Friday, 18 February, 2005 16:44
Should hunting continue?
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 | | The
New Forest Hounds |
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The
New Forest was created as a royal hunting ground almost 900 years ago and hunting
has taken place in the area ever since -
hunting with dogs finally became illegal at midnight on 18th February, but
should it be allowed to continue? |
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Join the debate, add
your comments
| richard
prangnell, Hove | | Comment:
The fox hunting fraternity
seem to be intent on re-writing history as part of their ongoing propaganda campaign.
With all the deceptive, half-truth blending flair of Goebbels, they portray their
sport as 'traditional' and talk about the '900 year history of hunting in the
New Forest'. The truth is that the fox was never hunted until late in the 18th
century, when noveau riche industrialists, abysmally ignorant of country affairs,
started to muscle in and lord it over what had been, till they arrived, a well-ordered
countryside. In earlier times hunting with hounds was always for food; the traditional
quarry being deer, boar or hare. It seems bizarre to me that the pursuit of the
above edible quarry is banned, yet it is still legal to hunt the fox, an inedible
animal yet one with no less capacity to feel suffering. The argument about the
necessity of fox hunting to control the population of foxes is also nonsense.
It has been a well documented Hunt practice to actually breed foxes to replenish
the supply for 'sport purposes' in areas where the fox population has dwindled. | | |
Μύ | tyson,
loveland | | Comment:
yes i deffinately
think that the hunting of foxes should continue because if we dont harvest any
of them, they will just get way overpopulated and then run wild through the streets
and be a pest to the common people and they will be encouraged to be killed again. | | |
| Tim,
Sway | Comment:
If hunting is abolished
then poeple like me (small scale farming) will have to shoot foxes to protect
livestock. All serious commentators accept the need for fox control, but those
who want to ban hunting seem to be unaware of how foxes will be killed. Shooting
is not an instant death, and foxes do not stand quietly to present an easy target.
Ban fox hunting and many thousands of foxes will escape, wounded, into the coutryside.
Keep hunting and all the foxes that are hunted will either be killed outright
or escape uninjured. They may be tired, but will not be wounded.
Thise
who want to ban hunting don't seem to care about animal welfare,, as long as they
don't have to see anything killed. Open your eyes, and work out the reality. Wounding
foxes has very serious consequences for their welfare. If you want that then ban
hunting, if you want to see foxes controlled (as they have to be) with minimum
suffering then you will support hunting.
For me, support of hunting,
is purely an issue of animal welfare. I care about animals so I want to see the
least possible suffering. Thus there is only a single answer - keep hunting. | | |
| Gillian,
Derry, Ireland | | Comment:
i don't understand
why you people are saying hunting with dogs is cruel. are you saying hunting with
guns isn't? obviously it is. any form of animal cruelty should be banned. i don't
even agree with the slaughtering of animals which is why I'm vegetarian but hunting?
what sort of sick mind takes pleasure in torturing defenceless animals? | | |
| Mrs
Hellpred, | | Comment:
The fact that the
people that want to ban hunting with dogs are predominately meat eaters is hypocrisy
itself. in order for the hens, lambs etc all need to be protected from the foxes
to be prepared for eating. if the population was vegetarian then there would be
no need for the hunting bill. | | |
| Edward
Packer, Waterlooville | Comment:
Fox hunting seems
to be an ever lasting discussion that no one can settle. My opinion is that of
course we should be allowed to hunt, we have for thousands of years why stop now?
If any one has a problem with it then dont go and support it. I am not a fan of
football so I dont go, it doesnt mean I go protest about it. Those who mainly
object fox hunting come from towns and cities and therefore have litle knowledge
of what actually goes on, so what right do they have to comment anyway? Those
whom live in the country should be those who's comments should be listened to.
As refered to in other comment, tere are many more factors to be taken in to consideration
in this world that trying to stop one of Britains greatest traditions.
Also to make a strong sound point. Hunting will never be banned, even if it legally
is. Reasons for this is because you cant stop a group of friends exercising their
hourses and taking the hounds out for a run in the country, (unless you want to
ban taking your dog for a walk in the countryside or prehaps banning the whole
countryside?). And we cant stop the natural function of hounds who decide to participate
in a bit of hunting (even like my labrador does when we go for a stroll in the
woods). A natual instinct! Hunting will live on! | | |
| Normal
Bloke, Southampton | | Comment:
An interesting discussion,
but everyone on here seems to be missing the point that laws such as this is all
just more restrictions on our human rights much like the criminal justice bill
really which prevented us from having partys and raves etc, and it's all good
stuff for the government, they love it when the bulk of the population is busy
worrying about fox's etc as it means we don't question the real things that are
going on in this world, like the fact we are about to head in to world war 3 !!!,
and
the state of NHS and public transport, and the fact that we are generally destroying
the planet, there won't be an environment for the fox's to live in before long,so
long as people spend there lives worrying about such mundaine and relatively unimportant
things. Hows
about fixing the planet, creating peace, leave those who know the countryside
to get on with it. | | |
| Liz,
Tidworth | | Comment:
If hunting with dogs
is banned then eventually you will only find foxes in the town and their outskirts;
as farmers I know will shoot them, kill any cubs found so their livestock is not
threatened. My Uncle has always said before that he would leave them to the hunt,
now they will be treated like rats, mice and any other vermin. | | |
| Georgia
Thomas, Carterton | Comment:
why aren't hounds
available as pets? Because they are the most difficult dogs OF ALL to train. They
are difficult to housetrain and will pace around the house climbing on things
like a mountain goat. They need about 3 hours exercise every day and they need
a canine friend. I have a rescue Kerry Beagle who has never hunted, but as I read
recently, you can take the hound out of the hunt but you can't take the hunt of
of the hound. Not a dog for the average dog owner they will disappear as soon
as you let them off the lead and they will not come back until they decide thy're
ready which could be hours and they might cause traffic accidents while they are
gone.
Yes they are very sweet and loyal and friendly but my life is
ruled by my hounds and thinking of new ways to keep them under control while giving
them the right amount of exercise. One of them has been on the dining table several
times and still often wees wherever he feels like it, even if I am! watching!
They are powerful dogs and really suitable for the average household
with children. What would become these extremely lively hounds in the event of
a ban? The RSPCA are deluding themselves if they think they can successfully rehome
hounds. My second hound is now on his third home simply because no one has been
able to handle him and I don't mind admitting that I sometimes struggle! | | |
| Matt
Oliver, Southampton | | Comment:
No hunting of any
kind should be allowed because of 'Tradition'. Wake up! we are now living in the
21st Century. If however a fox or other animal is causing problems for a landowner,
then this should be dealt with in a reasonable manner. In my opinion this can
be done with dogs, shooting or by another means that causes least grief to the
animal. The problem I have with the Hunt are people dressing up to enjoy the 'Sport'. | | |
| Cliff
Brown, Eastleigh | | Comment:
They think it's all
over....it is now! It's been an interesting discussion topic. Hunting is all but
banned now. Bloodsport followers, please dont let the field gate hit your butt
on the way out. I hope you continue to enjoy drag hunting as much as you did foxhunting.
Welcome to the 21st century. | | |
| Steve
Davies, Portsmouth | | Comment:
Although I am not
a fan of hunting, I admit that I am not fully aware of the consequences of banning
this sport. Many of the people commenting seem to only be commenting on the one
aspect, the use of hounds to chase foxes, but from what I understand, surely a
ban on hunting will also include many other areas. What about ferreting, hawking
or fishing. These all include the use of one animal (ferret, hawk or worm) to
try and destroy the rabbit, vole or fish. Before any mass commitment is made to
either option, should not the people affected be allowed to forward their sides
of the argument, and to allow the politicians deciding our futures to arrive at
their decisions on an informed basis? | | |
| Steve
, Ringwood | | Comment:
MOST OF THE COMMENTS
ON THE THIS HAVE BEEN FROM CITY DWELLERS. WHAT
I WANT TO KNOW DO THEY WEAR LEATHER COATS,SHOES OR ANYTHING MADE OF COW HIDES. HOW
MANY OF THEM HAVE PUT DOWN MOUSE TRAPS OR POISON FOR RATS.I WISH THEY WOULD WORRY
MORE ABOUT STATE OF THE POSSIBLITY OF US GOING TO WAR AND THE LOSS OF OUR BOYS
& GIRLS OUT THERE. | | |
| Lizzie,
Southampton | | Comment:
hunting with dogs
is evil i am only 13 but i know the difference between right and wrong and i know
that hunting with dogs is VERY wrong | | |
| The
Agister's view is interesting to say the least. Particularly his comment on the
benifet of hunting moving animals about the forest. This was one of the very reasons
that the Verderers and some foresters did not want Draghunting on the Forest.
The responsability of removing deadstock should not rely on good will but should
be put on an official basis and if need be paid for by government via the Verderers
at the going rate. My hounds are fed a propriety feed as it is far too costly
to run a nacker service. | | Michael
Thomas, Master of Draghounds, Ringwood | | |
I
do not think Fox Hunting should be banned because it has been a tradition in the
forest and we do not know the changes to the forest that banning fox hunting would
cause. When the Buck Hounds were forced to stop hunting, do you know that a whole
herd of deer has to be rounded up and shot. I did not witness this, but what is
crueller, shooting a whole herd of deer, or hunt them, where only the old and
week would be killed? The deer have to be culled!
Also the same happens
to colts. The forest has to be managed and colts grow into stallions and we cannot
have too many on the forest, so the colts are rounded up and if they are not brought,
they have to be slaughtered. People are too quick to want to ban things in this
country and not think of the outcome. The forest cannot sustain a vast amount
of animals and that is why we have the forest because of all the people that have
hunted and worked on it for years and years and we should appreciate the hard
work and efforts they have achieved for us to have a forest at all. | | Debbie
Allan, New Milton |
See
more of your comments on hunting here
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