I understand your point Moobli. If the murderous rage burning in my heart when next door's blasted cat creeps into my garden to try and pluck one of MY birds off MY bird table is anything to go by, I would most likely want to wait up one night and take on the killer fox. But I wouldn't, I would fire a warning shot at worst and set Tai on him (although most likely he would try and "play" him to death, he is such an old soppy socks!). At the end of the day, this "killer" fox is the cleverest of foxes. He will survive through the worst of times when his less cunning, less bold, less brave and less intelligent fellow foxes will die. This is evolution before your eyes. It is those foxes that have learned "to roll with the punches" that will survive through the bad times. How can we castigate and condemn them for wanting to survive. If my family were starving, and I had no other way of earning money, I would have no hesitation whatsoever in stealing a loaf of bread from Waitrose. I would do ANYTHING to protect my family, of course, that goes without saying. Your "killer" fox is only doing the best thing he can by his family.

Born and bred in a Town, though now I live in a small village. I was back in my hometown a few weeks back and there was a fox walking down the street (night time), I felt sorry but at the same time I felt that the fox is probably safer there than if he lived in the country side.

Speaking as I find WDO, in the main, yes they do behave like extremists. I do see a few "regulars" who go about their business in a normal manner, they always say hello and the followers and themselves have no issues with eachother. Its when (and it happens a lot) they put chains round gates to prevent access, throw paint and other "objects" at followers, entice Hounds away and onto rail tracks, curse, swear, threaten and generally cover their faces in cowardice, yet want to be treated with respect. I have no problem with the hunt protesters at all, most hunt folk dont either, just the ones that go overboard.

See above.

Yes I think that pretty much sums up how they think Gnasher.

Thanks, it was a lovely day.

I don't have a problem with you being able to appreciate the beauty of a healthy fox, and getting pleasure out of photographing it. My father is intensely pro fox hunting, but is quite happy to have a fox family living under the old cow byre in his spinney. I fully understand how hard it is for some people to understand this, but I do completely. I was exactly the same myself for many years, but in the end chose to step down into the "anti" camp (although I dislike intensely the sabs) for what I think are all the right reasons. This is not to say that I cannot appreciate the ancient traditions of the hunt, and I still love the Jorrocks stories
!!

Come hup! Come hup! You hug-ily beast !!

Then there are those in the hunt that mis-treat their horses as well and those hunt supporters getting in the way all the time and leaving their cars half in the road.

Not to mention the pack of hounds that ran through my garden and trashed the place when I was out with my puppy (luckily I just had time to grab her and hold her above my head as I was surrounded).

As for the fox; yes he killed our chickens, stole our ducks and even once dispatched our guinea pig. But given the chose of which of all the above I would rather spend time in the company of, I guess Mr Fox would win.

I think you and I would get along very well

why are you talking about rescues? that is a completely different topic, and another one i feel strongly about. there are too many people breeding, and too many people not neutering and spaying, so having unplanned litters. that is why so many dogs are in rescues!

and some rescues DO take older dogs, the sspca do. but that brings problems, as most people will choose a younger dog. i dont even get your point with this coz it has nothing to do with the hounds. if those hunters choose to have a dog to hunt, that dog should be forever! not just until they are of no use! and i do look at the bigger picture, but why would that make me think it is ok to kill or get rid of those dogs who are too old?

why do you keep going on about 'anthropomorphizing'!? i keep saying they dont think like that! but yet you keep replying as though im saying they do! it may not be relevant to a dog at the time, but what about when they get injured or killed? i think it is relevant then!

did i say you did? it was a simple question, coz i didnt understand why, therefore i asked! didnt you say they were vermin?? maybe it was someone else, and if it was i apologise. how is fox hunting 'controlling' the population? not enough get killed to make any impact. although i think the number that are getting killed is too high, but low in comparision to the population.

good post, and excellent points!

good post! and you sound so like me!

Thats entirely your choice. Doubt if they meant any harm to your pup though, holding up would have had no effect if they intended to harm it. Ive taken 12wk old Border pups to hunt meets, no problem.

Yes but thats not the hunts fault is it!

Few do, and they PTS regularly without saying anything. You may choose yo keep your dog, although I read you may be experiencing thoughts on that, and just because YOU want to do that doesnt mean everyone else will does it.

Why? because thats all you do, if I were a dog, I know a dog wouldnt like this and that, its ridiculous! You DO think like that, you said it in recent posts about your own dog, he "knew" he did wrong, please stop it, its silly!!!

Foxes are vermin, thats their classification, didnt you know?

P.S.
I dont meant to imply anything untoward about you having problems with your dog, it was just a connection to the way you spoke of him, nothing more.