Foxhunting: for and against.

[buggeration]

Originally Posted by haldane4

Often what is good science today is bad science tomorrow. For years we have been told by the 'experts' that badgers were complicit in spreading bovine tuberculosis in among cattle and livestock. So farmers and everyone generally were encouraged to treat badgers as vermin and exterminate the little things - however, levels of bovine TB continued to rise and it's now accepted that badgers were not responsible at all. But it'll take 20 years to undeliver the message.

Morons.

I agree entirely, old fruit. And until that time comes, badgers will remain to be scapegoats

[MemoryHunter]

Originally Posted by retro72

I'm going to sound really bloody pedantic here I know but I believe it was actually Mark Twain and the quote was "The unspeakable chasing after the uneatable". Either way I completely agree. How folk can get pleasure from cruelty to a defenceless creature is sickening...

Sorry, but I'm going to do the really bloody pedantic thing to you. I believe the quote goes: "The English country gentleman galloping after a fox - the unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible." And I'm afraid it was Oscar Wilde.

I too agree that Fox hunting is barbaric. Yes Foxes can be a pest, especially if you happen to be a chicken farmer. If that's the case shoot the Fox, there can be no justification for cruelty. If the gentry want to have a day out on horseback with their dogs they could always do a drag hunt. Where an aniseed trail is made by someone with an aniseed soaked cloth which they drag over the ground creating a scent trail for the dogs to follow. The result for the hunters is the same except that no fox has to be torn apart for their amusement.

[oddjob]

Originally Posted by tamsmith

These little beauties are causing no ends of problems in my "very none rural area" because they are allowed to procreate unchecked.

Local felines and other family pets are being killed but the only threat to foxes, at the present, are the inconsiderate drivers who cannot avoid them at night.

To your question "I say Fox off".

foxes are in urban areas for 2 reasons food and shelter (to breed) take these away and they will go away! Cats do far worse harm than foxes (I dont have a problem with them but) and stray dogs are a thousand times more dangerous ( i like dogs).

keep your rubbish secure and keep your garden tidy and they wont bother you! Simples.

[knobby109]

Originally Posted by windymiller

It is true that fox numbers need to be controlled but I'm not convinced that a load of upper-class twits in stupid clothes galloping around the countryside is the most efficient way to achieve this.

It's not upper class twits. theose involved in hunting are from a broad spread of society and the support from what used to be called the working classes is tremendous.When the hunt was on locally the roads were clogged with old bangers following.
One point; foxes and other wild animals don't die in nursing homes, they usually die prolonged and painful deaths.Whether hunting is crueller than nature itself is open to debate though some would argue that humans should know better.

[Markus R]

I recall the dickhead Harry Enfield claiming that people dislike fox-hunting because they don't want to see toffs having a good time. Misinformed idiots like him miss the point - it has NOTHING to do with class. The same people that are repulsed by blood 'sports' are repulsed by the working class louts that indulge in dog fighting. As for keeping the numbers of foxes down - well that is nonsense - the biggest killer of foxes in this country is automobiles. The inhuman killing of any animal in the name of 'sport' has no part in the 21st Century.

[Wendigo]

Totally against chasing and hunting any animal down for sport. 'nuff said.

[MemoryHunter]

Originally Posted by MemoryHunter

Sorry, but I'm going to do the really bloody pedantic thing to you. I believe the quote goes: "The English country gentleman galloping after a fox - the unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible." And I'm afraid it was Oscar Wilde.

I too agree that Fox hunting is barbaric. Yes Foxes can be a pest, especially if you happen to be a chicken farmer. If that's the case shoot the Fox, there can be no justification for cruelty. If the gentry want to have a day out on horseback with their dogs they could always do a drag hunt. Where an aniseed trail is made by someone with an aniseed soaked cloth which they drag over the ground creating a scent trail for the dogs to follow. The result for the hunters is the same except that no fox has to be torn apart for their amusement.

Just to reiterate and perhaps expand on my original post. If Foxes are considered a danger, as news reports (http://youtu.be/VOOPoYtBr8Y) of people in urban areas being attacked suggest, then yes, kill them. What I object to is;

A. Cruelty (I would rather be shot than torn apart by a pack of dogs)
B. People deriving pleasure from it (whatever their class)
C. Trying to justify B by claiming it is part of our 'Heritage', by that reasoning, we should still reinstate dueling. How would those hunter types really like some sport where their life was on the line?

I know the 'veggies' will not approve of any killing, but personally I feel that unless it's a threat of some kind, or you're going to eat it then don't kill it, and if you do, there is no need to be cruel. If the people that wore mink coats had to eat all the mink that were killed to provide it they might think twice about whether fake fur is OK But I guess that's something for another thread.

[Markus R]

On the contrary MemoryHunter - I am a vegan but fully accept others eating meat - that is their entitlement (nothing would please me better than the whole world becoming vegan) but I'm not gonna preach

As you say, it is the cruelty and deriving of pleasure that is sickening and yes, as for 'tradition' - well we could bring back the slave trade, kids working up chimneys and no votes for women

[natas777]

I would just like to see consistency here:

If fox hunting is allowed so should dog fighting, cock fighting and other bloodsports which happen to be associated with the lower orders rather than the aristocracy.

Similarly if Halal and Kosher slaughter are permitted it should also be okay to eat cats and dogs and to use whatever method of killing an animal is seen fit - one of the reasons Koreans traditionally strangled/hung dogs before cooking and eating them was that they believed the stress on the animal resulted in better meat.

[exfarmer]

I might not be very popular after this post but I come from a countryside background and I have no problem with most of the countryside sports and activities.

The chase part of fox hunting is perfectly ok in my book. I do not agree with the dogs killing the fox however, the animal should be shot as soon as it is caught. Hardly any foxes were caught during a hunt anyway.

This is just part of country life and it has been for hundreds of years.