Can you define 'fun' Azz?

I shoot because i enjoy it-that is my truth. Now whether im live shooting or punching paper at long distances it makes no difference,but in my defence what i shoot are regarded as pest species so does how does that sit with you?

For the record i dont shoot pheasant,fowl or deer. I dont have anything against it,but it just dont appeal to me thats all.

O good! We agree on something then - look forward to that debate!

Hang on a minute - that's anthropomorphisation in the extreme! Or a skewed version of it - why on earth should fox, as a species, care a hoot about "benefitting agriculture", or "sticking to rabbits"! Every single living thing on this planet, from bacteria upwards, is interested in one thing, and one thing only - survival long enough to pass on its genes. Of course new born lambs are a target for foxes ... because they are an EASY target. Farmers are effectively presenting a 3 course gourmet meal on a platter for the fox to just come and help himself. This is what nature is all about - finding the easiest meal. A bit like us going to Waitrose and filling our trolley instead of going out and catching our own meat, and tilling our soil to grow our own crops.

I really struggle to understand why anyone should have a problem with understanding that the fox is just trying to survive the easiest way possible. Just like we are ... it's called NATURE!!

Although I come from a very strong fox hunting background, I am no longer a "pro". However, I would strongly advocate anyone - both anti and pro - reading the book "The Running Foxes" by Joyce Stranger. It is very moving, from both viewpoints.

I read this many years ago.

I must step in here - northern breeds in general have a VERY strong prey drive, as strong as a foxhound, if not stronger. Most sibe and mal breeders will advocate that owners do not EVER let their dogs off lead (I actually disagree with this, but I am merely stating fact here as most breeders will advise that their pups are never let off lead).

I personally know of working husky breeders who keep their sibes in large packs in a very similar way to fox hounds. It is the most natural way actually for ANY breed of dog to be kept IMO, bearing in mind their wolf ancestry, so it is probably slightly fatuous to single out any one particular breed. However, I take on board what you say about foxhounds. Personally though, I would not have problem with homing a retired foxhound who was released from his hunting duties for whatever reason. I see no reason why, provided that they get plenty of exercise and have a stable companion, they should not make very good house pets. I would think you might need to be flexible with the housetraining side of things, but foxhounds are still dogs, even if they are not traditionally house pets. They are still domesticated wolves, still pack animals with all the pack rules instilled in them - I see no reason why a retired fox hound should not have a good life in the appropriate setting.

Me too - I was pretty young, and it made me cry buckets! Did you enjoy it? It made a big impression on me, I have to say.

I agree with Azz, Steve. I could more than easily kill for food in any way that it took. However, I would never, ever ever get a momentary frisson of pleasure from the actual kill. The hunt itself, yes, it is ingrained in our genetic makeup the thrill of the chase, after all sport is just ritualised hunting. But my own personal feeling is that when it comes to the kill, the actual severing of life itself, there should be no thrill - apart from the fact that you are going to eat and stop being hungry, if you were living in a "wild" situation.

I don't know whether you are familiar with the series of "Torak" books by Michelle somebody - Paver? There are a set of 5 books, set about 5000 or 6000 years ago when man was a hunter gatherer mainly, before farming. One of the main characters, a female called Renn, kills an animal for food herself - I think it was a bird - and she has no qualms in killing the bird, taking its life, to sustain her own, but she pays homage to the bird after its death, respecting that by losing its life it has enabled her to live on. This illustrates how I feel about killing animals - it should never be for fun, even though I can understand the thrill of the chase. I can understand the thrill of the hunt, the chase, but never the kill.

I would define 'killing for fun' where one enjoys the act of (or takes pleasure from) killing, or taking part in, an activity where an animal is killed.

If you like shooting - there are shooting activities that don't involve the killing of animals, such as disk/clay shooting.

Or there's always video games

Still agree.


Me too - in fact you have inspired me to dig it out and read it again. Thank you!