Hunting with hounds
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Hunting with hounds: the debate against
Below are a number of arguments against hunting with hounds. If you agree or disagree please feel free to comment.
The Countryside Alliance claims that most of the foxes that are hunted are the old and the weak foxes, but these are not the ones that would attack farm animals anyway.
Many who hunt enjoy the hunt purely for the horse riding so they can go on drag hunts - where a sent trail is followed - so that no unnecessary harm is done to the foxes. Of course there is always just normal horse riding that will provide the same enjoyment with no cruelty. If this is not good enough then saying they just enjoy the ride is a front to cover their real blood thirsty desires.
Farmers will often lay gin traps in the surrounding area, these snap shut on an animals leg causing it a slow (up to 8 hours) painful death. The will trap any animal even endangered species.
Some of the hunted foxes will get away, or so you may think. While in pursuit the fox experiences high levels of stress and blood pressure both of which can lead to internal haemorrhaging causing a slow painful death.
The explanation that hunting was for fox control was only introduced recently to give an explanation to people against the ‘sport’. What was it before this I ask, it was obviously just for so called ‘fun’.
A report by the organisation before the Countryside Alliance said that only 1 in 20 foxes had ever tasted chicken. Now that about 96% are kept in battery farms, where they are safe, the figure is likely to be less.
Foxes may be a small problem to farmers but this does not make it acceptable to kill them is a holy inhumane, and lets face, it disgusting way. There are much more efficient ways of dealing with any problem with out causing the creature any suffering, such as humanly trapping and then putting to sleep by vets.
Hounds have been bread for stamina rather than speed to make the hunt longer. If hunting was for control fast lurchers would be used for a quick kill.
Hounds are fed raw meet and offal of sheep and cows, these can be infested with tapeworm and possibly BSE, this can then be distributed into the countryside on a hunt causing problems to local wildlife.
Hounds are destroyed when they are only 6, which is half their normal life expectancy. Do the hunts men and women not care for their animals. The Countryside Alliance claims that a ban on hunting will force the destruction of 20,000 hounds. But they kill thousands every year so they are obviously used to it. This also applies to horses with an approximate destruction toll of 12,000 horses, are there no other ways in which these people could use their horses, a pleasant ride in the country perhaps?
Terrier work is where terriers are put down earth’s to locate or bring out a hiding fox. In the course of this the dog is very often injured seriously requiring veterinary treatment. The Countryside Alliance supports this event though it is of obvious harm to the dogs.
Many of the hounds are killed on roads and railway lines each year, drag hunting would eliminate this.
Foxes have no natural predator, they maintain their population according to food supplies, conditions and birth-rate. Hounds would never hunt a fox in a pack in nature, putting an end to the hunters claim that it is the most natural way of killing.
The majority of a foxes diet is worms, insects, rodents, fruit and rabbits. So they are actually doing the farmers a favour by controlling the rabbit and hare populations.
Hounds are regularly starved before a hunt o that they are ravenous and more desperate to catch the fox, this is hardly kind to all concerned.
The night before a hunt someone is employed to block up all earth’s so there is nowhere for the foxes to take cover.
Many hunts actually breed foxes so there are more to hunt so it is obviously not a good control method. As well as this the Alliance claims that and man handled fox must not be hunted, they must be either released or destroyed. This is not enforced as there are many witnessed of men carrying foxes to drive the hounds crazy or just to put it in a better spot. There was also a sever cases where the animals tendons have been cut to make it more interesting for the hunters.
The opposition to hunting is not class based, in polling by Gallup it was revealed that 69% of Conservative and 84% of Liberal Democrat voters would like to ban hunting. Also it is not a country folk town folk divide with 66% of rural residents supporting and ban on hunting.
Hunting is also be coming less popular, although this is better for the foxes, it puts down the hunters arguments that hunting is as popular as ever.
Conclusion
If the farmers really wanted to control the numbers of local fox populations they would employ effective methods of extermination, expert marksman or the putting to sleep by vets. Or they can look after their animals better and provide secure homes, though this will require investment. If the hunter still want to go about on horseback then they can do drag hunts, there the hounds do not need to be maltreated or killed at a young age. The trail can be kept away from roads and railway lines to avoid killing of hounds. They say they just enjoy the riding so then why kill an animal like this? Or, heaven forbid actually ride without a hunt at all, just enjoy riding their horses. This means they can still look after the countryside in the way they claim and employ the people they still do. The hounds do not need to be destroyed or the horses, huntsmen could actually find they care for there animals and keep them as pets. There are so many ways round this unnecessary bloodthirsty way killing, that make it a pointless activity to allow. Give the foxes a break. Or we could hunt the hunters instead!
Counters to the hunters arguments
Numbers of foxes need to be controlled!
Foxes control their population naturally anyway.
Hunting is inefficient - 2 hours for just one fox - at controlling and only has a very limited impact on the population. The numbers are replaced the next year anyway and often while hunting foxes will scatter and set up another family.
Other more humane ways of control exists that are kind and actually work.
Foxes kill for fun so why shouldn’t we?
Surplus killing is a completely natural instinct, to store food for hard time in a glut time. Even humans do, just look in any home freezer and there will be a surplus amount of meet etc.
This is also a very rare occurrence and could be further prevented with better husbandry, such as the introduction of electric fences.
Death is quick and painless!
False! Is it really likely that after 2 hours of chasing the fox, hungry as they have been starved, that one hound will step forward and neatly bite the fox in the back of the neck with the knowledge that it has allowed the fox to die painlessly. No, the hounds get there and they rip the exhausted fox limb form limb, or disembowel it while it is still alive.
Undercover anti-hunt protesters have found countless foxes disembowelled with not a mark on the back of their neck.
Hunting employs many people in the countryside, saddlers and red jacket makers etc.
Fox hunters are not the only ones to use the countryside, many people horse ride and walk, all employing similar people.
Drag hunting will still employ these people.
Hunting does not happen in the foxes breeding season.
This is surely the time when foxes need more food and are therefore more likely to take livestock.
More cattle are killed a year for us than foxes / hunting is perfectly natural thing to do, that is how we survived.
Cattle are slaughtered for food, there is a reason for it and the animal is used. Foxes are hunted purely for the fun of killing the animal. Just how many hunts men/women go home and have roast fox for dinner.
The fox hunting debate has nothing to do with hunting for food or survival, this is necessary and has a point. Fox hunting is just cruel and barbaric pastime.
It’s good fun.
That in no way makes it right or acceptable.
Fred West possibly thought his activities were fun but this in now way is acceptable.
Foxes have no feelings.
So you are saying that humans are the only living thing to have feelings, dogs and cats are just numb robots? The fact that when many species loose their young they go into a depression, among many other indicators, is a lie?
