POLL: Fox Hunting

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From what little I understand of Fox Hunting, I think that it should be at the very least modified to stop it being a simple matter of follow the dogs, aim your rifle, shoot the fox. It should actually be some sort of challenge for the hunters. But then, really, I think that the only people allowed to shoot foxes are the farmers and others who's livelihood is threatened by foxes now and then.

 

Why are we all so worried about the dogs ripping the fox apart? There were wolves and foxes living in England for hundreds of thousands of years before man ever set foot on the island. You can bet wolves were ripping apart foxes back then too. I mean, yeah, it sucks for the fox, but I can't see stopping it just because of that. What next? Are we going to start shooting antelope and feeding them to lions so the antelope don't have to die painfully? The same regarding killer whales and seals?

 

Aldeth, with all due respect, I don’t think that’s the point. The situations you describe happen naturally in the wild. But in this case, it’s really people doing the killing, except they just happen to be using dogs as the tools to do it, much like they use guns, snares, etc. And as humans, we are supposedly "above" this kind of savagery.

 

I understand what you are saying, I just disagree with the principle. To me, people are not behind this ban because they are "above" this type of savagery. IMO they are making a wholly emotional response because they don't want the cute, cuddly fox to get ripped apart by the dogs. There are many humans and animals they die in terribly painful ways every day, and a few foxes having to be added to that list doesn't really concern me.

 

No! It's a fair contest - the fox against the mounted riders with packs of dogs, rifles, traps, and sometimes IR goggles.... YEAH, RIGHT! It is a horrrifically cruel sport and those participating in it should play the fox... Fox Hunter Hunting!! Yay! How horrible. Why not have fox hunters participating in a real challange - attacking a fox with their bare hands. Maybe fox hunters could get a rifle each and fight to the death. I'd play THAT sport!
BTW, for those who say its a part of English tradition, England should be ashamed that "tradition" there consists of torturing helpless animals to death.

 

I still dont get what is wrong with fox hunting. I dont see most people complaining when someone bludgeons a cow over the head. I bet if fox's made a good burger not as many people would care.

 

But you don't chase the cow for hours until it is tired out then hit it over the head...then not even eat it. Those tossers claiming that they have a right to their tradition are a bunch of weaners. Do something constructive with your lives instead!

 

I don't understand what eveyone is so up in arms about. I thought you all hated Fox News

 

^ no I love it :not: I *realy* hate the music they play when they show the weather...

As for fox hunting, its an idiotic "sport" (I have heard these morons actualy refers to it as a sport )
They should ban this sport, and punish those who ignores the ban.
If they want to reduce the fox population, they should do it in civilized ways.

 

Needless killing. Ban it.
And how sad is it to look at the poll results. Maybe some people should take the fox's place. Just for kicks.

 

Priorities.

Okay, so some people think that hunting foxes, or letting dogs hunt them is wrong. I don't.

If I did, I would also be compelled to think that feeding live rodents to big snakes in a zoo is wrong. Or that keeping several hundred cattle in a slaughterhouse for several months is wrong. Or that keeping a pet tarantula who eats flies that a little kid feeds is wrong.

But I feel that my priorities and other peoples' priorities come before these. I believe that a zookeeper should feed snakes live animals if that's how he's making ends meet. I believe that a kid should eat the roast that his mom spent five hours cooking for the family (or at least give a big thank you). If I were a intern working in a lab, studying big spiders, then, yeah, I would feed the spiders flies so that I could get paid or so that the lab might discover something useful.

So long as you aren't putting something endangered at risk or hurting humans, or needlessly hurting living things, then I'm fine with it. Hunting geese is one thing; hunting bald eagles is another. Having a horse killed so a person can eat its meat is one thing; throwing rocks at a dog and leaving it to die is another.

 

Like fox hunting you mean? There is no need to dress up in red clothes, ride on horses and screaming "release the hounds" in an Montgomery Burns kind of way in order to bring down the fox population. Nature can take care of that itself, and if you realy have to interfere with nature, there are easyer ways to kill foxes, you dont need to scare the hell out of them and let dogs bite them to pieces first.

 

Fox hunting is more sadistic than anything else. You're watching a bunch of dogs rip a small fluffy animal to pieces and probably feast on the remains. Why the heck not just shoot the thing and end it quick? At least you'll display some skill.

 

http://www.chaos.org.uk/~maureen/issues.html

Although I don't agree with all the comments on the site above, it makes some interesting reading. I agree with hunting as a necesary means of population control, Rabbits in New Zealand for example. I can also understand it if required for survival purposes, a possible example being the Innuit where farming is nigh on impossible and it is unsustainable to air-lift in food stuffs.
However, taking the pro-hunting comments raised above:

@Aldeth.
All the facts and figures show that fox hunting is not a valid means of Population Control.
No pack animal will chase an animal the size of a fox for the length of time a hound pack chases a fox. It simply would not provide anywhere near enough food for the pack.

@ Sydax
If you mean Bull-fighting (as in Spain) All British polls I have seen condemn it.
I know little about fishing, but generally in Britain sport fishing involves catching the fish, weighing it and putting it back in the river, where it should lead a perfectly healthy life.

@ Rallmama
Definite difference between chasing something down for hours then ripping it to shreds than to killing something humanely.
As it happens, hunting for sport, rather then for food, is generally recognised as being brought to England by the Normans for their Royal's enjoyment.

@ Aldeth
Because it happens to animals and people throughout the world does not make it a valid reason to do it to foxes. Priorities may be a confused, (as it is with all governments, it's about winning votes, and the ban on fox hunting was part of the Labour manifesto) but when the opportunity comes along it must be taken. Then we can move on to trying to help the next lot.

@ Fade
Harbourboy says it rather nicely.

@ Oaz
Almost 100% sure that feeding live rodents to snakes is already banned in Britain. Another site I visit was talking about a prosecution by the RSPCA against someone doing so. I also believe there is a limitation to the length of time cattle may be kept in slaughter houses, and it is certainly not months.

 

@Snook- can't say I wouldn't be tempted to sick a pack of beagles on Sean Hannity...

 

Because fox hunting employs people, and if I were a person working in that industry, I would rather keep making money than stop animals from being killed.

Although the point may be a little moot because it seems to be banning dogs from killing foxes. That I still have no problem with, because it seems silly to impose rules on animals. If I saw a mangy cat that lived in an old mill full of rats, I'm sure that cat would kill and eat the rats. It might be more humane to adopt that cat, but it might not be something I would do because, I could, for instance, be allergic to cat fur.

 

You can't use arguments about the impact on the economy of banning fox-hunting. The economic resources (i.e. people's time) is hardly being devoted to something very productive (i.e. chasing foxes).

 

Out of curiosity, how many of you who are anti-fox hunting are also vegetarians?

 

And what does that have to do with it? Some people are, apparently "silly" and "emotional", against fox hunting because they find it wrong to cruelly kill animals for your own amusement. But then maybe you have different ideas of fun.

 

*sigh*

I was, and still am....simply curious. Amazing, no?

You didn't answer the question, either.