So in the last say 30 odd years your town has not expanded at all, your greenbelt is still the same? There has been no new developments - very rare in the UK

Different scenario, the topic is about fox hunting with people on horseback and a pack of dogs chasing after one fox

I don't agree with dogs killing other dogs, i presume you mean dog fighting - abhorrent

What have rats got to do with fox hunting

Hmm because you condone it, its ok....

Good post!

I find your (?) humour about foxes which are a living breathing warm blooded animal being killed, quite upsetting.

Otterhounds survived!!!

Better for the fox than being torn apart by a pack of bloodlusty hounds with equally bloodlusty people enjoying the spectacle

As someone who has lived in the countryside for most of their life, I am against fox hunting. I don't disagree that some people will feel that foxes need their levels to be controlled but I don't feel that hunting is the way to do it. I would rather it was shot, by someone who was experienced at shooting and killed cleanly and swiftly.

Growing up in the country I have seen the damage that foxes can do when one got into the farmer's barn next door and killed a couple of the lambs. I also have friends who have had chickens killed by foxes. We have been lucky with our chickens that we have never had one taken by a fox. I'm not going to say that it wouldn't happen, only that I have done everything in my power to stop it from happening. Incidentally I know of several chicken keepers who have also had chickens injured by stoats, birds of prey, cats, dogs and by people.

I cannot believe that in this day and age the concept of chasing a terrified animal to the point of exhaustion until it collapses and is ripped apart is considered acceptable.

I think it is highly unlikely that the ban will be overturned, I think the most recent poll suggested that 330 MPs would reject the ban being lifted compared to around 250 who wanted it lifted. I would also imagine that the government has slightly more pressing issues to deal with at the moment than bringing back hunting.

You can't even say that all farmers want hunting back. The farmers next door to us rent their land from the local council and hated the hunt going through, the damage that was done to crops and fences was considerable over the years. I am also rather appalled at our local hunts lack of respect to others. I have watched our local hunt gallop their horses up a busy main road hill with cars not knowing what to do with hounds and horses charging towards them. Very sad that the hunt would have such little care for their animals and motorists.

People comment on how cats and other small furries get caught up in the hunt and that was our concern the day the hounds got into our garden. The cats legged it, the hounds surrounded our rabbits in their run. The rabbits were used to our own dogs but not to the pack of hounds surrounding them. The hunt master was sat on his horse reassuring my mum that her cats would have come to no harm as his pack were so well trained. So I replied that if they were that well trained, he would have no difficulties in getting them out of our garden. So he sat there on his horse, blowing his trumpet and the hounds totally ignored him. He blew and blew until he was was as red as his coat but it took him an age to get them out and yes, I did congratulate him on just how well trained his pack were as they finally trampled over the flowerbeds and got out of our garden.

I also cannot understand why so many people need to be at a hunt, if a landowner has a problem with a particular fox, why do so many people need to follow and cheer when the fox is killed. As someone who has enjoyed riding, I can understand how enjoyable a sensation it is but why can this sensation not be satisfied by drag hunting? Which leads me to believe that some people must enjoy watching a fox being killed, and that I find very odd. And I am very disturbed at the concept of bloodying (I believe that this is the term ). I remember that a girl I was at school with was delighted when her younger sister ended up having her face wiped with the fox's blood at a hunt she had recently been to. Why on earth would you want to have a dead animal's blood smeared all over your face

I would agree with the pro-hunters that hunting wasn't just an activity for the wealthy but, if the ban is ever lifted, I think it will predominantly just be a past time of the wealthy. You only have to look at the equine charitys to see how many people are having to give up their horses because of the escalating costs of looking after them. I think that the majority of the UK public are anti foxhunting and if it does become mainly a pursuit of purely the wealthy, I think think even less people will tolerate it.

I can't remember at what point the issue of meat in a supermarket came in to the thread but I will answer that as a vegetarian I will only buy free range, organic meat for Max. I will only eat out in certain restaurants and avoid many takeaways because so many places will use eggs from battery hens in their egg fried rice, pastas and cakes etc. So I think very much about the food I buy and where it has come from, it is not just foxes welfare that I think about.

Just wanted to add to Steve's comment about what a friendly thread this has been. Yes, it is a very controversial subject but nice to see that everyone is keeping things friendly and civilised.

Having had time to read the last long post will try and do so later, I'm just having my morning cuppa before dog walking, but how can you come to this conclusion? It's better for you, but how would you know what the fox thinks, given the direct alternative of being trapped in a situation, or not being trapped, without giving the fox the gift of foresight and understanding, I'd imagine the fox would choose the least stressful situation. Of course you'd like to imagine the fox is trapped and happily released into the wild elsewhere, when in reality, that really doesn't happen all of the time, foxes are released into areas they don't know, where it's unsuitable for them because of our impact and they then become a nuisance again. Or else why is it that foxes that have been shot on land with permission, show signs of operations, including one three legged fox neatly stitched up? One person shot 12 newly released foxes in one night after being asked to do so by a landowner, they knew all of the populaltions in that area, and these were new, some with signs of medical intervention. Is that fair?

The hunting ban is not just fox hunting, it impacts on all areas where dogs are used alongside hunting/shooting, including ratting with terriers.