I won't wait until you are riled up! Not interested in aggression. Not with people nor animals.

I ask the same question as Snorri – why involve a fox if its all about enjoying a day in the country side and they are just as happy following a trail.

How is it an incredibly swift end when the fox has been run to exhaustion?

A very sweeping statement that all farmers wanted the hunt on their land, many round here and other places (I know many in Devon) were very much against but again the hunt seem to be above trespass laws as well.

If a fox is killed its against the LAW or do you think we should all be able to pick and choose the laws we adhere to?

So people against hunting are not animal lovers – oh ok then fair enough – I suppose chasing an animal to exhaustion and watching it being ripped to shred is a sign of being an animal lover – maybe to you but not to others.


Hell I just gave you reppies for another post and look at us again.

Fair enough JB but would you be light hearted when someones dog has run riot and killed a cat or small dog. the fact is its against the law and I have to keep my small furry aggresive dogs under control - why is it so different for them?

I think spot, the difference would be that if your dogs attacked small fury animals they would be deemed out of control in a public place, on public land

If the hunt hounds go off on one and catch a fox, they will be doing so on private land , having had permission to hunt (legally) on said land, by the land owner.

We all have to keep our dogs under control on public land.. on private land , we have no such control.

I think that this is such a complex argument to be honest, because yes, many members of the hunt are just happy to be riding across huntry in the company of friends and thoroughly enjoy watching the hounds work the scent, even if it is a false one. However, to others the hunt is their livelihood........and there are a great many people involved from the huntsmen themselves down through the farriers; saddlers; kennelmen; grooms etc. etc.

I do take slight issue with your comments about hounds killing cats and dogs (ducks to avoid thrown objects ) because although it may well have happened on very rare occasions, as it does with any dog in any part of the country, it is not the massive issue that some members of the media make it out to be. How often do we hear the hysterical bleating of someone saying that the hounds were a "threat to the children, etc." Come on........hounds are the soppiest creatures around people, and the very worst that can happen is that a child, or adult, will be on the receiving end of a very long wet tongue. Reasoned arguments against the poor old hound would be fine, but that never seems to happen.

As to the foxes, I still have respect for them and love to see them........BUT they are not cute and cuddly and are one of the most cruel of our native animals. I would never condone cruelty towards them however, but do not believe that hunting is cruel. They are clever and cunning, and the fittest of them always survive to breed even more clever and cunning offspring.

Rant and rave all you like. I will always prefer hunting to trapping, shooting or poisoning.

But JB the hunt do not only travel on private land they have to get there one way or another and still do not have absolute control over their dogs.

http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/new...lls.1792662.jp

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4723734.stm

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/...ing.1327201.jp

Obviously they do not or cannot control their hounds on any land - so why should I have to? Hunting with dogs ie a hunt is illegal on any land so they should still have control over their dogs.

Sorry I didnt realise I was ranting and raving I was just trying to ask a question.

No - you were not ranting and raving I was assuming that was what would happen, and am sorry A good discussion needs no histrionics.

I think that I was waiting for Snorri to rumble!!

I do find it strange that you call Snorri aggressive but then accuse others of ranting and raving for asking a question.

Im sorry if I have offended you but that is the nature of forums, people do question and do debate – hell I have had some debates on here!

Your statement about the hunt being some peoples livings is an interesting one, the fact that people make a living out of illegal activities is again something I disagree with. Again why can they not make that living through legal activities?

On the rare occasion that it happens IYO it would still be someones pet – and if my dogs killed someones cat I would be mortified and that is why I keep them under control – because I know very well that they could and would! It may not be a massive issue – until it is your pet dog/cat/ducks.

I think many of the discussions on here about dogs being out of control make this a very valid point, the vast majority of such post say that dogs should be under control at all times! If you cannot control them on private land you cannot control them on public land either.

I don’t recall mentioning children or adults or bleating hysterically about them. I know very well my dogs will kill a cat if they could I also know that they would not attack a child.

I think Snorri has the right to say what he wants quite frankly as do you.

Many of the farmers my hubby and I know were not at all happy to have hunting take place on their land. Unfortunately in many rural areas farmers do not actually own their land but are tenants. Therefore it is the landowners who allow the hunt on their land, usually often to the detriment of the farmer.

Could you please tell me what "subtle but important changes" have happened on farmland since hunting was banned?

I do not like fox hunting at all. However, I can certainly see how it would be a thrilling pursuit to ride randomly over the countryside at speed. I also hate snares, poisoning and shooting of foxes by anyone other than a highly trained marksman with the correct rifle. I don't know what the answer is.

I just wanted to say my uncle owns his farm land in Harvington Evesham, he and a group of other farmers used to refused to let the hunt on thier property, if the fox made it to thier land they were supposedly safe.
However there were hunts that broke the rule and quite often my uncle and fellow farmers used to have to have stand off arguments with them about it involving Police and courts.
So although anti hunt members can cause problems like Bitkin says, so can the hunts themselves.

Just adding an observation from the otherside