# Countryfile and Hunting.



## Alec Swan (15 February 2015)

For once,  and from the BBC,  a balanced view.

The programme's retrievable for those with an interest.

Alec.


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## LittleRooketRider (15 February 2015)

You beat me to it Alec!

..But I'm not sure I'd agree it was balanced..I think it attempted to but..

a) They reinforced the stereotype as they went to two "posh" hunts rather than perhaps having one that was more farmer based eg. the 

b)  They hadinterviews with two very anti hunt people, one a polotitian and one "head of campaigns", yes they spoke to two huntsmen but they could of done with talking to a representative of the CA. or alike. (Although funny that the polotician guy shot himself in the foot by saying only the CA is critical of the law, and then going on to say that police had better things to do)

c) I think its quite clear what Tom Heath's opinion is.

d) They only really talked about the wrongdoing of hunts breaking the law rather than that of antis as well, yes there was a clip from an attack on the huntsman but for those out of the loop it could of been anything. 

The bit with Matt Baker and the hounds was very good, gave a general view on the inside of hunting as you would any other sport..but then I felt it went  a bit downhill IMO.

But the anti guy basically admitted it went beyond the welfare of the fox and the true desires of antis was to rid of the hunts all together.

It was probably the most balanced report I've seen, but still left a bit to be desired.

LRR


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## L&M (15 February 2015)

Spent most of it shouting 'hounds'&#8230;.and not dogs!

i think the argument was fair and if anything more supportive of the hunts, which was interesting to see. 

But I agree with the above poster - interviewing Capt Farquar from the Beaufort etc was possibly not the best idea, and should have used more grass root farming packs.


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## Sandstone1 (15 February 2015)

I know the correct term is hounds but the are still actually dogs.


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## LittleRooketRider (15 February 2015)

selinas spirit said:



			I know the correct term is hounds but the are still actually dogs.
		
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"They are hounds dear, never dogs and they wave their sterns not wag their tails"


A rough quote from Flambards


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## Alec Swan (15 February 2015)

L&M said:



			Spent most of it shouting 'hounds'&#8230;.and not dogs!

i think the argument was fair and if anything more supportive of the hunts, which was interesting to see. 

But I agree with the above poster - interviewing Capt Farquar from the Beaufort etc was possibly not the best idea, and should have used more grass root farming packs.
		
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Yes,  quite!  DOGS,  FFS!  "They're not Dawgs,  they're Hynds",  as some worthy once said,  and therein lays a part of the problem.  I agree with you and LRR,  in that were those who interview,  able to involve the grass roots of hunting,  and leave behind those who,  however well cultured their accents,  bray,  then a more accurate picture would be painted,  and so the perceptions of the general public would be more inclined to lean towards the common man,  rather than the privileged.

The Berkeley,  what a wonderful setting,  and those kennels!!  100 dogs,  sorry)),  50 couple of hounds,  and with such commitment and purpose.  The kennel Huntsman's a fortunate man.  I spotted one hound that I took a shine too,  such a handsome creature!

Alec.


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## LittleRooketRider (15 February 2015)

Perhaps I am being too pernickety about the balance thing?..but I do think generally it was a good report, just Tom WhatshisfaceIcanneverremember seemed desperate to get a "confession" out of Captain Farquar.


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## LittleRooketRider (15 February 2015)

Alec Swan said:



			Yes,  quite!  DOGS,  FFS!  "They're not Dawgs,  they're Hynds",  as some worthy once said,  and therein lays a part of the problem.  I agree with you and LRR,  in that were those who interview,  able to involve the grass roots of hunting,  and leave behind those who,  however well cultured their accents,  bray,  then a more accurate picture would be painted,  and so the perceptions of the general public would be more inclined to lean towards the common man,  rather than the privileged.

The Berkeley,  what a wonderful setting,  and those kennels!!  100 dogs,  sorry)),  50 couple of hounds,  and with such commitment and purpose.  The kennel Huntsman's a fortunate man.  I spotted one hound that I took a shine too,  such a handsome creature!

Alec.
		
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It was a gorgous setting, stunning hounds and  Lord Berkely showed a natural (as in it was just through the way he spoke of them, and looked at them rather than making a big thing of it so to speak) passion for them. Hounds always look so joyful don't you think?


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## stencilface (15 February 2015)

I (on the fence with hunting) had a big rant at friends last week about hunting. One friend is very anti Middle class people and above, despite being a vicars daughter and very middle class herself, she loves reverse snobbery, and champions anyone who's an underdog. But the thing that gets me about th hunting ban is that it's nothing to do with welfare, its all to do with labour wanting to make themselves look good and that they understand the 'common man'. If they wanted to do anything about animal welfare they'd get some laws sorted on selling cosmetic products tested on animals in other countries and ban halal meat ffs!

Needless to say, my friend didn't open her annoying mouth once, I doubt she's ever met anyone who's been hunting and has no experience of anything outside her bubble. Plus my rant probably would have gone into orbit then lol


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## KautoStar1 (15 February 2015)

Sadly I thought it was the usual left wing clap trap from the BBC. It stereo typified posh people on horses & made the league look like the normal everyday man in the street.  Beautiful setting of course & horses & hounds looked great but wheeling out the aristocracy & the likes of captain Farquhar just seemed to confirm the decide between those who have & those who don't.  Which is another angle the antis love to throw at the hunting fraternity.  Sorry but I thought the report has probably done more harm than good.


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## LittleRooketRider (15 February 2015)

KautoStar1 said:



			Sadly I thought it was the usual left wing clap trap from the BBC. It stereo typified posh people on horses & made the league look like the normal everyday man in the street.  Beautiful setting of course & horses & hounds looked great but wheeling out the aristocracy & the likes of captain Farquhar just seemed to confirm the decide between those who have & those who don't.  Which is another angle the antis love to throw at the hunting fraternity.  Sorry but I thought the report has probably done more harm than good.
		
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sadly I think you are right...Tom somethinorother indirectly made it quite clear which side he erred on.


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## popsdosh (16 February 2015)

LittleRoodolphRider said:



			sadly I think you are right...Tom somethinorother indirectly made it quite clear which side he erred on.
		
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Well he couldnt do all those fluffy bunny programs with the RSPCA and not get indoctrinated could he!


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## RunToEarth (16 February 2015)

KautoStar1 said:



			Sadly I thought it was the usual left wing clap trap from the BBC. It stereo typified posh people on horses & made the league look like the normal everyday man in the street.  Beautiful setting of course & horses & hounds looked great but wheeling out the aristocracy & the likes of captain Farquhar just seemed to confirm the decide between those who have & those who don't.  Which is another angle the antis love to throw at the hunting fraternity.  Sorry but I thought the report has probably done more harm than good.
		
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The Beeb always do the same with countryside issues - either call in an aristo to interview on fox hunting, or find the country's most incoherent farmer to make us all look like thick country folk. 

I actually thought last night's interview was fairly good - well rounded people doing their bit to educate everyone who was watching. Given the fact that a lot of people who go hunting seem to manage to refer to hounds as dogs, its no surprise Countryfile does.


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## Exploding Chestnuts (16 February 2015)

Dummed down, but that is typical Countryfile. However, am I to assume that traditional hunts only do trail hunting now, that's the impression I got, and it took me a while to decide if this was a new sport [its drag hunting surely?]
I had thought that there was fox control, only they shot the fox. As a non post ban hunt person, I would have wanted a balanced view, not a slice of Tom whathisnameandnotaountryman's view.  They should have avoided the subject or done it properly.


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## MyBoyChe (16 February 2015)

I don't hunt (not brave enough) but I am a country girl, born and bred.  quite a few family members over the years have hunted, farmers all of them.  Sadly I have to agree with those who say the programme probably hasn't helped, I thought it presented the stereotypical image of posh people on horses .  Everyone that I know who has been involved in  hunting has been "common",  from those mounted, to the foot followers and the terrier men.  I have always viewed hunting as a means of controlling the fox, survival of the healthiest stock and keeping on top of the population.  There are far more people involved in hunting than those who simply turn up on the day to enjoy the "sport".  In my mind, it was and will always be part of living in the countryside.


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## JenHunt (16 February 2015)

Bonkers2 said:



			I would have wanted a balanced view, not a slice of Tom whathisnameandnotaountryman's view.  They should have avoided the subject or done it properly.
		
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this^^ sums up my view on the countryfile piece really. Thought the piece in kennels was nice and showed the respect and care that are shown to the hounds (don't get me started on the 'dogs' thing...) and was pleased they got whats'isnamethatdefectedfromLACStoCA to talk a bit but think they could have given him more opportunity to expound on his reasoning for his switch.


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## Alec Swan (16 February 2015)

JenHunt said:



			.. was pleased they got whats'isnamethatdefectedfromLACStoCA to talk a bit but think they could have given him more opportunity to expound on his reasoning for his switch.
		
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I'm unable to copy the relevant article on here,  but should those who are interested wish to read more of Barrington's thoughts,  then google; 

'James Barrington,  and why does the Labour Party listen to LACS'

The article was written in June (I believe)  of 2014.

In the article which is written and quoted above,  Barrington's thoughts concern the historical facts which surround the case,  rather than focusing upon the morality of man.  It's interesting that he's reached the conclusion,  as he expresses in the CF interview,  that the well being of the Fox is best served by hunting with Hounds.  The evidence for those with eyes to see,  is that by the system of shooting,  all fall before the gun (or worse,  die a lingering death),  regardless of age or infirmity or being rude with health,  and with no common and selective predator,  so our fox population is not as many would claim,  in any way improved,  but conversely the level of decline in the health status,  should be obvious.

Alec.


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## Fellewell (17 February 2015)

What is wrong with listening to The Queen's English for a change?

Perhaps they could have interviewed The effing Fulfords who manage to be both posh and accessible at the same time.

I hope viewers were able to take from the piece that hounds are doing the job they were born to do. Just as any hunter on any of the natural history programmes people so enjoy.


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## orangebadger (17 February 2015)

RunToEarth said:



			The Beeb always do the same with countryside issues - either call in an aristo to interview on fox hunting, or find the country's most incoherent farmer to make us all look like thick country folk.
		
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Thanks for making me chortle (whilst wholeheartedly agreeing!)


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## LittleRooketRider (17 February 2015)

Alec Swan said:



			I'm unable to copy the relevant article on here,  but should those who are interested wish to read more of Barrington's thoughts,  then google; 

'James Barrington,  and why does the Labour Party listen to LACS'

The article was written in June (I believe)  of 2014.

In the article which is written and quoted above,  Barrington's thoughts concern the historical facts which surround the case,  rather than focusing upon the morality of man.  It's interesting that he's reached the conclusion,  as he expresses in the CF interview,  that the well being of the Fox is best served by hunting with Hounds.  The evidence for those with eyes to see,  is that by the system of shooting,  all fall before the gun (or worse,  die a lingering death),  regardless of age or infirmity or being rude with health,  and with no common and selective predator,  so our fox population is not as many would claim,  in any way improved,  but conversely the level of decline in the health status,  should be obvious.

Alec.
		
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Thank you Alec, that made an interesting read.. LRR


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## Crugeran Celt (17 February 2015)

MyBoyChe said:



			I don't hunt (not brave enough) but I am a country girl, born and bred.  quite a few family members over the years have hunted, farmers all of them.  Sadly I have to agree with those who say the programme probably hasn't helped, I thought it presented the stereotypical image of posh people on horses .  Everyone that I know who has been involved in  hunting has been "common",  from those mounted, to the foot followers and the terrier men.  I have always viewed hunting as a means of controlling the fox, survival of the healthiest stock and keeping on top of the population.  There are far more people involved in hunting than those who simply turn up on the day to enjoy the "sport".  In my mind, it was and will always be part of living in the countryside.
		
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Agree with this.


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## KautoStar1 (17 February 2015)

Well the buffoon Adrian Chiles did a piece on Five live this morning about 10 years of the hunting act & interviews some one from LACS & the north Shropshire huntsman (I think) & in usual AC fashion he seemed to have no sense of being able to ask any question of the huntsman without sounding like he was an over grown school boy.  And he started off by introducing the guy from the league by saying it was their job to monitor hunts as if they were some government approved body specifically set up to do so.  Er no Mr Chiles, they are not. They are self appointed & they break the law but lets gloss over that.  The huntsman to his credit did well to answer the stupid Brummie with some sense of decorum.


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## Exploding Chestnuts (17 February 2015)

It surprises me that the Countryside Alliance did not  pre-empt the "Ten Year" interest in the media, as they do have a spokesman who is a good communicator and who has viewed things from both sides, he was on Countryfile, but it was a very brief [edited] conversation.


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## ester (17 February 2015)

I don't think involving anyone called Farquhar is going to make it appear non elitist! But equally it really isn't a cheap passtime on any level and most of the midweek field dont seem to have to book the day off work


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## irish_only (17 February 2015)

Not seen it yet, but one thing you do have to remember is that pre-recorded allows editing, and this is the BBC AND Countryfile. Live TV is always best as they haven't the same control.


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## LittleRooketRider (18 February 2015)

ester said:



			I don't think involving anyone called Farquhar is going to make it appear non elitist! But equally it really isn't a cheap passtime on any level and most of the midweek field dont seem to have to book the day off work 

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Buit the midweek field (even in half term) in usually tiny..barely 30 in our case, whereas the weekend will often have well over 100..so that would imply the majority are not the "elite" landed gentry.


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## RunToEarth (18 February 2015)

ester said:



			I don't think involving anyone called Farquhar is going to make it appear non elitist! But equally it really isn't a cheap passtime on any level and most of the midweek field dont seem to have to book the day off work 

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Believe me - mid week field when Countryfile or Horse and Hound are out is not really a true depiction of a midweek field


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