Hunting.....what's the point?

[Dry Rot]

a little tale for you then.
I used to rent a bit of ground off an old pal off the hill, it being handy for putting ewes with twins away to in the spring.
He dutifully kept an eye, and was soon noticing a lamb per night going.
He happened to be a keen 'rough shoot' man -sadly now long underground- of the old skool countryman type.
He was out night after night after this sodding fox, but never saw it. The lambs kept going.
Driven bat sh*t to think I was losing lambs like this, we called in the local MFH, who came with a couple of hounds, and a shovel.
Quite nearby, they marked an earth in some woods, and dug out a 3 legged fox, who'd been living very nicely on my lambs.

I've seldom witnessed it as neat as this, but it was a perfect bit of practical work.
And no, i don't shoot pheasants, or ride to hounds

Good dogs take some beating. I wonder how long it would have taken an "expert shot" to get that fox with a rifle?

As I've said before, the most efficient fox control I've ever seen was an old mate of mine working his bobbery pack of a few lurchers and terriers. We strolled along, hands in pockets, on a very pleasant sunday afternoon while the dogs work nearby cover. Then when we came to an open bit, there were the dogs panting from their exertions with a very dead fox.

 

[Hilly]

Foxes going to ground and being dug up by terrier men is absolutely ridiculous and I cannot believe hunts allow it. If I caught them digging up foxes here they would quickly be told where to go.

You speak to terrier men like that expect a spade up your nose.

 

[ajd132]

You speak to terrier men like that expect a spade up your nose.

That says it all really

 

[egbert]

What @MRT means is, in its current format the Hunting Act only allows the use of a terrier below ground in order to protect game birds.

I wouldn't know...this was back when tony blair was fresh out of D*ckhead College

 

[Hilly]

That says it all really

It just says they are tough lads that take no sh!t from p ricks. snowflakes.

 

[ajd132]

It just says they are tough lads that take no sh!t from p ricks. snowflakes.

So if I tell a terrier man not to dig on our farm I am a snowflake and should get a shovel to the face?

 

[borderterribles]

DYFED-Powys Police are investigating a report that five hounds belonging to the Llanwnnen Hunt were shot dead on private land in the Lampeter area.

http://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/arti...ICrd886Kk5jESlSbWjvs4Ir27a4vWvmAnZuMnV1-4v5e8

Presumably this is the incident that @Cowabunga mentioned earlier this week?

 

[Kidds]

Cheshire police are investigating the hunt killing a fox locally. Not surprised it made the news because they have rarely caught one!

Hopefully it was the bugger that killed one of my geese last week. It wasn’t the one trit-trotting up the road this morning. Also saw a camera crew by the village sign this morning so no doubt another news piece for someone.

 

[Cowabunga]

Presumably this is the incident that @Cowabunga mentioned earlier this week?

Yes, that's right. The huntsman and his children who looked after the dogs since they were born are terribly upset. The dogs were lured by horn to be shot by, allegedly, a pump action shotgun. Apparently there are no sheep on the farm and the hunt was not going to cross his land.
Hunt's around here are rather different to most English ones and the hunt master, Ianto, is well known and very well liked around farms. He works for Douglas Bros collecting fallen stock as well as farming on his own. His son had a goat for Christmas many years ago when in primary school, I recall, and doted on it.

Its not more than three years since he lost another three dogs through being shot by another local idiot 'farmer'. There are some right 'specimens' around these parts. The one concerned with the latest incident is from a good respected family too, but has only farmed for maybe five years in the current location. His father is very well known in the agricultural community by those of us that are 30+ years of age. Undoubtedly it will all come out in later editions of the paper. There's no hiding from this shambles.

 

[borderterribles]

Yes, that's right. The huntsman and his children who looked after the dogs since they were born are terribly upset. The dogs were lured by horn to be shot by, allegedly, a pump action shotgun. Apparently there are no sheep on the farm and the hunt was not going to cross his land.
Hunt's around here are rather different to most English ones and the hunt master, Ianto, is well known and very well liked around farms. He works for Douglas Bros collecting fallen stock as well as farming on his own. His son had a goat for Christmas many years ago when in primary school, I recall, and doted on it.

Its not more than three years since he lost another three dogs through being shot by another local idiot 'farmer'. There are some right 'specimens' around these parts. The one concerned with the latest incident is from a good respected family too, but has only farmed for maybe five years in the current location. His father is very well known in the agricultural community by those of us that are 30+ years of age. Undoubtedly it will all come out in later editions of the paper. There's no hiding from this shambles.

That's dreadful,at least one can hope is that the loop loses his guns!

 

[Cowabunga]

That's dreadful,at least one can hope is that the loop loses his guns!

Are pump action shotguns even legal these days?

 

[MRT]

Are pump action shotguns even legal these days?

Yeah 3 shot, or more on an FAC I think

 

[borderterribles]

Are pump action shotguns even legal these days?

Not sure, Not unusual round here,but it is fairly redneck too!

 

[MRT]

Not sure, Not unusual round here,but it is fairly redneck too!

Same.

 

[michael N123]

Hunting with dogs was banned when I was 18. The unjust nature of that legislation brought out my then teenage anger and has since coloured my perception of the law forever.

I come from a family where my grandfather got a parking ticket and was devastated that he had broken the law. In Dad’s eyes the law of the land was sacrosanct. I’m afraid I now see the law in a very very different way. I actually rather admire the ‘fudge you all’ attitude of the travelling community. At least they have some backbone.

Are pump action shotguns even legal these days?

anymore than a 3 shot and it goes on your rifle licence

 

[Texel Tup]

I've only skip-read the responses on here, so I may be doing no more than repeating what others have said;
In life and following all occupations, hobbies, pastimes and interests, we are going to get a huge cross section of people and people-types and Hunting is no different. Amongst the Hunting fraternity, we have the good, the bad and the undoubtably ugly - hunting is an archaic and if we're honest, fairly ineffective and pointless exercise - - - - but is it?
With the exception of the Fell packs and those who hunt the Low Ground Hill, Hunting is perhaps the least effective method of reducing our vulpine numbers. Hunting does, however, provide the prey aspect and one whereby Darwin's argument about the survival of the fittest and leaving them to breed, holds good. Hunting is entirely selective, unlike rambo with his cameo and his sniper rifle. Both Hounds and the rifle are to be preferred to the snare which is barbarism.
Back to the question Hunting…..what's the point? The point, as I see it, is that Hunting is just one aspect of the cohesive effect upon our rural communities. Our Village; Police Officer, School, Shop, Nurse and Transport system, all so often our Pub and a host of other influences have been fragmented or disbanded entirely or fallen by the wayside. Villages are now all so often, no more than dormitories or over much of the UK, filled with second homes.
Despite Wilde and his assurance that Hunting was the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable, Hunting does have a point. Most of those who ride to Hounds are perfectly reasonable, thoughtful and decent people. As with those who attend football matches though, it's always the minority who grab the headlines - those who care little for the simple courtesies of life.
There are also of course, those who once on the back of a horse appear to assume a rather elevated position - a literal and figurative position, and it's all summed up, for me anyway, when perhaps 60 years ago I turned out with my village chums to watch Hounds off; there was a huge and decidedly round lady sitting astride a horse of equal proportions, and she presumably heard what one of the grubby little village urchins had said, and rounded on him - - "They're not dawgs" she bellowed "They're Hynds" - I can here her now, and still I chuckle.
For those who may be interested I'll see if can find a very well written and pertinent article, written by Sir Mark Prescott and it focussed on Coursing. He summed up, beautifully, all that is wrong with the Hunting Act of 2004. It was politically motivated with Blair being assured of the sway in support which he would get, if only he would focus on a Hunting Ban. 700 hours were taken up in parliamentary time considering and discussing the ban and only 7 for the first Iraq war.
The world's gone mad.

 

[borderterribles]

Hear, hear! Extremely well put.

 

[roscoe erf]

If that’s true it is a despicable act of the worst kind. The offender should feel the full weight of law and be ostracised from the local community. Whatever his argument with the hunt it is inherently wrong to take it out on the hounds.
Words fail me

plus 1 sick if true

 

[roscoe erf]

Are pump action shotguns even legal these days?

yes

 

[Dry Rot]

I think Lord (Marcus) Kimball did hunting no favours when, on TV, he answered the question in the header with "It's sport! It's venery!". I doubt 1% of the population understood what he was talking about!

Hunting ought to be a skill that brings satisfaction because it is something that is difficult, and when something difficult is done well, it ought to be satisfying. So it does not have a lot to do with killing stuff. If it's about killing, take a machine gun with you when you go deer stalking. Toss a hand grenade into the river to catch salmon, etc.

I've nothing against football and I'm sure I would enjoy it if I understood all the finer points. But I don't. That doesn't mean I want to stop everyone else's enjoyment but it does mean I won't be taken by the scruff of the neck and forced to attend a football match! If hunting doesn't appeal to you, leave it alone and let those who do enjoy it, get on with it.