Foxhunting? What sort of lunatics enjoy it?

[stackmonkey 10]

the fact is foxes need culling, not for sport, not necassarily for fun and not always because they are a pest. its mainly because that the fox has no natural predators and if it is allowed to breed unchecked it will exhaust the natural resources foxes need and what you'll get is lots of sick, starving dying foxes.

 

No problems thus far.

 

therefore its necessary to kill a few off for their own good.

I doubt the foxes would think it is for their own good, but I think you mean

killing off a few of the animals for the welfare of the rest of the environment so be it.

Which I don't have a problem with either.

 

its a hard cruel world but hunting is necessary and it serves an extremely useful purpose.

 

But hunting as it stands with all the costume, the horses, dogs and all associated paraphernalia is not necessary. The culling can be done far more efficiently by a much smaller number of trained marksmen (or markswomen).

A larger number of foxes can be killed in a smaller amount of time than any 'traditional hunt' achieves.

[AlBal 10]

Who does foxhunting?

 

Toffs who don't respect life and have so much money they are bored. I believe if they could hunt peasants/working class then they'd settle for that.

 

Here here! I dont agree with it at all, how can you get enjoyment out of a thing like fox hunting, whats wrong with playing a bit of sport!?

 

xxx

[RAR! 10]

So everyone's making a big deal out of fox hunting, how is it different from game shooting or dear hunting, i don't really have a problem with this personally because everyone is entitled to do what they want, but when have game or deers ever been considered to be a real pest?

[joyphil 10]

So everyone's making a big deal out of fox hunting, how is it different from game shooting or dear hunting

 

What a fantastic image this conjures up. I assume you mean old dears?

 

Personally I am rabidly pro-hunting. Mainly for the reason that I use the countryside a great deal myself, and now they can't let off steam gallumphing inefficiently around on horseback looking for sly Renard, the unspeakables are taking up the spaces I frequent. And I don't like them. I much preferred things as they were, with the ghastly braying lot of them occupied elsewhere than my playground.

 

On a slightly more practical note however, my farmer mate here in Newquay has blown the heads off three foxes since the ban came into force. All of them came trotting purposefully into the yard where his chickens were gaily pecking away (it's an organic, chickens in the hedges kind of farm), in broad daylight. Since we're not allowed to kill our foxy adversary any more the pressure of numbers is forcing them to seek out food any time and anywhere. Numbers killed on the roads have soared, strangely enough. There are quite a few more old and sick examples around now too, so instead of being ripped rather rapidly apart by baying hounds an elderly fox now has to die of its maladies, and starve to death when it can't hunt. Seems it's time for the foot pack to be revived around here, to the benefit of both the farming community and the fox population.

[discodown 11]

But hunting as it stands with all the costume, the horses, dogs and all associated paraphernalia is not necessary. The culling can be done far more efficiently by a much smaller number of trained marksmen (or markswomen).

A larger number of foxes can be killed in a smaller amount of time than any 'traditional hunt' achieves.

you are right, even though hunting is necessary theres no need to make such a spectacle out of it and all the ceremony that goes with does leave an unpleasent taste in the mouth.

 

i disgree with the marksman bit though. i personally think that shooting them isn't the most effective way of culling them

[discodown 11]

What a fantastic image this conjures up. I assume you mean old dears?

 

Personally I am rabidly pro-hunting. Mainly for the reason that I use the countryside a great deal myself, and now they can't let off steam gallumphing inefficiently around on horseback looking for sly Renard, the unspeakables are taking up the spaces I frequent. And I don't like them. I much preferred things as they were, with the ghastly braying lot of them occupied elsewhere than my playground.

 

On a slightly more practical note however, my farmer mate here in Newquay has blown the heads off three foxes since the ban came into force. All of them came trotting purposefully into the yard where his chickens were gaily pecking away (it's an organic, chickens in the hedges kind of farm), in broad daylight. Since we're not allowed to kill our foxy adversary any more the pressure of numbers is forcing them to seek out food any time and anywhere. Numbers killed on the roads have soared, strangely enough. There are quite a few more old and sick examples around now too, so instead of being ripped rather rapidly apart by baying hounds an elderly fox now has to die of its maladies, and starve to death when it can't hunt. Seems it's time for the foot pack to be revived around here, to the benefit of both the farming community and the fox population.

which pretty much supports my earlier points.

 

**looks smug**

[discodown 11]

What a fantastic image this conjures up. I assume you mean old dears?

heard about the new film being made based on harold shipmans life? its to be called the old dear hunter!

 

ithankyou!

[stackmonkey 10]

i disgree with the marksman bit though. i personally think that shooting them isn't the most effective way of culling them

 

It was more of an example than a chosen technique. if there are more effective methods I have no problem in theory.

[Bartfarst 10]

It was more of an example than a chosen technique. if there are more effective methods I have no problem in theory.

Shooting is highly effective. If foxes are culled using centre-fire rounds rather than .22s there is almost always an instant death due to massive tissue damage (ie the head explodes), whereas trapping and poisoning have their own obvious drawbacks.

 

I really can't see why people get so wound up about hunting though - foxes are pests. I dont think all human beings should have special rights, so I certainly don't see why people get so luvvy and squeamish about slotting a few 4-legged pests.

 

There are better things to worry about in life - or maybe these people just don't have interesting lives and have to find something to get on their soapbox about.

[plekhanov 10]

I’ve seen plenty of stuff in this thread arguing out that they believe fox hunting to a cruel and unpleasant activity (which I‘ve no doubt it is), pursued by people who aren’t very nice (which may well be true).

 

What I have yet to see is a rationale as to why the blunt force and precious resources of the state should be used to criminalise fox hunting.

 

Particularly when factory farming, an activity which causes far more suffering to animals than fox hunters ever could, thrives here because of many of the meat eating voters who bizarrely think they have the moral authority to condemn and criminalise fox hunters.

[Cliff Clavin 10]

Pity and hate at the same time.....Cliff, that's some kind of emotional complexity you've got going on there man...

 

Yeah it's a strong, storng emotion to have both pity and hate in the same sentence but thats how it goes. I pity them because they feel so inferior they have to prove their machoism by chasing and killing some critter that never really has a chace and I hate them because of the same reason!

 

I just go to the gym and bench my max then belt a punch bag for a while when I get that inferior machoism feeling.

[Bartfarst 10]

Yeah it's a strong, storng emotion to have both pity and hate in the same sentence but thats how it goes. I pity them because they feel so inferior they have to prove their machoism by chasing and killing some critter that never really has a chace and I hate them because of the same reason!

 

I just go to the gym and bench my max then belt a punch bag for a while when I get that inferior machoism feeling.

Is your jealousy so twisted that you really think people hunt to cure an inferiority complex? Do you join in any team sports? Enjoyed the buzz of doing something as a team, with a social circle backing it?

 

I've shot a few foxes this month, one on a rough shoot for sport and two for a farmer who was losing lambs, and couldnt get them with his shot gun, so needed some help with a rifle. I did it to help him, and you can be quite sure that I neither feel inferior nor feel the need to prove my machoism - I'd talk about punchbags if I felt that way. Feel free to pity and hate me, though I haven't ridden with a hunt for nearly 20 years..

 

You may admit to your own macho inferiority complex, but you really shouldn't expect everybody else to share such a problem with you.