Social and economic impacts on rural communities since the hunting ban - any thoughts

[L.Newton]

I am a 3rd year student at the university of Reading. I am currently doing my dissertation on the social and economic impacts of the hunting ban on rural communities.

If you could give me any of your thoughts/experiences regarding this topic I would be very greatful! Any contacts that may be able to help me would also be much appreciated!!

Thanks!

 

[JenHunt]

what a brilliantly interesting topic!

the two hunting livery/hireling yards in our area have both changed direction (one to more P2P/racing and one to sales), resulting in a loss of hirelings for the area.

I know of 2 (maybe 3) small, independant saddleries who almost soley relied on supplying hunting yards and hunting people with tack and saddlery repairs. They have closed since the ban (the 3rd may be due to retirement) as there are no longer any hunting livery yards in the area.

will keep thinking, and would be interested to hear your findings!

 

[Dogstar]

One interesting social aspect is that we don't get hardly any saboteurs anymore, we used to get literally 100's in the early/mid 90s!

 

[Paddydou]

I lost a load of work. It coincided with getting ill though so I can't totally blame the ban for that.

I know of a few who gave up but not many.

What did strike me was that instead of bickering the communities affected really joined forces when they marched. I have never stood amongst such an eclectic mix of folk, felt totally safe etc. I hate crouds and cities but marching in London was fantastic as you met so many wonderful people from all walks of life. If you got seperated from the people you were with it was ok as others would help you find them again.

Just a shame that we were not listened to.

Things changed but everyone changed with it and made the most of what they had left.

Total waste of time and money but then thats Labour for you. Will never again vote Labour nor for our local Lib Dem who was terribly scathing and rude in her reply when I wrote to ask that she support hunting. Showed her true colours in that letter.

ETA - never voted Labour anyway so its hardly a lost vote for them!

 

[houndsplease]

we now have a lack of hirelings in our area and they can only be got from further a field when booked for bigger groups!

slightly different but

once thriving coverts holding many litters of cubs are now somewhat sparce in life forms due to everything in them being either dug or shot as farmers not wanting the risk of lambs being taken and if we were to be able to hunt the quality of fox would be far lower due to the fact that shooting is completly indescriminate and alot of very nice foxes are being persicuted.

this could have an effect on walkers ect maybe???

duno but its a bug bear for me i have a little wood where every year i clear all holes out for breeding vixens and monitor there where abouts had a few lovely foxes in there and a few weeks ago came across their holes dug not seen my little foxes since

 

[irish_only]

This may be putting the cat amongst the pigeons, but I really do not believe that hunts are thriving in the way that is being purported in the hunting media. I know several packs whose subscribers have plummeted. Fields of 40-50 plus followers have fallen to very worrying numbers. The knock on effect, if these people are not hunting, is to the feed merchants, farriers, saddlers, pubs (meets), fuel plus of course the hunts themselves. The hunts I speak of collect flesh, a cost which is greater than the return so that cannot continue to be a free service, so farmers will also come into the equation.

 

[tallyho!]

My dad has a pack of stinking foxes under his sheds and his neighbours are falling out with him because the council won't help and he's not allowed to shoot them.

 

[irish_only]

My dad has a pack of stinking foxes under his sheds and his neighbours are falling out with him because the council won't help and he's not allowed to shoot them.

Why is he not allowed to shoot them?