Ripping live animals apart is a wonderful British tradition that should be preseved.

[ItsAWonderfulCervix]

Let's overturn the ban. After all boxing day just isn't any fun without a few dead foxes and blood and guts and stuff.

And while we're at it, don't you just love a bit of badger baiting for variety When shredding foxes gets dull.

Back I can only speak from my experience but as far as I know, the hunts I've been with have been on the land with permission or on public land. If anything, the ban has made it easier to abide by this as years ago hunts had more of an inclination to follow a fox wherever it went. Now they generally lay a trail or move in a more planned way across land they have sought permission for. I can't speak for every hunt but that's the experience I've had with the 4 I've hunted with.

Its never a good idea to listen to rumour Cider...
I'm not saying people can't argue against fox hunting.
I'm saying 5 hats the argument goes way beyond its import. Its been turned into a political issuebecause its seen as a class issue, and that other bigger issues are overlooked because they are beneficial to the the 'lower classes'.
Argue what you like but don't do it for the wrong reasons.

I liveried my horses on the yard of a hunt master and was on the committee of that hunt, so I know for a fact he always sought permission and visited the adjacent land owners to give them a card at the start of the season/in the week before the hunt were around (as he should do). He was a very good master though so again, I can't say all of them do this but they should.

I livery at the yard of a (now former) hunt master and it is as muffin says

I do actually agree that in some ways some aspects of hunting ARE indefensible if you like to think of humans as being somehow so much more civilised than other animals, but we're not really, and I think it's good to keep in touch with our more primal selves, I really do. Sorry. And it is the most fun you can have.

Never been to a meet, have no desire to, but surely the purpose of a cull is to cut down enough of the undesirable animals to make a difference to the numbers living in any one area.

Trying to claim that a large number of people on horseback and a large pack of hounds hunting and killing one fox is a sensible way to 'cull' any creature is nonsense.

Seems to me that hunting with hounds is done for the pleasure of the people taking part and the thrill of the chase, which is fair enough, but just be honest about it.

I'm guessing they don't still 'blood' rub the blood of the fox on the face of the children taking part in their first hunts any more - why the hell would you do that if not to celebrate the kill.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ENJOYING IT THOUGH?

why shouldn't people have fun? why should it be a joyless task?

See I see talking about fox hunting as very similar to talking about Jehovah's Witnesses. Ignorance is rife, everyone believes the rumours and nobody listens.

Oh, and ive met Mitchy. She defies all of the hunting stereotypes. She's a common old slapper!

haaaaaa! thank you!

Good post pigsDOfly

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ENJOYING IT THOUGH?

I think anyone who enjoys seeing an animal hunted for fun is warped. That's just my opinion though and why I don't support hunting.

You ENJOY seeing an animal ripped apart whilst still alive?? I think you need therapy.

I've never seen a live animal ripped apart. I think that is a bizarre fantasy anti-hunt people enjoy.

and I'm not psychologically minded enough to benefit from therapy either

So you release your prey once you have enjoyed the pleasure of catching it? Or do you still go on to kill it in some way?

Which part do you enjoy then? The point leading up to the death whereby the fox becomes exhausted? What is joyful about an animal literally running for its life in absolute fear whilst being chased by a pack of hounds and horses and humans?

the prey dies pretty fucking instantly as far as I can tell (not that have ever had enough control over a horse to see much of anything)

I would choose that death myself if the hounds were a pack of lions, or a solitary tiger or something

Why does the prey die? For what reason?

we're all running for our lives, seriously, some animals kill other animals

am sorry life is not more Beatrix Potter

really I am

And that means that we should act like wild animals too by also killing animals. Oh come on, that is the saddest argument I've ever heard.

Which part do you enjoy then?

we're all running for our lives

Really? Is your life being threatened by another? I suggest you contact the police.

Actually, we don't 'run for our lives' because we are at the top of the food chain - not by biology, but because we have manipulated habitats.

If you want to use the 'it's natural' card, how the fuck is a group of hounds and horses chasing a fox natural?

Yes, I agree womble, the hounds that have been trained to hunt and follow a scent. Nothing natural about that.

I'm not exactly arguing with you, although I'm sure there is an argument to be had about staying in touch with our more primitive selves - at least the hunt's wider social and economic role is partially supported by pest control.

The same can't be said of many commercial shoots, they seem sad and pointless to me, they don't even eat the fucking animals they raise specifically to kill.

I think humans are FAR worse than wild animals. Animals hunt too. Cats often make their prey suffer, often without eating the end result. Orca play oceanic volleyball with live seals before shredding them.
Humans otoh, systematically subject animals to long term torture in the name of food or fashion. I'd pick the hounds over most of that!
If hunting is being animalistic it think that's probably a step UP for many people!