Fox hunting: have your say (From The Northern Echo)

I agree with W Hawdon that there will be much else to do, so seeking the views of my candidate on this issue is not high on my list of priorities.

I seem to recall that the Labour party had quite a lot on its plate, i.e. the Iraq war, when they wasted hundreds of hours of parliamentary time passing this ludicrous, unworkable, vindictive law to appease the anti war mongers in its party.

This is a bad law that was forced through the Commons with themisuse of the Parliment Act, it was not thought through properly and therefore does not work, some of the so called legal alternatives to Hunting are horendous.

The Tories kill foxes in a crual and senseless manner for a sadistic perverted delight, meanwhile Labour kills innocent Iraqis in some pathetic effort to curry favour with the Americans.

Super steve wrote:
The Tories kill foxes in a crual and senseless manner for a sadistic perverted delight, meanwhile Labour kills innocent Iraqis in some pathetic effort to curry favour with the Americans.

I don't recall a more stupid offering ever than this!

I wish they would not call it fox HUNTING, its like calling Labour voters decent, IE utterly wrong.

Chasing a fox over hill and dale with a pack of dogs, until cornered and exhausted they let a pack of dogs rip it to pieces whilst a bunch of sick sadists gloat is not HUNTING, its cruel animal abuse, nothing more.
I'm no supporter of foxes I've shot more than a few over the years as vermin control, I Shooting, or trapping in cages and humanely dispatching errant foxes is quick and clean. Chasing a terrified mammal for miles after blocking up its den to prevent escape is simply perverse, like the people who go fox hunting.

Super steve wrote:
I wish they would not call it fox HUNTING, its like calling Labour voters decent, IE utterly wrong. Chasing a fox over hill and dale with a pack of dogs, until cornered and exhausted they let a pack of dogs rip it to pieces whilst a bunch of sick sadists gloat is not HUNTING, its cruel animal abuse, nothing more. I'm no supporter of foxes I've shot more than a few over the years as vermin control, I Shooting, or trapping in cages and humanely dispatching errant foxes is quick and clean. Chasing a terrified mammal for miles after blocking up its den to prevent escape is simply perverse, like the people who go fox hunting.

I'm affraid the shooting of foxes is not always quick and clean and if Super Steve were much of a pest controller he would know that. Many foxes are wounded with rifle fire or peppered with shot to slink away to die a horrible gangrenous death. None of the shots are taken maliciously to wound, but a gust of wind, the fox moving at the last moment, or a thousand other anomalies can result in a wounded animal. Because of the Hunting Act no one is willing to search for the wounded fox with dogs, so that it can be humanely dispatched, in case they are accused of illegal foxhunting. I have also found the use of cage traps to be pretty useless when trying to catch foxes in the countryside. Unlike the semi tame town foxes they are not gullible enough to walk straight into a trap.

Thank you Petsak - a much needed response with which I totally agree.

There does need to be a review of this policy but if we end up with yet another 'Tsar', I think I'll burst......
the point is, the Labour Government has does nothing nothing but turn the countryside into a play ground...it's our workplace for crying out loud! We not only want the fox hunting reviewed but we would also welcome a debate on how we should look after countryside in the longer term. And that doesn't involve bringing thousands of gortex clad walkers or mountain bikers through our village every weekend. It means listening to the people who live and work here so that we can get the rural/urban balance right!

Super steve wrote:
I wish they would not call it fox HUNTING, its like calling Labour voters decent, IE utterly wrong. Chasing a fox over hill and dale with a pack of dogs, until cornered and exhausted they let a pack of dogs rip it to pieces whilst a bunch of sick sadists gloat is not HUNTING, its cruel animal abuse, nothing more. I'm no supporter of foxes I've shot more than a few over the years as vermin control, I Shooting, or trapping in cages and humanely dispatching errant foxes is quick and clean. Chasing a terrified mammal for miles after blocking up its den to prevent escape is simply perverse, like the people who go fox hunting.

Totally agree with you, I really do wonder what these fools, dressed up in rediculous garb, get out of watching a pack of dogs chase down and ultimately rip to shreds an exhausted and terrified Fox?

What is the difference between illegal Badger Baiting, Dog Fighting and Fox hunting nothing as there all involve animals getting hurt or even killed.

So if the first two are illegal for all times, so should fox hunting or if fox hunting is returned to be legal why not the others?

But what an outcry that would cause.

petsak wrote:

Super steve wrote: I wish they would not call it fox HUNTING, its like calling Labour voters decent, IE utterly wrong. Chasing a fox over hill and dale with a pack of dogs, until cornered and exhausted they let a pack of dogs rip it to pieces whilst a bunch of sick sadists gloat is not HUNTING, its cruel animal abuse, nothing more. I'm no supporter of foxes I've shot more than a few over the years as vermin control, I Shooting, or trapping in cages and humanely dispatching errant foxes is quick and clean. Chasing a terrified mammal for miles after blocking up its den to prevent escape is simply perverse, like the people who go fox hunting.

I'm affraid the shooting of foxes is not always quick and clean and if Super Steve were much of a pest controller he would know that. Many foxes are wounded with rifle fire or peppered with shot to slink away to die a horrible gangrenous death. None of the shots are taken maliciously to wound, but a gust of wind, the fox moving at the last moment, or a thousand other anomalies can result in a wounded animal. Because of the Hunting Act no one is willing to search for the wounded fox with dogs, so that it can be humanely dispatched, in case they are accused of illegal foxhunting. I have also found the use of cage traps to be pretty useless when trying to catch foxes in the countryside. Unlike the semi tame town foxes they are not gullible enough to walk straight into a trap.

If you are that concerned about the foxes welfare and want to reduce the numbers without risking ANY suffering then do what is being done in many other places and used chemical bait to sterilise the foxes thus causing their numbers to decline. I have found shooting to be highly effective and when in Somerset I have seen traps used succesfully there and in Dorset, Theres multiple options available that are all far more civilised and humane than chasing an animal until its cornered and exhausted then ripped apart by dogs, I dont condemn the dogs of course, its the sick pervs watching and gloating who need condemning. The horsey set simply are vicious sadists of the worst order and calling them hunters is an insult to real hunters.