Agricultural Minister thinks that the hunting ban should be repealed...

[malakadoush]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16331762?postId=111273844#comment_111273844

Interesting slant - people are ignoring the law, the police aren't policing it - so lets scrap it!

Hmmm...

Thank you nursenic, it has actually been a pleasure to debate with you. I do know some awful hunting people but no higher percentage than you would meet in any walk of life; probably much less- most are honestly first rate individuals who would do anything for anyone.

Your killing for food argument I disagree with because a, eating meat is also killing for pleasure just the same (in fact much crueller IMHO) and b, as a farmer I am hunting foxes to protect my lambs and chickens, which are also my food and income.

I really disagree with the social arguments you are trying to construct because a, they are really tenuous and b, hunting has been going on for hundreds of years- in fact literally since the dawn of mans' relationship with dogs- and hunting has not actually stopped since the ban (as the laws have been easy to work round). So there is frankly no relationship at all!

It is impossible to describe hunting to those who have not been and could never understand but the closest I can come is to say that the whole hunt is greater than the sum of the parts; that with a hunt in full progress it is possible to feel connected with your horse and the hounds & the land & your hunting ancestors. Also the electricity when hounds are hunting and in full cry is palpable; it is the kind of experience that makes your neck hairs stand up. I sometimes doubt my opinions but I am 100% sure that hunting is 'Right'. But I do respect those who disagree and protest so long as they do it non- violently. At least they believe in something rather than not caring and sitting in front of the TV! I think pros and antis are actually much closer to each other than either side would like to admit..

Also the electricity when hounds are hunting and in full cry is palpable; it is the kind of experience that makes your neck hairs stand up.

That just sounds so creepy and distasteful, and comes across as a nicer way of saying "but it gives me a thrill".
I notice these arguements are only allowed for fox hunting (although it is not much of a hunt as often hunts are constructed to not give the fox a chance - foxes brought in from outside the area and having false sets built), and it is deemed correct that badger baiters and lampers are treated with disdain. Britain is one of the only countries that allows animals to be ripped apart by the hounds, and it is wrong. Why this obsession with seeing the creature torn to shreds to the extent that they now sometimes use birds of prey? It is also creepy beyond all reason that a reason for ripping the animal apart is that it makes the hairs on you neck stand up on end. Other nations do not stand for this, what is so special about Britain that they have to use dogs or birds of prey?
And if farmers want to protect their chickens, put a better lock on the coup at night. Foxes are scavangers and are much more likely to go through rubbish than make an active effort to break into a chicken coup at night.

Trust me its not creepy, it is pure Magic :-)
AGHHHH I have said before several times there are MANY countries which hunt with hounds!! It is very easy to verify!!
I can't imagine why you think hunt followers get a thrill out of seeing a fox killed, NO ONE DOES- that is pure anti hunt propaganda. I have hunted for many years (27 actually) but seen very few kills and would rather not. The excitement is with the chase and if the quarry gets away, so much the better!
Finally, you are obviously not a chicken keeper as if you were, you would know that foxes do not only hunt at night. I had to kill a fox quite recently that was chewing the necks off my free range poultry in broad daylight and this has happened to me quite a lot. The answer is to keep the chickens shut up but then a, they are not free range and b, they are not happy. There is a reason why 90+ % of farmers support hunting you know :-p

I'm still looking for answers as to why the sabs and antis can be so easily brought to book when they are found to be breaking the law but the huntsmen can't and so often aren't.

Plenty of laws are hard to enforce and broken but I don't hear any calls for the repeal of those against rape, murder or child abduction for example.

Because the Hunting Act is a poorly drafted, illiberal, pointless law with umpteen loopholes, used against a country sport which is a way of life for 100s of thousands of people. The Hunting Act's proponents have caused far more foxes to be killed by crueller means and attempted to make criminals out of the most law-abiding section of the community. The sabs sadly brought the Criminal Justice Act down on their own heads by their over the top violent excesses of the '90s ('hits' of 400 sabs violently attacking hunts & their animals). If only they had stuck to small scale peaceful protest this wouldn't have been necessary. To compare hunting with rape and murder is such a stupid thing to say that it shows you have no serious points to raise.

There are lots of laws, and you can always find someone to criticise them.

The people who are fond of rape, murder or child abduction would possibly like the laws to be repealed, but there are (I hope) not very many of them and they don't get a sympathetic hearing, so you won't often see them in the media.

People who get caught breaking speed limits, or drinking and driving, often moan about those laws as well.

No surprise then that people who like hunting with dogs will criticise the laws on that.

Cockfighting and badger-baiting are traditional sports that have been outlawed for a long time, and are no longer popular, but maintaining local traditions is a different argument.

Ponyofdoom Thank you. I agree with everything that you have said, so there is no point in me joining in the argument.

Iwonder how many of those who talk about "being ripped to shreds" etc, watch the nature programmes? It is natural for hounds to chase foxes, it is natural for foxes to be chased - if humans weren't around it would happen.