i really enjoy hunting

[nuffield]

for all sorts of reasons, the being able to canter cross peoples fields ;-) the turn out, the getting the horse fit, the tiredness at the end of the day ,the chat, the people, the hounds, but I really dont enjoy the fact that a wild animal is being killed :-( .,therefore I prefer drag hunting .
Today I saw in the Times a photo of 2 pony stallions fighting in China and I thought how dreadful and barbaric.
I then started to think about hunting in the UK. If we, as horse lovers, find horse fighting abhorrant then why is hunting another mammal ok? Horses, to non-horse -lovers are just another mammal. Or do some of us horse owners find horse fighting ok?
I hope this post isnt seen as too inflammatory, I'm just interested in peoples views, reactions,and reasoning.
Thanks for reading.

 

[MillionDollar]

I'm VERY Pro hunting and hunt regularly.

I have no problem at all with people being against hunting as long as they know the facts instead of listening to crap about hunting.

I'm a farmer, so i know that foxes do not kill our animals for food but for the fun of killing, so why shouldn't we?! We had 21 cockerals killed once, and not one was taken/eaten!!!!

It is the best way of controlling the fox as well. Shooting a fox outright is extremely skillful and snares are just HORRID. So for me hunting is the least painful and most effective. Young foxes will outrun hounds, and they are the least likely to kill farm animals.

So yeh thats my view.

 

[RunToEarth]

I love watching hounds work, watching them put their noses down, pick up a scent and scream- its not quite the same with a duster, but its a great thing to watch all the same.
Of course I love hunting for many other reasons and the social side is a big plus. Not that thrilled about tearing across other people's fields because I am a farmer's daughter, and know just how gutting that is when its not good ground.
I agree with claire. If a fox can kill my lamb, just for the sport, and then not eat it- why can I not hunt a fox, just for the sport?
I couldn't possibly make a judgement on pony fighting because I know little about the sport, much like bull fighting.

 

[L&M]

My neighbour had a fox take her prize drake yesterday afternoon, in broad day light and whilst she was in the garden too - that is exactly the reason why fox hunting is ok in my mind!
She is devasted as the ducks are pets and with it being the only drake, she now faces a future of no ducklings or eggs unless she replaces him (assuming foxy doesn't come back and take the rest!).

 

[skewbaldpony]

Fox hunting was good for species fox (though crap for Basil if he got caught) - without it, species fox will deteriorate.
A finely balanced method of control, ensuring the survival of the species (for sport, yes, but hey, there was a closed season, and there was no motivation to wipe out the entire species) from a farm point of view, now there is no Farmers' Dinner, and the etiquette of hunting has gone, why not gas/shoot/trap the lot of them? As a kid I remember the Master and the Gamekeeper being on a very fine line. The GK would have liked to get rid of the lot of 'em! He was kept in check by his employer, because of the hunt!
And the whole thing paid for out of the deep pockets of those who could afford to indulge their love of sport. No cost to the public whatsoever. And the side effect of the countryside we know and love being kept just so.
Didn't appeal to the great unwashed, but was a brilliant set up for the thriving, healthy, vigorous species fox.

 

[Kate260881]

QR

The two examples you give aren't even in the same ball park!! In horse fighting (or dog fighting, badger baiting, cockrel fighting, take your pick) the animal have no chance of escape. The outcome is always going to be in favour of the 'punters' in these cases. As stated above, foxes need to be controled and hunting is the most effective way of doing it. And any fit healthy fox will get away from the hounds, you can't exactly say the same for animals enclosed in a pen and forced to fight now can you?

 

[Silverspring]

I just don't see the comparison, foxes have natural preditor they just no longer roam freely in the UK (we called them wolves, let's translate wolves to hounds for this lesson) the fox is chased across open country by hounds, quite natural. If the fox is healthy it wil not be caught as hounds are not quite as good as wolves. If they are old or unfit they will get caught and disposed of quickly (they call them lead hounds for a reason, they can dispatch a fox in a matter of seconds)

Horse fighting/dog fighter/cock fighting is not natural. Two stallions would barely cross paths in the wild and if they did the would probably stay well clear and move thier herd away from one another. If they did come face to face a fight would ensue, one would probably submit hopefully not incurring fatal wounds. On rare occassion one will die and the other will move on. Putting two stallions in a pen after getting them pumped up on a mare in season then leaving them there until one dies is not natural.

HUGE difference, you can easily be pro hunt and still be repulsed by deliberate, pre meditated animal fighting that some people see as sport. It disgusts me, hunting on the other hand is fair sport.