# What is hunting these days?



## Morgan123 (15 August 2014)

My boss keeps offering for me to go hunting with her. My pony and I have been drag hunting before and loved it. What does fox hunting actually involve these days? What actually happens (in terms of the fox i mean!). Thank you.


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## Sherston (15 August 2014)

I'd ask your "boss" if I were you and she hunts? As different packs have different ways of hunting within the constraints of the "act".


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## PorkChop (15 August 2014)

Sounds like a great opportunity, go for it!

Different packs will operate in different ways tbh - some put down artificial scent etc, if you have been drag hunting you will be fine - enjoy


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## Morgan123 (15 August 2014)

OK thanks - she is usually just a bit vague about it and says 'you don't see anything' - I just wanted to know really what is actually legally done?!


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## Exploding Chestnuts (15 August 2014)

I think your boss means you don't see the fox being dispatched, which to be honest was never a pleasant sight, but also not something many people witnessed anyway.
I used to like hunting with The Bilsdale, where one could stand on high ground and watch the action, ie hounds, master etc, there was next to no jumping as it was forest and moor, but it was more "interesting"
Hunting over natural country means taking on everything you meet, but you don't have to ........ be like me. and queue up to hop over tiny fences ... if you wait long enough everyone in front will flatten the jump so a tiny can hop over it.


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## Morgan123 (15 August 2014)

But that's what I'm confused about - so there is still chasing of the fox but just not being killed by the hounds, or what? What's dispatched?! Sorry if I'm being thick, I just don't know what to expect and would rather know so I can decide whether to go .


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## Countryman (15 August 2014)

Morgan123 said:



			My boss keeps offering for me to go hunting with her. My pony and I have been drag hunting before and loved it. What does fox hunting actually involve these days? What actually happens (in terms of the fox i mean!). Thank you.
		
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Different packs have found various different ways of legally hunting, so it varies from pack to pack. However, you can probably expect some trail hunting, with fox scent laid beforehand in the coverts, which will aim to simulate what real hunting was like pre-ban as closely as possible-but obviously without the fox. There may be some flushing of foxes out of coverts to be shot, with pairs of hounds. Some hunts may use a bird of prey and so will use the entire pack of hounds to flush a fox out of the covert, so that it can be hunted by the bird of prey. There may be some hound exercise involved-moving the hounds from place to place. There may also be some flushing of foxes out of their earths using terriers, to be shot, in line with the Hunting Act restrictions.

All in all the day will have been designed to appear very similar and reminiscent of a pre-ban fox hunt, while staying within the law. Most packs will also use exemptions in the law to dispatch foxes for farmers, keepers and landowners.


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## Exploding Chestnuts (15 August 2014)

dispatch=kill, quickly


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## AmandaMT (16 August 2014)

Go for it could be fun for you.


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## respectedpony driver (17 August 2014)

Setting one lot of animals onto another lot of animals so you can have some 'fun' is wrong which ever way you look at it.Dispatch means murder quick or not.


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## cptrayes (17 August 2014)

Ask your boss a straight question. 'Will you be hunting fox?'  Don't be surprised if she says yes, depending what part of the country you are in there are hunts that are illegally hunting fox and hers sounds like it could be one of them. PM me the name of the hunt and I will tell you if it is one of the five which I know about for certain.


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## Countryman (17 August 2014)

cptrayes said:



			Ask your boss a straight question. 'Will you be hunting fox?'  Don't be surprised if she says yes, depending what part of the country you are in there are hunts that are illegally hunting fox and hers sounds like it could be one of them. PM me the name of the hunt and I will tell you if it is one of the five which I know about for certain.
		
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Without commenting on the rest of your post, I would just point out that just because foxes are culled does not mean the hunt is acting illegally. Virtually every hunt that trail hunts also incorporates some sort of fox control - within the law- commonly using terriers.


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## AdorableAlice (17 August 2014)

cptrayes said:



			Ask your boss a straight question. 'Will you be hunting fox?'  Don't be surprised if she says yes, depending what part of the country you are in there are hunts that are illegally hunting fox and hers sounds like it could be one of them. PM me the name of the hunt and I will tell you if it is one of the five which I know about for certain.
		
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cptrayes MFH


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## Morgan123 (18 August 2014)

Thank you, this is all helpful .


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## kateandluelue (20 September 2014)

respectedpony said:



			Setting one lot of animals onto another lot of animals so you can have some 'fun' is wrong which ever way you look at it.Dispatch means murder quick or not.
		
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Couldnt agree more


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## VoR (6 October 2014)

kateandluelue said:



			Couldnt agree more 

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Of course this is your opinion(s), whether hunting is in fact right or wrong, necessary or unnecessary, humane or inhumane, depends on which particluar organisation you ask and which piece of research you read, like many things in life a) there is no clear cut answer b) probably no right or wrong answer and c) those who believe one thing will not listen to, nor try to understand the others point of view, which just leads to a level of ignorance (on both sides of an argument) therefore, any 'discussion' or 'debate' is pointless, an utter waste of breath and time, so, I just don't do it anymore!

There are way too many REALLY important things in the world that need resolving without worrying about the rights or wrongs of hunting, which has gone on since the dawn of time in one guise or another and for many, different reasons. Does it NEED to go on now? I don't know, I don't really let it cause me sleepless nights worrying, I simply follow my own instincts and do what I feel is right in terms of hunting and let others do what they want. Even though they are wrong ;-)


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## kateandluelue (6 October 2014)

Thankyou for your comprehensive reply VoR. Although you say you dont get involved in discussions or debates anymore?? You perhaps should, you arguably can discus both sides well; I was unable to ascertain your opinions on fox hunting from your reply.  
Many actions, debates, and acts of controversy could easily be dismissed by hiding behind 'there is worse things going on in the world'. Unfortunately i cant change the world, like most others. My world sadly does not involve enjoyng acts, sports or opinions that hurt people or animals.  Also, reading research is my second most favourite thing in the world, second to hugging trees. i have found research papers on fox numbers since the ban, and the use of FOX hunting Systems in gene therapy but have yet to find scientific research concluding if fox hunting is right or wrong, but like you say maybe  it depends on the organisation


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## Orangehorse (6 October 2014)

There is no set answer.  Some hunts state that they trail hunt, like a drag hunt really.  There is one nearby which has a very urban country, so it is probably a relief to them that they know where the hounds will be going and won't be heading up the main trunk road.

Others, as stated above, hunt within the law but use different aspects, laying trails, terriers, birds of prey, shooting.

Years and years ago, well before any Hunting Act, someone asked me if I thought hunting would be able to continue and I replied that I thought hunts would go trail hunting, and yet continue to offer a fox control service, which in most ways is what happens now.


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## Alec Swan (7 October 2014)

AdorableAlice said:



			cptrayes MFH
		
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.  A remarkable depth of knowledge too (sic)!

Alec.


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## VoR (11 October 2014)

kateandluelue said:



			Although you say you dont get involved in discussions or debates anymore?? You perhaps should, you arguably can discus both sides well; I was unable to ascertain your opinions on fox hunting from your reply.
		
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To give you the full picture, I was born in a very rural community where I was pretty ambivalent about hunting, if anything leaning to the 'anti' view. Later in life, through a relationship I became more involved with the hunting and understanding of the process and benefits of (fox) hunts to the environment, managing coverts, their interest in the countryside and (believe it or not) the maintenance of the wildlife that lives there, as well as services to farmers and stockholders in their country. I started hunting and still hunt, so what have I learned?

a) both pro and anti hunt followers can, at times, over-step the mark in terms of intimidation and even violence;
b) that the antis are far better prepared to gather evidence of this and are very covert about their intimidation (having ourselves received abusive and threatening phone calls, etc);
c) that, contrary to belief, those that hunt are, in the main, not 'toffs' (as I believed in my younger years coming from a lowly background);
d) that hunts try to hunt within the law now;
e) that pre. ban, most fit and healthy foxes escaped, the ill and aged ones (those that cause an issue for farmers, smallholders, etc) did not;
f) that in our area at least, fox numbers HAVE increased, albeit many are now in and around urban areas, in rural ones numbers remain high.
g) that when dispatched (pre. ban) having been close on two occassions, the end was quick.

No more discussion, but you can see why I understand both sides now.


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## Alec Swan (11 October 2014)

A clear and concise post VoR.  Well said.

It remains my view that all so often,  those who are opposed to hunting are actually more opposed to those who hunt,  rather than what they do.  The simple fact that those who hunt have the best interest of the Fox at heart,  would seem anathema to those who are opposed to hunting,  and whilst they remain of that view,  then they will fail to see that our vulpine population is now receiving a poorer deal,  and a substantially poorer deal than pre-ban.

I would yet again emphasise the fact that I don't ride to hounds and am of the view that many who do are,  or can be,  the most pompous collection of twerps imaginable,  BUT,  Hunting served a purpose,  Hunting provided a service,  but of greater importance,  Hunting was (and to a degree still is) serving as such a cohesive and bonding influence,  and that was regardless of class,  wealth or social stature.  I follow hounds,  and it will be a passion which I will take to my grave.  I suspect that I'm not alone.

Alec.


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