The absolute arrogance of these wild life slaughterers

How can we consider ourselves a civilised country when these activities are openly practised? The Royals may be too old to participate now, but Charles and Camilla certainly joined in when younger.
It's just appalling how cruel people can be....women as much as men.

I remember seeing hares when I was younger, such magical animals... what can people be thinking killing them ...
it just defies belief

😢

Kate and William are avid hunt enthusiasts and host many
" shoots" at their Norfolk property Amner Hall. They have already introduced the young Prince George into the pleasures of the sport.

people.com/royals/inside-the-royal-familys-hunting-tradition-yes-kate-middleton-hunts/

There aren’t enough hunts operating, let alone enough hunts pushing against the law for the OP to be hearing about incursions ‘day by day’.
Are you clear about the law on hunting.? Probably not. I’ll not tell you look it up on GOV.UK.
I suspect the majority of posters are urban based. Have never had you chickens pulled apart and dumped. Have never suffered a fox raid your bins. Foxes aren’t that interested in rabbits by the way - they run too fast. A nice mole or a shrew will do.
But what really annoys me about the above posts is the reference to ‘toffs’, as if you have to be superior, not a farmer or other ordinary person looking to exercise your horse over a perfectly legal drag hunt. But that’s just part of an age old class war perpetuated by the left wing.
A final point of order. Hard coursing is illegal. Moan about them instead.

ExperiencedNotOld

There aren’t enough hunts operating, let alone enough hunts pushing against the law for the OP to be hearing about incursions ‘day by day’.
Are you clear about the law on hunting.? Probably not. I’ll not tell you look it up on GOV.UK.
I suspect the majority of posters are urban based. Have never had you chickens pulled apart and dumped. Have never suffered a fox raid your bins. Foxes aren’t that interested in rabbits by the way - they run too fast. A nice mole or a shrew will do.
But what really annoys me about the above posts is the reference to ‘toffs’, as if you have to be superior, not a farmer or other ordinary person looking to exercise your horse over a perfectly legal drag hunt. But that’s just part of an age old class war perpetuated by the left wing.
A final point of order. Hard coursing is illegal. Moan about them instead.

This is not about the damage that foxes may do though is it? Any farmer has the right to shoot a fox or other predator that threatens his livestock and most people would not object to a cull if circumstances warranted it.
What we are talking about is the idea of killing a living being in the name of sport and getting pleasure from it. In many circumstances even breeding animals for the sole purpose of being able to hunt them. Shame on them.

I couldn’t disagree with you more.

Foxes are predators just like human beings. We kill untold millions of animals for food each year and waste another huge amount. What is the difference?

Foxes do what foxes do. I have lived half my life in deepest rural Britain and at present live on the edge of the South Downs - so more urban. However, I have been close witness to many hunts over the years and the arrogance and entitlement the hunters have shown has always appalled me. Even once being pushed into a hedge with my daughter in her pram as we were walking back home. The riders seemed utterly unaware that I was there. And yes of course I am aware that it isn’t just the very wealthy who take part, although I suspect there are very few poor people who can afford to stable and maintain a Hunter. The less wealthy of course dash around either on foot or vehicle. The whole thing imo is a debacle and evil one at that.

I didn’t mention the word “toff” merely sub-human or dregs - you can take your choice.

The way the hunt is carried out is inhuman and inhumane.

That post is to eno

Drag hunts are illegal but hunting foxes with a pack of dogs is not.

From HM Gov - it's pretty obvious.

"It’s illegal to hunt foxes with a pack of dogs. You can use dogs to simulate hunting, for example ‘drag’ or ‘trail’ hunting.

You can use up to 2 dogs to chase (‘flush’ or ‘stalk’) foxes out of hiding if the fox is causing damage to your property or the environment.

Your dogs can’t go underground to find the foxes unless they’re threatening wild or game birds kept for shooting - only one dog can go underground at any time.

You must:

shoot the fox quickly after it’s been found

carry proof you own the land you’re shooting on or written permission from the landowner

You can be fined, and your dogs or hunting equipment taken away, if you break the law.

There are other ways you can control foxes if they’re causing damage to your property or the environment."

There are more urban foxes than there are in the countryside. When I lived in Suffolk - countryside not town -
I saw live foxes twice and some dead and two dead badgers. Occasionally a hare.

Where I live in France we occasionally see foxes ( a beautiful one the other day) badgers, wild boar and hares and deer of course. All of these creatures have come into my garden, mostly deer. It's hunting season at the moment so I think they're hiding somewhere.

At different times friends have had foxes get their chickens - usually because the runs aren't sufficient secure. They kill all the chickens rather than just one because they don't know whether there will be any left the next time they visit that particular run. So they leave them thinking that the dead ones will be there next time.

Grany

These too

I do wish people would stop confusing shooting with FOX hunting.

Hunting and shooting are completely different sports.

ExperiencedNotOld

There aren’t enough hunts operating, let alone enough hunts pushing against the law for the OP to be hearing about incursions ‘day by day’.
Are you clear about the law on hunting.? Probably not. I’ll not tell you look it up on GOV.UK.
I suspect the majority of posters are urban based. Have never had you chickens pulled apart and dumped. Have never suffered a fox raid your bins. Foxes aren’t that interested in rabbits by the way - they run too fast. A nice mole or a shrew will do.
But what really annoys me about the above posts is the reference to ‘toffs’, as if you have to be superior, not a farmer or other ordinary person looking to exercise your horse over a perfectly legal drag hunt. But that’s just part of an age old class war perpetuated by the left wing.
A final point of order. Hard coursing is illegal. Moan about them instead.

NO not this old chestnut about those of us who want the ban on fox hunting to be properly enforced, and other related beyond cruel activities banned, being 'townies'. Many of us have grown up and lived all our lives in rural areas, and actually know a lot about what goes on.

Yes, foxes do what they do naturally. And yes, they do take rabbits, and 1000s of rodents which are harmful to farmers and crops, and do a brilliant job. I lost my chickens (rescues) twice, due to my own fault, and locking them up too late. I never blamed the fox. There are lots of modern methods now to protect poultry too. And predation of lambs is rare, often due to twins and triplets, and a wealking that the mother cannot protect when she has 2 or 3. Modern farming.

But please, don't tell us that we do not understand rural life and are from 'urban areas'. You could not be further than the truth.

I have lived in a city setting once where all hunting was forbidden. The Council employed a number of specialist game and wildlife keepers- who would monitor all wildlife, and cull as absolutely necessary for good balance, and good harmony with local farmers. Brilliant.

If you keep chickens, ducks or geese the fox, or badger or otter is going to get them one day it’s only a question of when, the hunt will have no effect whatsoever, they never did. Farmers and gamekeepers shot about 10 times as many if they caused problems, they still do.

The hunt really do believe that they are keeping the “sport” alive until it is legal again, there is no chance that any government is going to do that, so it is time to stop this silly “hound exercise” they’re doing now.

It’s quite exhilarating watching the hounds and the red coated huntsmen in full flight. We always used to watch the Puckeridge and Thurlow Hunt on a Boxing Day. Being country dwellers we knew it was the sport of the rich or it was in those days - the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable as I believe Oscar Wilde put it. We used to cheer the fox on and hope it escaped.

We did away way with bear baiting and cock fighting and fox hunting is akin. It is barbaric. There are plenty of humane ways of despatching foxes without chasing the poor thing for miles with dogs baying behind it and then savagely tearing it apart. Should it go to ground it was dug out and torn apart. Sick.

Chris Packham reporting on twitter

H.I.T.
@FoxHITeam
FOXES UNDER ATTACK: With fox cubs to be born in just weeks, adult foxes are under intense attack.
The final weeks of hunting and early weeks of snaring will cause carnage for our fox friends.
Keep vigilant. Report any concerns. Help us protect foxes and their cubs this spring.

Cubbing sound cute doesn't it- but it is the most cruel and abhorrent part of it all. And so is killing mothers with yound still under earth, that will die a slow death.

Fox hunting does not control the population, that’s a myth. It’s not in the hunt’s interests to clear the area of foxes. They’d have nothing to indulge their love of blood sports if that happened.

Blossoming

Fox hunting does not control the population, that’s a myth. It’s not in the hunt’s interests to clear the area of foxes. They’d have nothing to indulge their love of blood sports if that happened.

That says it all really... BLOOD SPORTS

Blossoming

Fox hunting does not control the population, that’s a myth. It’s not in the hunt’s interests to clear the area of foxes. They’d have nothing to indulge their love of blood sports if that happened.

Proven again and again by lengthy and very professional research, initially by Bristol University. Foxes are very good at controlling their numbers in relation to available food.

People feeding the in town areas is really not helpful at all, and massive food debris from cheap food chains neither. But foxes do an excellent job at getting rid of all sorts of rodents. Without them, we would be overrun with them.

As for lamb predation, islands without foxes have similar losses. The main issue being enforced multiple births. Ewes can deal very well with a fox if she has one healthy lamb- but will struggle with a weakling second or third.

And farmers can shoot a rogue fox, quickly and cleanly, anytime.

I doubt all farmers can shoot a fox quickly and cleanly. Experience with rifles and shotguns is less than it was for a variety of reasons.

😬

Cubbing usually takes place in August and they get round it by just using a couple of dogs.

As someone used to riding (before my knees put a stop to it) I can understand the thrill of galloping across the countryside. However, the thought of a poor sentient creature being at the front running for its life has never appealed. There must be other ways for these people to get their kicks.

“Foxes are very good at controlling their numbers in relation to available food.”

Very professional research by activists I’m sure, it used to be about “Foxes and Rabbits” , lots of rabbits and the fox population increased, less rabbits more foxes starved. That’s when foxes take chickens or lambs, a vixen with cubs to feed will be very persistent.
The rabbit population in this area is very low because of disease, there is always a couple of foxes around but nobody keeps outdoor chickens and most lambs are born indoors in this area, it’s easier to manage them.

I think it’s a great sport and I’ve always longed to hunt. And I’m very anti-hare coursing, but I expect the collective venom of GN will now fall upon my head.

Floriel

I think it’s a great sport and I’ve always longed to hunt. And I’m very anti-hare coursing, but I expect the collective venom of GN will now fall upon my head.

You shouldn’t stir the pot most on GN are genuine animal welfare supporters

Well then it becomes an echo chamber in which no dissent is allowed and nobody dares voice an alternative opinion for fear of being described as ‘scum.’