Fox Hunting- Your Views

[brindlerainbow]

I live on Dartmoor,I am not a farmer but am right in the middle of farming ( and hunting ) country and lots of my friends are farmers and also hunters.Farming in this area is not affected by rabbits at all and they cause no loss of earnings.Foxes however cause massive loss of earnings by killing poultry,lambs and calves.........yes thats right calves.My neighbouring farmer appeared to be having calves born with no tongues and they were having to be destroyed at birth.Farmer thought maybe problem with the bull causing deformities in the calf.He happened to be up at the barn checking cows and one was calving in the field so he stayed in the barn to watch to make sure all ok.As calf is being born head out but not whole body yet, along comes a fox bold as you like in broad daylight and starts to eat the tongue of the calf before it is fully born.Rabbits may cause loss of earnings to farmers growing crops but ceratinly not to sheep,cattle,poultry farmers. Delfachhighwayman you keep saying there are more effective ways of controlling foxes but you seem reluctant to tell us what they are!!!! We all know that shooting dosent always result in a clean kill,snaring is too dangerous because of the danger to pet cats and dogs so please tell us pro hunters the best way to keep the numbers down..................

[delfachhighwayman]

Right, I don't do this very often, but on this ocassion I am going to have to admit defeat.

Viking- you are a farmer and you say the fox popluation def. does need controlling then who am I to argue. I cannot provide a better alternative to controlling the population then using dogs.

If its a necessary evil to control the fox population then I can accept that, but I can't and don't understand how people can get enjoyment out of it- I have said all this before that the problem comes with associating what should be seen as a hard but necessary thing to do (killing the fox) with the "fun" of the ride.

This leads to the confusion for non supporters, where they cannot understand the necessity of killing the fox due to this being overshadowed by the "fun" that people have doing it. It seems like it should go against human nature of caring and nurture etc. Obviously there are people who haev to kill animals for a living whether it is those in abattoir who kill for our food and fellow vets who kill to relieve pain. At no point do we enjoy this, we feel nothing as we have to distance ourselves because its a job we have to do.

In conclusion, I agree that hunting foxes with dogs is necessary to control the fox population if the farmers deem this necessary, however, the enjoyment gained on the back end of the death of the fox, seems unfair and goes against all of my values as a human being.

Thansk for all of your input as it has in parts educated me and helped me reach my own conclusion surrounding this debate.

[delfachhighwayman]

Oh one last thing I missed out- I think its unnecessary to justify fox hnting by vilifying the fox - I am refering to posts where people refer to the fox as "blood thirsty" and reference to how teh fox eats the tongues of young calves as they are being born.

At the end of the day, a fox is a predator (just like humans) and the fox does not have moral values as humans do, therefore the vilify them and personify them is mis leading and inappropriate propaganda to appeal to the nature/nurture aspect of human psyche.

Sorry I had to get this down as I feel it is used to try and justify hunting to those who are emotionally sensitive, when the fox is only doing as nature has taught it.

I promise thats it!

[viking]

delfachhighwayman, thank you.

[princessstacie22]

I have never been hunting and know only a little about it but here is my tuppence worth:

The fox is a predetor. It spreads disease. It kills farmers livestock and poultry - something which there livelyhood relys on. If not controlled properly, the fox becomes brazen, unafraid of humans and continues to spread disease, kill livestock and multiply in rural and urban areas. I do feel that although the hunt chases it until it is exhausted and scared to death - what does a lion do to a zebra, baby zebra, antelope etc??
What i dont agree with, is blocking the Foxes dens and stuff like that. If a fox goes to ground leave it, its simply survival of the fittest.
I cant understand how someone on here said a vixen with pups doesn't give off a scent, thats total twollop. Every fox gives off a secent pups or not.
I am neither for or against fox hunting, but imagine the whole chase/ride would be extremely exciting.
If it is to be done i think it should be done properly, find the fox and chase it. Dont use dirty tricks like blocking the dens up- thats where survival of the fittest doesnt come in to it.

[klouisem]

Ban the ban!


Hunting is the best galloping threw fields over hedges ect you can't beat it !x