt. Photographs were taken, clearly showing the hunt and hounds on domestic land and those were subsequently handed to the police. It took months for the police to investigate and decide that they couldn't take any action, even though there were witnesses and photographic evidence. The hunting laws are a travesty.

I walk on Exmoor and a few times I have when out walking met the hunters in full force enjoying their so called sport. What a lot of arrogant ba.... they were with no regard or respect for others. I see no reason for any blood sport, if we need to keep a population down then a humane cull is the answer. I have since joined the Leaque Against Cruel Sport.

100% against hunting. Surely drag hunting provides the participants with the experience they enjoy and does not lead to the ripping to pieces of a defenceless animal

Wasn't it an excuse for a mad ride as well?

Thanks varian. I always imagined country dwellers to disparage 'townies' views on the.. err... sport.

I believe that when fox hunting was legal in this country the number of foxes killed by hunts was only 5% of all the foxes which were killed (culled) so there was no practical justification for fox hunting.

It was all to do with blood lust and belonging to a certain group, which might have social advantages.

How could it be called a sport? The euphemism used for blood sports was "field sports" or "country sports" and I can tell you, having lived most of my life in a very rural area that most country people, including farmers and others whose livestock might be attacked by the fox, have always been utterly opposed to fox hunting.

Town dwellers were probably less opposed because they knew less about it. The so-called "Countryside Alliance" which promotes blood sports will tell you that the opposite is true.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

A sport is usually against two evenly matched opponents. How the hell hunting down an animal can go under that heading beats me.

So none probably

I wonder how many cows aborted from fright as a result of huntsmen and horses thundering across their land blowing horns?

The farmer, who allows access to his land and the hunt work together. Stewards would never allow it and there is one huntsman who blows a horn otherwise the hounds would be confused.

www.nadis.org.uk/bulletins/neosporosis.aspx
and
cattletoday.info/brucellosis.htm

But - if the fox population tends to self-regulate bringing back hunting would make no difference.
I wonder how many cows aborted from fright as a result of huntsmen and horses thundering across their land blowing horns?

Another if: I wonder how many cows abort because of ? shit against how many abort naturally.

Turns out it wasn't rubbish if the contaminated ? shit thing and what it does to cows is true. NB "if"

It's all very odd Eloethan and it's not even April 1st.

Mind you, it was just a comment in the paper

Sorry Jalima, I wasn't referring to the info you provided as rubbish, just the reference about the protection of cows.

Our garden could turn into Sleeping Beauty's forest if we didn't go round and pull up all the trees grown from the nuts the squirrels have buried - then presumably forgotten about.

I am not against controlling foxes and such but I am against making a sport of it. I would not feed wild foxes. or encourage badgers .

We have really messed up the British Isles natural food chain over the years. Over grazing in some areas, wild ponies etc are now causing problems.
We don't have the top predators to keep things in check wolves etc.
The squeamish British public would not easily tolerate culling wild ponies. It has been suggested that we eat horse meat to keep the balance under control.

I make no excuses for saying this. We happily eat cows and sheep but see horses as pets . They have to keep deer and goats under control or they would ruin pasture by over grazing.

The farmers here used to use the human faeces etc from their septic tanks to spray on their fields. It was only banned about 10 years ago by the EU.
Evidently the most prized manure used to be pigeon faeces, that's why you see so many pigeonniers here.

I forgot hedgehog shit.

And then there's birds. I reckon at least half of the plants in my garden are the result of seeds in bird shit. Well fertilised obv ?

Fox poo is called scumber*MissA*.

Oh it is foul. I went for a walk with a chap I used to support at work and he trod in some. I retched so hard I wet myself. Happy days!

Yes, I think I heard someone call it that - we had some on the front lawn and the smell was vile.

Is Fox poop called scrat or something?