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Fox Hunting

We have all seen the acceptable rural face of hunting from quaint old pictures in pubs to the attractive snowy landscapes of Christmas cards, but the harsh reality is the more brutal and barbaric side of hunting which is kept out of sight of the general populace.

There are over 200 registered fox hunts in Great Britain, hunting approximately 3 days a week, 9 months a year. The hunting diary starts in late autumn with perhaps the cruelest aspect of all - Cub Hunting.

Cub Hunting
Every year to replace old and injured hounds which are put down (old constitutes about 4 years in age) new dogs have to be trained to hunt. As early as 5 am when the scent is strongest, the hunt sets out with about 30 hounds and up to 40 riders.

Having surrounded a wood containing families of foxes (both parents and 12 week old cubs) the hounds are sent in. Any fox or hound attempting to run is scared back into the wood with whips and shouts and so the chase continues until inevitably the cubs are caught and slaughtered. The odds are so stacked in the hunt’s favour that it is rare for cubs once discovered to survive. Also, owing to the inexperience of the younger hounds many cubs die a lingering death of being toyed with before being torn limb from limb.

Fox Hunting
Once the days are colder and the hounds have developed their bloodlust full season hunting begins. The principle is much the same as cubhunting, but bolting foxes are encouraged to run from their homes to be pursued by eager hounds (specifically bred to be slightly slower than an adult fox at full speed, but with greater stamina) in order to provide a ‘sporting chase’ for the assembled riders.
The Huntsman controls his dog pack with voice and horn calls, even so, excited dogs commonly catch other animals, from deer to pheasants to household cats. Once the chase is under way, the fox only has two means of escaping its terrifying pursuers, it can run and hide in a fox earth or attempt to outrun and lose the hunt.
To further weight the odds, employees of the hunt will frequently block fox earths in the area of a hunt for a particular day, keeping the frightened animal above ground. Even if the fox finds a safe earth it is not yet safe. In this situation it is time to send in the terriers and dig out the fox.

Dig Outs
This disgusting procedure is basically what it says. Terriers are sent underground to bite and corner the fox. Once the terrier has the fox cornered it will begin barking. Above ground, men with shovels will dig down to the barking sound and uncover the terrier and the fox. Once the fox is dug up, they will either shoot it or, more commonly, toss it to the waiting hounds whilst still alive.
Whichever option is chosen, the fox is ripped apart by the pack.
Even the foxes who out run huntsmen may not escape with their lives. Many are so exhausted that they will die as a result. Literally Run to Death.

Tradition ?
Foxhunting is (whatever the arguments claim) a torturous, barbaric and outdated pastime, which must be stopped. Bear baiting was once a legal pursuit in Britain, now it is an unthinkable atrocity. The situation is similar for badger baiting, cock-fighting and bare knuckle boxing. Society can and must move on from it’s previus barbarisms.

Those who claim foxhunting is traditional and therefore should be defended are painting a thin veneer of acceptability on an outdated slaughter.

Many have never actually witnessed a kill, because they are not as fast as the hounds or are ‘only there for the ride’ (which would still be provided by drag hunting).

Most Hunt Saboteurs have seen kills, often graphically and often at very close quarters. It is a disgusting act. We must make these people wake up from their idyllic dreamworld of olde Englande and live in the real world, a world where inflicting torture and death for personal gratification are wrong.

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