To not want my Grandchild to hunt?

[salsmum]

I am very much into animal rescue and hate to see cruelty against humans AND animals. DIL is pregnant with my 1st Grandchild which I'm obviously very excited about, I texted her today to ask how she was and how DS and 'bump' are and she said she was fine...etc.. and then excited tells me that her Nephew aged just a month into his 8th year is going out on his first hunt . Her family are country people and my DS will be moving to the country once GC comes along. I really hate the thought of any child going hunting especially my GC because I think it's not something a child should see nor be encouraged to take part in. My DIL knows my feelings on animal cruelty and feel upset that she should mention 'the hunt' to me (in an excited-so proud of DN way).

If it wasn't bloodlust then a drag hunt would give the same thrill.

Dogs, noise, horses - I get it.

Morloth perhaps I'm being very dense but I don't see that anyone's said there's a problem with draghunting not providing the 'thrill' of chasing a fox.
(yeah, yeah, I know there are arguments about draghunting being more dangerous, etc. - but I haven't seen anything on this thread about draghunting being 'inferior' to chasing foxes. Sorry again if I've missed something.)

I am happier for a fox that is bothering my chooks to be shot rather than pursued by the hunt,because at least its instant.
Preferably though,I put my chooks away at dusk.
There is a glorious dog fox about,big and healthy and strong.
It has done a daytime snatch and taken one of my chooks.

But why would anyone want to see it pursued,terrified,across the fields?

I think you did, around the middle of the thread someone was saying it wasn't as good.

Don't misunderstand me, I don't have any problem with fox hunting.

The Fox ends up dead either way. Just think it is a bit silly to claim it is the most efficient way to keep numbers down and that it isn't the chase/kill that is fun and then at the same time say drag hunting isn't as good.

JulyKit - mostly foxes get run over. Being shot OR hunted is a fairly niche death for a fox.

I used to be fairly passionate about banning hunting in my youth; now I find it just as repellent, tbh, but I completely agree with everything Chelsy said about it not being the most egregious example of animal cruelty one could pick to get upset about. Anyone who buys a Tesco chicken once a week is complicit in more animal suffering than yer average hunt follower.

Being shot, hunted, run over or dying of starvation in toothless old age are probably all pretty shit options from the fox's POV.

I'm not arguing this one because I think being shot is somehow a nicer experience for poor little foxy-woxy. I just think killing animals for fun is - well, not MY idea of fun.

I could empathise with Morloth's 'hunt it kill it eat it' philosophy, but not with chasing a frightened small animal to its death. Just for amusement. I think that's - well, I think it's abhorrent.

Anyway, you haven't answered my question about RoboFox!

Prototype is primed & ready to go (with added modification for detecting f*cking owls...).

Shooting is rarely an instant death.

If the foxhunt was so great at keeping the fox numbers down,I'm a bit confused as to why,now its banned (presuming hunts are following the law..),the countryside isn't absolutely crawling with foxes.

No, I get that shooting is unlikely to be any pleasanter for the fox Morloth! For me the debate isn't between the comforting fantasy of a nice clean head shot & some grisly HuntSab video of the fox being torn limb to limb.

If I'm ever reincarnated as a fox, I'll settle for death by A road, I think. Luckily, this is already the number one cause of death amongst foxes, which is why we aren't overrun with them.

Exactly, Morloth. ravenAK - it doesn't seem that being shot is, in fact, likely to be 'nicer' than being hunted. Oh well.

ThatBloody I see a lot more fox carcasses on roads than I used to... You must be glad it was just the one chook, though. No wonder you seem quite fond of that fox.

ravenAK you'll need someone with much more recent experience (and a much better rider) than me to answer your question. BTW, I'm with you on the egregious cruelty/Tesco chicken thing...

If we're about the riding/socializing then there wouldn't need to be a fox to kill/chase

But there is a need to cull and in order to be allowed to flush/hunt foxes, you may hounds. In order for said hounds to be paid for to be allowed on the land, you need money. Hence the field and subscribers. For a lot of the field the social aspect is the point, rightly or wrongly.

Which is why I can't understand why the fox hunters won't admit to the bloodlust.

Most don't have it because they will barely see the hounds working nor have more than a passing interest in them ime, let alone see the kill. Not saying that's right but there we are.

We have yet to establish what sort of hunting the OP's nephew took part in - he could be shooting for all we know

ravenAK if I'm reincarnated as a red kite (kyte? sp??), I'll swoop down and clean you up. That way I can leave the little lambykins for your DCubs and the magpies.

If the foxhunt was so great at keeping the fox numbers down,I'm a bit confused as to why,now its banned (presuming hunts are following the law..),the countryside isn't absolutely crawling with foxes.

It is around here, woodlands are stuffed with them. Cheeky buggers, too.

July I've lost many chooks over the years -including a complete henhouse clear out.
Still wouldn't make me want to pursue a terrified fox...

A trained marksperson should provide a clean kill and shouldn't take the shot if they can't.
Unfortunately,I do concur,that from what I've seen of the shoot of late,there doesn't seem to be to much concern about making a shot a killing shot.

I've seen no more or less dead foxes on the roads since the ban.

A head shot on something as small as a fox would be very difficult. Skilled enough shooters certainly can.

But the most efficient way to kill something by shooting it is to aim for the chest area (largest part of the body containing vital organs). The animal will almost certainly drop.

Then you approach as quickly as possible and finish the job with a head shot if necessary.

That is how we do it. There will almost certainly be time where the animal is in pain and afraid between those two shots if it doesn't die immediately.

There is no 'nice' way to kill something.

That would have to be miserable trained marksperson, though, right? Heaven forbid that it would be someone who enjoys their job...

Do British hunters eat their prey? Is hunting anything to do with stocking up freezers/larders for the winter, or is it just for fun?

Agreed,with the no nice way to kill something Morloth.

But at least with shooting,the poor creature isn't pursued,terrified before meeting its end.

Aw cheers JulyKit!

I'll tell the DCubs to stick to fieldmice & baby hedgehogs, then the lambykins can look forward to a great future when the nice Tesco lorry comes for them...

I don't understand July (honestly)

Why would someone enjoy killing a living creature??

Not on my radar,I'm 'fraid.

Good, with the shoot,the birds are supposedly for the pot.
It's just that I've seen too many chucked away over the years to really think that's an argument that can be used to justify it.
In my experience the shoots nowadays can't give 'em away fast enough.

The whole idea in shooting is that the animal doesn't know it is being pursued.

That is the 'thrill' for me, getting as close as possible and one shot. Those with wild pigs you don't want to be too close.

I'm not sure what you're asking me to explain, That. I think Morloth may be able to tell you more about why someone would enjoy killing a living creature than I can, though.

x-post, she already has!

The only kind of hunting I can agree with, is for food to eat. Then it is in my opinion no different to buying meat in the supermarket. You take only as much as you need for your family to eat.

But I am from a long line of hunters, who would spend days walking the Norwegian mountains for elk or grouse, for food. My dad was a hunter, but also has cupboards full of medals, as he was doing biathlon.

Sorry July,I had assumed that you hunt (ex) fox.
My mistake