Twin girls injured in suspected fox attack

[KenH]

Foxes are a pest and need to be controlled.

 

However, the idea that the best way of controlling them is for dozens of people to spend an entire day chasing one around the country using a pack of dogs is ludicrous. Those that engage in hunting actually do almost nothing to decrease the population, because they want to have a population in order to hunt (indeed some have been caught breeding foxes for that purpose). Those people who actually want rid of foxes can use traps and guns, which are more effective, not as cruel, and take almost no manpower in comparison.

 

If people want to hunt foxes they should at least say "we want to ride about the country having a lovely time" or even "we quite like killing things", but claiming it is pest control is just silly.

[Grandad.Malky]

As anyone read whether the family have a dog its probably me being cynical but when it all comes out I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it was a dog attack.

[boyfriday]

It's the "Rise of the Animals"

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/10248311.stm

 

:hihi:

 

George Orwell must be rubbing his hands together!

[tat lister]

Foxes are a pest and need to be controlled.

 

However, the idea that the best way of controlling them is for dozens of people to spend an entire day chasing one around the country using a pack of dogs is ludicrous. Those that engage in hunting actually do almost nothing to decrease the population, because they want to have a population in order to hunt (indeed some have been caught breeding foxes for that purpose). Those people who actually want rid of foxes can use traps and guns, which are more effective, not as cruel, and take almost no manpower in comparison.

 

If people want to hunt foxes they should at least say "we want to ride about the country having a lovely time" or even "we quite like killing things", but claiming it is pest control is just silly.

Yes but hunting with dogs is the most humaine way as no foxes crawl away with gunshot wounds to die a lingering death or worse still to slowly be strangeld to death by a wire noose called a snare.Its not only hounds that were banned killing them with lurchers was also banned.

[Steptoad]

Now with the banning of the only effective method of controlling fox numbers in the wild, numbers of foxes around the country and especially in towns will rise.

 

Being from farming/country stock I can tell you that that is BS. Fox hunting wasn't a method of controlling fox numbers it was a sport.

 

It would appear that since the ban on hunting foxes with dogs that the rural population of foxes has diminished.

[hels1977]

As anyone read whether the family have a dog its probably me being cynical but when it all comes out I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it was a dog attack.

 

Likewise - all sounds desperately "fishy" to me. In fact - I don't believe it for one minute. Far too many questions in my mind....

 

I agree they need to be controlled and are classed as vermin but just shoot them - the whole hunting notion is daft, pointless and verging on completely ridiculous.

[DragonofAna]

Yes but hunting with dogs is the most humaine way as no foxes crawl away with gunshot wounds to die a lingering death or worse still to slowly be strangeld to death by a wire noose called a snare.Its not only hounds that were banned killing them with lurchers was also banned.

 

Remind me how humane it is the next time you are run ragged and then torn apart by a pack of dogs. I am sure the fox is quite happy for this to be done as it must be a really painless and quick death.

[boyfriday]

If people want to hunt foxes they should at least say "we want to ride about the country having a lovely time" or even "we quite like killing things", but claiming it is pest control is just silly.

 

That's entirely my view.

[Berberis]

Whether it's true or not, it's nonetheless 'hard to believe', since our encounters with foxes are rare-they usually scarper when they come across us.

 

None the less, this is not the first case of its kind. The residents of the area say there is a growing problem with foxes that are less timid than normal. Why you might ask? Why would a wild animal become less timid? There is only one answer, the scarcity of food. From the polar bear to lions and tigers to brown bears, when food becomes scarce, these animals become less timid, they have to in order to survive. This could be caused by a number of reasons, but the growing fox population on the boarders of towns will no doubt put pressure on the food chain, thus foxes become more aggressive and less afraid of humans.

[Berberis]

If people want to hunt foxes they should at least say "we want to ride about the country having a lovely time" or even "we quite like killing things", but claiming it is pest control is just silly.

 

I have hunted foxes and take no pleasure in killing a living animal. But it has to be done, their numbers need to be controlled and hunting with hounds is agreed by the national association of veterinary surgeons as the most humane method of dispatch. Your opinion is ill informed at best.