Exactly, which proves the ban was useless in the first place, and may as well be lifted ,

Nowt has changed in our locality to be honest and I am really glad of that. There is nothing better than to see folk "trying" to "catch" a fox , with the fox normally sat on high ground safely watching the drama unfold

I think this ban is another thing being media driven

Forgive me if I am asking an already answered ? , if the ban is useless and I believe it certainly isn't very good, as such hunting still goes on, why should it be lifted?

Lifting or attempting to lift it will only fuel the pointless fire

A post from a long way back I know, but it sums up my feelings.

We used to keep free range chickens.......lots of them. Occasionally one or two would be taken by a fox (during the day because they were locked up at night). When foot and mouth struck and there was no hunting we lost every single chicken. The dratted foxes were actually coming as a pack, something that I had never seen before.

If anyone has ever witnessed the awful gruesome carnage that foxes can carry out then they will sympathise........if you haven't seen it then I will spare you the details.

Hunting does help to control foxes, not only by a few kills but also by dispersing them. Round here they have tried to stick to the new rules, but if the pack scents a real fox, well........... and it has to be said that few people in the neighbourhood are complaining.

What are the options other than hunting to control what is essentially vermin? (How many people would be prepared to campaign for the abolishon of rat catchers? Some of their methods are horrendous, but because these furry creatures have a bad reputation and bald tails most people detest them. I actually like rats, but there you go).

So..........these cute dog like creatures that wreak havoc amongst chickens and lambs, and spread the most horrible mange mites that cause untold misery for dogs need to be controlled. Shooting? How awful when the gun is not true because it means a long lingering painful death. Trapping? Fine if you can put up a sign saying "Cats, dogs and other animals please take another path", and from what I hear many of these traps are not checked as often as they should be. Another long painful death, or perhaps a chewed off paw. Poisoning? Don't even go there.

Don't get me wrong, I love to hear the foxes at night and have always been thrilled to watched them at dawn or dusk. BUT, they need to be controlled.

i live near a old fox hunting place - most of the dogs were put down when the ban came into place there was about 50 in total gorgeous hounds and they only killed about 7 foxes a year if that, most of time when they go on a hunt they dont end up killing the fox - i was heartbroken no one could re home them apart from a few lucky ones the foxes kill loads of chickens a year and they wont just kill one to eat they kill them all and leave them!
i know a few people say im cruel when i tell them my boyfriend goes shooting rabbits but if he never the farmers posiion them as they can make their animals lame by digging holes everywhere and eating all the crops. and i dont waste the rabbits my dogs have all of them! i hope they lift ban because theres still hounds out there that might have to be killed this year because the owners cant afford to keep them - very very sad.

Killing hounds to me shows the hunt never had a love for the activity in the first place just the kill. Drag hunting is still allowed and is proving very popular now because of the ban. Its helped open up the 'sport' to people who disagreed with the cruelty of it.

I think the ban should remain in place and be tighted up to prevent people getting through the loop holes. More people should be arrested for breaking the law as well regardless of how the police may feel. At the end of the day a law is a law and we cant pick and choose which ones we follow as this makes them no better them rapists or theives IMO

The highlighted bit, which hunt was this? 99% of Hounds were relocated not destroyed and to say a hunt only kills 7 Foxes per year is just madness, it couldnt possibly be viable to keep 50 Hounds on the basis of 7 Foxes per year.

it was in my local paper if i can find it on the website i will pm the link to you
also the killing of 7 foxes a year - when hunts used to happen they did not always kill foxes most of the time the fox would get away

I agree and the law should be unambiguous and enforced much better. Chuck a few of them in jail and I am sure they would think twice .