Fox hunting

[Russwhitehouse]

Having just read the thread on the running of the Bulls in Pamplona, it's clear that feelings run extremely high from both sides of the argument. So how does everyone feel about fox hunting. Not comparing the two, but I suspect the feelings will run equally high and for the same reasons.
Over to you.

[RobinBanks]

I don't do it. This isn't because of a childish moral issue - it just doesn't interest me.

It's none of my business if others want to and I couldn't give a st either way.

[LordHaveMurci]

[groundcontrol]

RobinBanks said:

I don't do it. This isn't because of a childish moral issue - it just doesn't interest me.

It's none of my business if others want to and I couldn't give a st either way.

I wouldn't call it a 'childish moral issue'. I'm not exactly an PETA activist but the whole thing does seem fairly stty, but I also think that about horse racing.

Strikes me as a little barbaric.

[grumbledoak]

RobinBanks said:

It's none of my business if others want to and I couldn't give a st either way.

^^^ That.

Mind, I don't keep chickens. I think that might change your view of foxes somewhat.

[RobinBanks]

groundcontrol said:

I wouldn't call it a 'childish moral issue'. I'm not exactly an PETA activist but the whole thing does seem fairly stty, but I also think that about horse racing.

Strikes me as a little barbaric.

I still would describe it as such. Tthe demise of the odd fox seems like something that shouldn't upset an adult.

[LordHaveMurci]

RobinBanks said:

Tthe demise of the odd fox seems like something that shouldn't upset an adult.

You may not mind watching a terrified fox being ripped apart by a pack of hounds, many including me, would.

I have a friend who shoots foxes amongst other things, even he was disgusted watching a live fox being attacked by hounds.

[RobinBanks]

LordHaveMurci said:

You may not mind watching a terrified fox being ripped apart by a pack of hounds, many including me, would.

I have a friend who shoots foxes amongst other things, even he was disgusted watching a live fox being attacked by hounds.

Have you actually seen it? It's not an upsetting sight in the slightest.

[ZOLLAR]

LordHaveMurci said:

RobinBanks said:

Tthe demise of the odd fox seems like something that shouldn't upset an adult.

You may not mind watching a terrified fox being ripped apart by a pack of hounds, many including me, would.

I have a friend who shoots foxes amongst other things, even he was disgusted watching a live fox being attacked by hounds.

But they die quickly as the lead hound goes for the throat, dispatching a fox with a gun can in some cases leave it die an agonising death.

Quick and gruesome compared to slow and clean?

[iphonedyou]

groundcontrol said:

I wouldn't call it a 'childish moral issue'. I'm not exactly an PETA activist but the whole thing does seem fairly stty, but I also think that about horse racing.

Strikes me as a little barbaric.

Horse racing, certainly in the UK, is not barbaric.

[groundcontrol]

RobinBanks said:

groundcontrol said:

I wouldn't call it a 'childish moral issue'. I'm not exactly an PETA activist but the whole thing does seem fairly stty, but I also think that about horse racing.

Strikes me as a little barbaric.

I still would describe it as such. Tthe demise of the odd fox seems like something that shouldn't upset an adult.

I suppose that's subjective, and not really related to being upset for me. I don't get particularly upset by human tragedy, so yeah I don't give a st about foxes either.

I think if there was a sport where you went to find stray dogs, and kick them in the face, people would feel quite strongly about that, particularly if it gained popularity amongst the oiks of society. Because a fox isn't an animal you can relate to as a pet or view as being cuddly, and isn't particularly spectacular or rare doesn't suddenly give fox hunting credibility.

[Davey S2]

RobinBanks said:

It's not an upsetting sight in the slightest.

To you perhaps.

In every debate I've read about fox hunting the supporters argue it's primarily a method of pest control but then someone will later point out the 9 times out of 10 the fox gets away. Not a very effective method then.

It's still primarily done for entertainment.

[Willy Nilly]

Nearly time for the annual fox cull. You'd think they'd hear such a big machine creeping up on them, they rattle a bit on the way through.

[RobinBanks]

Davey S2 said:

RobinBanks said:

It's not an upsetting sight in the slightest.

To you perhaps.

In every debate I've read about fox hunting the supporters argue it's primarily a method of pest control but then someone will later point out the 9 times out of 10 the fox gets away. Not a very effective method then.

It's still primarily done for entertainment.

Do people actually suggest it's anything other than entertainment?
Of course it's done as a pastime. Nobody believes it's an efficient way of controlling the fox population.

[TEKNOPUG]

ZOLLAR said:

LordHaveMurci said:

RobinBanks said:

Tthe demise of the odd fox seems like something that shouldn't upset an adult.

You may not mind watching a terrified fox being ripped apart by a pack of hounds, many including me, would.

I have a friend who shoots foxes amongst other things, even he was disgusted watching a live fox being attacked by hounds.

But they die quickly as the lead hound goes for the throat, dispatching a fox with a gun can in some cases leave it die an agonising death.

Quick and gruesome compared to slow and clean?

It's more the case of chasing the terrified fox across the countryside with a pack of hounds and horses. That bit is not particularly quick....

A fox being shot by a rifle doesn't know anything about it.

[soad]

Cameron is planning to ease foxhunting ban?

[Einion Yrth]

TEKNOPUG said:

A fox being shot by a rifle doesn't know anything about it.

Rather depends how good the shooter is.

[ZOLLAR]

TEKNOPUG said:

ZOLLAR said:

LordHaveMurci said:

RobinBanks said:

Tthe demise of the odd fox seems like something that shouldn't upset an adult.

You may not mind watching a terrified fox being ripped apart by a pack of hounds, many including me, would.

I have a friend who shoots foxes amongst other things, even he was disgusted watching a live fox being attacked by hounds.

But they die quickly as the lead hound goes for the throat, dispatching a fox with a gun can in some cases leave it die an agonising death.

Quick and gruesome compared to slow and clean?

It's more the case of chasing the terrified fox across the countryside with a pack of hounds and horses. That bit is not particularly quick....

A fox being shot by a rifle doesn't know anything about it.

But that's nature though isn't it? a few humans following doesn't change that.

Shooting them with a gun isn't natural (coming from someone here who enjoys shooting), I'm not saying it's a pleasant thing but I don't see the problem with it.
Foxes need to be controlled, whether the method is effective or not is another matter but to say it should remain banned to protect the feelings of a feral animal seems a bit bizarre to me however I doubt there will ever be a consensus on the matter.

How do we protect the foxes from the Humans/Hounds? ban it.
How do we protect livestock from foxes? kill the fox.
What do we do with the livestock? kill them to eat as the fox would do as dictated by nature.

Outcome is the same, I imagine the fox is bloody terrified with a hole in it.
Not all farmers use rifles as the land may not permit the use so a shotgun may be used, that isn't particularly effective unless you're close range even if you do then it'll die slowly so poison it is and around in circles we go..

[ZOLLAR]

Einion Yrth said:

TEKNOPUG said:

A fox being shot by a rifle doesn't know anything about it.

Rather depends how good the shooter is.

Very much this too ^^

[RobinBanks]

Einion Yrth said:

TEKNOPUG said:

A fox being shot by a rifle doesn't know anything about it.

Rather depends how good the shooter is.

And the type of rifle, come to that. I wouldn't tend to use a rifle to kill a fox anyway.

I don't mourn foxes but I also wouldn't be bothered if I never do it again. I have no qualms about it, I just don't take the interest that others do in the hunt.