Fox hunting: a reasoned debate...

[tackb]

I'm all for it , what I'm not keen on is those people that think it's ok to own 50bmg rifles and the likes , no purpose for them , not for hunting and very limited for comps so why have one?

I marched in support of fox hunting as I have in support of all country sports and shooting.

divide and conquer !

[saddler]

I'm 'lucky' enough to have foxes living in the back garden. I'm planning to get some hens though, and realise that the coop is going to have to be well and truely fox-proof.

Good luck...solid concrete may do the job
I'm sure the foxies will be most happy that you'll be providing a ready supply of snacks/entertainment

However the same can't be said for the bl**dy Badgers who also live in the garden, happily co-habitating with the foxes.
They are a complete manace . . . in particular they've broken into my guinea-pig run and scoffed the lot.

Anyone for a debate on the Badger cull?

Aye, even attempting to eat one of the blessed ickle ones would result in a tickle behind the ear with ye olde entrenching tool

[Blackstuff]

I'm all for it , what I'm not keen on is those people that think it's ok to own 50bmg rifles and the likes , no purpose for them , not for hunting and very limited for comps so why have one?
I marched in support of fox hunting as I have in support of all country sports and shooting.

divide and conquer !

[nickb834]

I'm all for it , what I'm not keen on is those people that think it's ok to own 50bmg rifles and the likes , no purpose for them , not for hunting and very limited for comps so why have one?

I marched in support of fox hunting as I have in support of all country sports and shooting.

divide and conquer !

I'm a little tired so may have missed the humour but just in case: I do so hope that that's a commentary on how we don't support each others as shooters - and you're not seriously espousing that; because you don't like .50 (presumably other HME) you can't see why anyone else should have one :-)

If you or anyone else seriously believes that we shouldn't be allowed to have 50bmg then shame on you! I don't have one, not even a 338 or any other HME, but I certainly don't begrudge anyone else having one. I don't see the attraction to black powder (IMHO it's smelly and messy, and I'm too lazy to clean up after) but I would whole heartedly advocate it's continuance in the face of any opposition.

Just like done humanely I have no problem with legal quarry even though it's not my thing and I've never done it.

[Blackstuff]

I can't claim to have direct experience of Fox hunting in any capacity, but here's my two penneth.

We've hunted to extinction the only thing capable of natural predation of fox and deer populations (the wolf, as to when - that is debatable) and so what else is there to control the population but us.

I have no problem with controlling fox populations and having a bit of sport at the same time, and I would hope that the incidences of people taking inappropriate shots causing suffering is kept to an absolute minimum.

What I do struggle with a little and I don't know enough to come out with an outright statement on this, is the prospect of dog(s) (number largely irrelevant) finishing a fox off. It doesn't quite sit right with me and I'd be hard pressed to believe a round with the appropriate characteristics wouldn't be more humane.

Now, if it was a case of the dogs flush the fox and then it's finished off with a 12 bore or whatever - then fine, that sit's ok with me (defo doesn't sit well with the wife, she's a rizla paper's width away from being an anti).

More or less my feelings on the issue. I've only shot 2 foxes in the past, one had decimated a friends hen coop (not much fun helping to clean up) and the other on a farm that had been attacking lambs, (even less fun to clean up). Don't bother me, and i won't bother you

[saddler]

As to fox hunting on horse back - not a huge supporter

SHOULD BE, in theory, but having met quite a number of average "normal" horse owners during employment at an equine supplies warehouse, I can say that quite a high percentage have MASSIVE superiority complexes JUST because they own the main ingredient to several thousand Ikea meatballs.
Arrogant does not do them justice...some exceptions, but they WERE the EXCEPTION...

Need to control foxes? A high velocity 223 or the like will do a very surgical job with zero stress to the fox.

Want to ride all over private land on "Meatball"? Buy a few fields & stop acting like you're doing the countryside a favour.

[tackb]

If a fox is a problem then shoot it, if I see you riding around in red then sorry but I am going to make you the evenings entertainment.

nickb834 and blackstuff , I was being ironical !

old caveman here is in the Fifty Calibre Shooters Association

this is the attitude that will be the death of shooting and country sports in general !

and for the record I am a HME shooter.

[nickb834]

nickb834 and blackstuff , I was being ironical !

old caveman here is in the Fifty Calibre Shooters Association

this is the attitude that will be the death of shooting and country sports in general !

and for the record I am a HME shooter.

Phew! better to call you on it and not need to than t'other way round ;-)

[Sandgroper]

Hunting with hounds is simply man (and dog) filling the niche left by the demise of the wolf.

Yes, it is inefficient but it's inefficiency allows the healthier and fitter foxes to survive which actually means the population will be stronger in long run, whereas driving them towards the guns catches the weak as well the fitter ones...

[nickb834]

Hunting with hounds is simply man (and dog) filling the niche left by the demise of the wolf.

Yes, it is inefficient but it's inefficiency allows the healthier and fitter foxes to survive which actually means the population will be stronger in long run, whereas driving them towards the guns catches the weak as well the fitter ones...

That's a good point, I only considered the population numbers and not how healthy the animals were.