“The unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable” (Oscar Wilde)
Written by Deborah Perry.
So, why does fox hunting continue when it is now illegal in England, Scotland and Wales (it is still legal in Northern Ireland for some ridiculous reason). Fox hunting was banned by the Hunting Act 2004 in England and Wales, and the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 in Scotland. To be more precise, the hunting of wild mammals with dogs was banned, which obviously includes foxes, badgers, hares, deer and all kinds of other incredible wildlife our great nation is blessed with. This hunting continues to this day, albeit under the disguise of “trail hunting” and “tradition”. Numbers of these so-called traditional hunts and packs are definitely dwindling but still go out and kill completely defenceless animals every week, as highlighted in this video.
So, how can we stop this happening, some 18 years after this barbaric practice was officially banned? Only the morons on horseback can answer why, as they still seem to enjoy days out dressing up and chasing animals not much bigger than a well-fed house cat with a pack of ferocious (and often abused) hounds. At the root is a deep sense of entitlement and enablement, but this does not mean that we cannot stop them for good. It just takes a sustained effort.
Foxes – pest or persecuted?
The fox has unfairly been labelled a ‘pest’ by some farmers and other landowners and hunted for centuries. Evidence does not support this – foxes kill other animals for food, but their impact on livestock is exaggerated and can be reduced with good farming practices. Foxes in chicken coops can be remedied with a secure / electric fence. Farmers blame the fox for loss of lambs, but studies have shown that just 1% of lamb losses could be directly attributed to foxes, with poor farming practices, disease and bad weather being far more likely to lead to lamb deaths (Scotland, 2000). Positively, by feeding on wild rabbits, a 2003 study estimated that the fantastic red fox save British crop farmers around £7M per year by keeping rabbit numbers down.
On a “hunt that isn’t a hunt”, foxes will try to go underground, where hunt staff send terriers down the hole to trap it whilst being dug out by terriermen. Foxes are usually exhausted following an extremely long chase, sometimes for miles, fight for their lives before enduring agonising bites and tears to their flanks and hindquarters, causing enormous suffering before death. Those unfortunate foxes caught above ground are usually torn to shreds by the hounds, providing entertainment for onlooking morons, I mean hunters.
Cubbing – sometimes only days old
Every year, ahead of the official annual “fox hunting season”, thousands of fox cubs are used as bait, to whet the appetite of, and as practice kills for, foxhounds. It is done to train the hounds on the scent of a fox before the main season. Only individuals devoid of ethics and compassion would engage in such activities, but they take part in this vile and sordid pastime and call it a hobby.
The Hounds – disposable items
A dog is for life, unless it’s a foxhound apparently. If a foxhound does not hunt, becomes too old or incapacitated to hunt, it is killed, usually via a bullet to the head, but sometimes clubbed to death for being “unsuitable”. Tiny, week-old puppies are also executed if they are not considered strong enough. The Countryside Alliance admitted that around 3,000 foxhounds are killed each year, although animal welfare groups estimate this number to be a lot higher. Hunters profess to love their hounds, hmm, how so?
History becomes tradition
In the name of “sport”, bloodthirstily chasing wild animals on thoroughbreds at a time when many rural people could not afford to eat properly became deeply embedded into the culture of some hugely wealthy landowners and aristocrats. The hunt historically morphed into a social occasion for the wealthy and aristocratic to flaunt connections, wealth, and influence. Being there and being seen was the point for many. The act of chasing and ripping apart a terrified animal hardly aligns with the notion or description of “sport”. Foxhunters were people whose everyday experiences were of privilege, of never being told ‘no’, of untouchability – and this continues today, to some extent.
True sports involve competition, a level playing field, informed participants. Fox hunting lacks all of these elements. The odds are stacked – often 30 against one, with idiots on horseback dominating the game. So, ask yourselves, who are the real vermin?
The Ban
Moves to ban fox hunting began after the Second World War, but the animal rights movement was still in its infancy and the idea that animals were sentient was still decades away. A more serious challenge to hunting began in the late 1990s by a Labour MP (Michael Foster) who put forward a bill to ban hunting with dogs. The Conservative opposition blocked its progress. When the glorious day arrived in 2004 when fox hunting was finally banned, the vermin on horseback were gutted to say the least but were consoled by the fact that they were still going to be allowed to meet with their little like-minded friends, dress up and pretend to hunt - basically making a nuisance of themselves around the British countryside at the same time….
There are few successful prosecutions for those contravening the Hunting Act (only 497 from 2005 to 2018), which is a paltry number considering the number of hunts still breathing their last. Why not, well that is for a matter of debate; some say because of alleged police bias and the number of Hunting Act loopholes which hunters managed to navigate – with the help of influential friends, who knows?
Monitors attend hunts to ensure that the Hunting Act is not broken and animals are protected under law, but with, on many occasions, the police also being present – it feels to Saboteurs and Monitors that hunters, from their view, have their own private security firm in. Many hunt offences being (mis)understood by the police to be “lawful activity”. Police bias is, therefore, difficult to prove, particularly due to the way in which the Hunting Act is written. Similarly, it is extremely difficult to prove that a hunt is breaking the law.
For the police to convict a hunter, it needs to be proven (and documented) that an animal was hunted, searching is not hunting (yes, we know!), and “trail hunting” (following a pre-laid artificial scent) is an exempted practice many hunts use as a smokescreen to do their dirty deeds. Without said documentation (for example a video showing an animal being hunted), hunts often claim that there is no evidence that their dogs were chasing a wild mammal. Intent also needs to be proven, and to most of us seeing a fox hunt out with dogs (weapons with teeth), terriermen (oafs without teeth) and supporters (mindless inbred individuals usually) is obviously a hunt. If it walks and quacks like a duck … but according to judgements already proven in court, the accidental or inadvertent hunting of a wild mammal with one or more dogs is not an offence under the Hunting Act 2004. Shame on them.
Trail Hunting – Sham and Fiction
So-called ‘trail hunting’ was introduced by hunts after the ban so that they could maintain the structures of hunting while working to repeal the Act but hunts now routinely claim to be ‘trail hunting’. In reality, trails are very, very rarely seen to be laid, and if they are – and if hunts are to be believed and their hounds are actually sticking to pre-laid scent trails – they appear to have been laid across main roads, along railway lines, or (more pertinently) through wooded areas where foxes are known to live. Go figure!
‘Trail hunting’ is a ‘smokescreen’ for illegal hunting (as was proven in October 2021 when Director of the Hunting Office (Mark Hankinson) was in for intentionally encouraging huntsmen in a series of leaked webinars to use trail hunting as a cover for fox hunting). The court acknowledged that trail hunting is “a sham and a fiction”. This court case changed everything - evidence can now be collected and circulated, which has put enormous pressure on hunting because there is no hiding now from scores of monitors and investigators armed with cameras, drones, and social media accounts relaying information about hunts in real-time.
So in answer to the original question - if it is banned, why does foxhunting still take place? Because hunters enjoy it, they believe it is their right, and they know that even if they break the law it is so difficult to prove, and also unlikely that they will be arrested or convicted.
Putting your election votes to good use ….
The jolly old hunt is outdated and its days are numbered. The tides are turning, and despite the elite foxhunting brigade once having a powerful presence in government, the judiciary and industry, the common people of this country have stood up for the cause, shoulder-to-shoulder, and many more are joining the ranks against repeal of the current Act.
Liz Truss once said in a parliamentary debate on the Hunting Act in 2015 that she thought “the Hunting Act was a mistake”, and strongly supported its repeal, also Theresa May once replied to a question about fox hunting that she was personally in favour of it. The public’s response to this was one of outrage, and as we already know, politicians are more in favour of their own re-election than loyalty to their own policies, so when Boris Johnson’s manifesto did not promise repeal of the Act (it did state that it would not be changing it either of course meaning it would continue as usual), the Tally Ho brigade were not happy. A 2016 opinion poll carried out by Ipsos-MORI, found that 84% of people in England and Wales want a ban to stay.
Foxhunting foundations still in place
- While major landowning charities and public bodies have stopped issuing licences for ‘trail hunting’, some farmers still allow hunts access to their land in the belief that fox numbers need to be controlled and because hunts take ‘fallen livestock’ to feed their hounds (saving farmers the cost of official safe disposal)
- Pro-hunt commentators are still given space to muddy the waters in national media, and those media themselves still talk about the Hunting Act as being ‘controversial’
- Businesses (especially hotels and pubs) still allow hunts to meet on their premises to bolster business (the Tally Ho brigade love a post-blood sherry or two)
- Most pony clubs are still closely affiliated with their local hunt (a strategy designed to ensure that young riders get to experience a version of hunting to future-proof their hunts
- Hunts are still given the opportunity to sell themselves at county fairs and horse-racing festivals.
- Some councils still allow the traditional ‘Boxing Day’ parades (despite these now being increasingly violent as hunt supporters lash out at anti-hunt groups)
- How can you call this sport?
So, what can you do to ensure that hunts finally shut down and our wildlife is no longer hunted by them?
- Relying solely on the Hunting Act is risky – laws can be repealed
- Continue to work with animal-friendly MPs
- Keep promoting the fox, intelligent animals doing their best to survive in increasingly depleted or urbanised landscapes. Foxes are not cuddly, but neither are they vermin
- An overwhelming majority of the public support the Hunting Act. Anti-hunt supporters are pro-wildlife and pro-law – and proud of it
- If you know people who fox hunt, tell them it is not OK - social media has thumbs down as well as thumbs up
- Highlight businesses and institutions that fund and support hunting. If you know where a hunt is having it's ball or Christmas party then boycott the hotel and encourage others to do the same Not through acts of violence or intimidation, which is never acceptable, but by letting consumers make decisions based on information. A business may stand to lose more by supporting a hunt than they gain from it, which may sway their business decisions
- Supporting, either in person, verbally or financially, one of many anti-hunt groups, monitors, and individuals working to end hunting. Supporting them on social media, thanking them publicly for the work that they do, and talking about them to colleagues and friends (yes you!). Joining a group does not commit someone to wading through mud being yelled at by hunt supporters, but offering to organise or helping with leaflet drops, writing to MPs or local papers all help raise the profile of good people doing good things
- Purchase one of many anti-hunting t-shirts and wear it with pride
- And of course it doesn't stop there - many of the same people act with callous cruelty towards deer, badgers, hares, and shoot pheasants and grouse, often not intended for human consumption ... all in the name of 'sport' ... I am surprised these moron's did not try and get this in to the London 2020 Olympics!
Conclusion
Whilst some cling to outdated and unpopular tradition, the majority recognises the cruelty inherent in fox-hunting – it is time to move beyond bloodlust and embrace more compassionate alternatives 🦊🌿
Sources (credit for some content) and Resources:
- Join you local hunt sab group through Facebook - Hunt Saboteurs Association
- League against Cruel Sports Fox Hunting | The League
- Protectors of the Wild - Protect the Wild
- Hunting and shooting wildlife: Mammals - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Foxhounds – the unspoken truth about the fate of the dogs | Gill Lewis
