to think hunt saboteurs are heroes?

[FishCanFly]

I always donate when they're fundraising locally.

Weebit no she isn't a hunt supporter! as I said upthread she is anti hunting! She just happened to keep her horse next door to a yard where some people keep horses that do go hunting. My friends horse is a hunter type of horse but has never nor will ever go hunting.

@Lexilooo exactly!!

@Saucery is willing to call people who drag hunt "disingenuous bloodthirsty horrors" yet doesn't know what a drag hunt is. This is the problem with so many people defending sabs-they don't know what they are talking about!!

I did a hunt protest once...the hunters deliberately charged us. I only had a stall

You had a stall, as in setting up a stall, on a hunt? How did that work? Was it mobile? Did you sell things?

I honestly never have heard of anything like that before.

YANBU OP

Thanks Saucery and Lexiloo I had no idea that happened, a cruelty-free way to enjoy the sport. It sounds like fun actually, I bet the dogs love it!

I used to go out with a sab. Had to end it. Whilst I agreed that the hunt was cruel, I couldn't help but think that potentially hurting people to prevent cruelty to animals was somewhat hypocritical. We're all animals aren't we.

most of them are soapdodgers and proper dick heads who havent got a clue whats going on
Hunting with hounds has been banned anyway

The only hunt sab I've ever met is very posh. His parents used to hunt, before they got too old.
,
And despite hunting with hounds being banned, kills by hounds trail hunting are far from rare. There was one such kill not far from my house the winter before last.

I admire them. I think they show a lot of courage. You Tube has plenty of videos showing them being assaulted and abused to huntsmen and hunt supporters.

YABU. I'm against bloodsports and have never been involved with that sort of thing, but I think the intimidation and violent tactics used by hunt saboteurs are abhorrent and anyone involved should be treated as a criminal, not hero-worshipped. The adoration should be kept for those making positive changes for animals through thoughtful and intelligent work.

There are very few people who'd cheer on a masked gang hanging around prisons and detention centres, waiting to attack criminals on day release.

See, I distinguish between anti-hunt activists, like the lady who rescued the fox, and sabs. The former are brilliant people who put up with a lot of physical and verbal abuse to make sure hunts don't get to kill anything, the latter are scum bags who turn up in balaclavas to frighten and injure others they think have fallen below their moral standards. They don't even check to make sure they have the right people half the time.

I am anti hunting but no way are sabs heroes. I saw one throw a lit firework under the belly of a tiny pony ridden by a 5 year old. Only extremely quick thinking by the hunt master prevented an unimaginable tragedy.

Many so called hunt sabs are in fact local unemployed and are bussed in to create trouble and confusion. The vegan first wife of a very well known pop star used to pay them to come and cause trouble in this area.

They are as bad, if not worse, than the pompous twits who enjoy pursuing a small animal across country.

@Saucery do they also sab people walking unmuzzled hounds or terriers in case they accidentally go after a rat/rabbit/hare? Do they sab pet cats? A single pet cat could easily kill more birds in a week than the number of foxes an entire drag pack could kill in a season.

Drag hounds aren't trained to the scent of fox or to a live quarry and will be called off if they go off trail. The risks are very low indeed.

@IncandescentShadow

1. The traditional solution is shepherds and sheepdogs.

1. Lambs are only bred for food so will have a short life whether killed by foxes or humans.

1. Humane trapping and shooting of 'pest' predators is far more humane than running down a living being to exhaustion and then ripping it apart while it is still alive.

A couple of years ago a drag hunt 'accidentally' picked up the scent of a fox and chased it across our cat sanctuary. Four cats and the fox were killed. Dreadful trauma was caused to the remaining cats and the staff. Thousands of pounds of damage was done. They are utter bastards and I would agree that drag hunters are disingenuous blood thirsty horrors.

It is well known that drag hunting is just an excuse to carry on normal hunting with the excuse that the scent was picked up accidentally.

The stall had anti hunt literature..leaflets etc

@krustykittens I did wonder about that, as the video describes the lady as a "hunt monitor". Perhaps she doesn't qualify as a sab then, but a hero all the same!

I spent my teen years living in a rural area and had a Saturday job at a local pub. I have seen hunt sabs lay nails to puncture horses hooves outside a pub where the hunt meets just before it started, hit riders with placards as they passed through the country lanes, and spray pepper spray in hounds faces causing them such distress l cried.

They care nothing for animal welfare, they are evil, cruel people.

@thecatneuterer what pack? Are they members of the MDBA or MFA? Trail hunting or drag hunting?

Hopeless

1. The traditional solution is shepherds and sheepdogs.

Well, as long as everyone is happy with the prices of lamb going up massively. Because you will need hordes of shepherds and sheepdogs living outdoors 24/7 to keep lambs from being horribly mutilated and killed by foxes. Not everywhere is nice little flat fields either.

2. Lambs are only bred for food so will have a short life whether killed by foxes or humans.

So it doesn't matter to you that lambs are killed and ripped apart so foxes can live? OMG...

3. Humane trapping and shooting of 'pest' predators is far more humane than running down a living being to exhaustion and then ripping it apart while it is still alive.

No, NO. Its ILLEGAL. Its illegal without a license because its so cruel and so many innocent animals are caught up in traps and snares and die horrible, prolonged deaths, or chew their own legs off. Including pets from people who live in the countryside. In fact, I heard of someone out hill running who got badly injured in a trap. I cannot believe you haven't actually thought about what trapping and snaring do. OMG. There is no such thing as "humane trapping" of foxes and other predators. Christ.

No, they are townies who don't understand how the countryside works.

Ha ha, so sorry us townies know nothing of your country ways. Please let us bow down to your superiority.
I suppose it's quite obvious really, the only way to control foxes is to chase them until they are exhausted and let the dogs rip them to pieces and then smear the blood over your children. God, you're so right, it's the only way.

Not sure why some on here are having trouble with the (well documented) concept that both trail and drag hunts can lead to the tearing apart of a live fox.

I suppose if you get a thrill from that sort of thing you’ll do anything to justify it and throw in ludicrous whataboutery re domestic cats.

I’m against hunting but the yard I worked out only survived due to loaning out the occasional Hunter. I have seen a sab stab one of our horses in the bum with a knife.
So no I think in general they’re a bunch of wankers. Even though my vegetarian boss was against it she had to let it go to survive and feed the horses during winter

She supported hunting then. Everyone has a choice whether they do or not.

The ones who lace hedges and jumps with razor wire that I have personally had to remove certainly are not.

I don't even hunt.

I think far too many hunt sabs are deranged and hateful people who don't care much about animal welfare and just like the excuse to try to do harm to others. On the other end of the spectrum you have the peaceful hunt sabs who actually DO care about animal welfare and manage to go about their business without trying to injure horses and people.

Obviously there are good and bad people in any group, but i think very few sabs would wish to cause harm. Hunts want to portray sabs as unwashed, homeless scum. From what i have witnessed this is far from the truth.
Also i remember the cat sanctuary in the news. Also remember the lamb and the alpaca that was killed last season. As well as the cat killed in front of owners.

Lockheart you could say the same about the hunters.

There are bad sides to everything though

I remember the story of the animal activists who stole a corpse belonging to the mother of a man who ran a factory that supplied Guinea pigs to animal testing labs.

They refused to hand over his mum unless he closed the factory and released all of the guinea pigs.

Poor man..