Foxes

[SteveD]

I'm trying to make up my mind about this fox hunting question. I don't want to enter into discussions or arguments now; I would just like to have answers to the following three questions: 1. What is the estimated fox population of England and Wales? 2. Assuming that total extermination of foxes would result in more problems than it would solve (increase in the number of rabbits etc), what would be the optimum fox population to maintain the balance? 3. How many foxes are killed by hunts each year?

[football]

2. The fox is a native species of Britain the rabbit is not. The rabbit produces between 8 & 12 in a litter; the fox produces four or five cubs. The rabbits food is abundant whereas fox food is not. Many foxes starve to death. The security of chicken sheds is far superior than 300 years ago.

[woofgang]

Population management is about habitat rather than external intervention. Example. We had a rat in our garage. We evicted him and made the garage (we thought) rat proof. Rat returned. This time we actually exterminated rat. Another rat moved in. Soooo we removed rat hidey holes from garage and put all edibles eg household rubbish and bird food into metal containers result, no habitat, no rat. Rats are on the increase because modern lifestyle provides an abundant food rich habitat. You can shoot trap etc foxes, but where there is a sustainable habitat, another fox will move in. If hunts really were an efficient method of controlling foxes, there would be a lot less foxes around than there are!! So ther you have it, not efficient, not humane and soon, not here!!!!

[smudge]

Leave foxes alone & yes I am a townie!

[apricot]

I am not a townie and have lived in rural Cumbria for many years. I have never seen a fox here. For me it is not the argument about whether or not foxes are vermin bit rather the glorification of blood and gore. If the hunt merely exterminated the 'pest' then I would have no problem but the concept of it being sport for a pack of dogs to hunt down one fox and then tear it to bits in a frenzy I find repulsive. The so called human hunters are even worse. I have watched the local hunt with disgust. Hare coursing which requires a hare to be let into an enclosed field from which there is no escape invovles it being chased and torn to pieces. You call that sport? The hunts can still function with a human making the trail for the dogs to follow. Of course hunts are not keen on that as it doesn't provide the excitement of the kill. Just which century are we living in?

[SteveD]

Could someone please answer the questions rather than opening up discussions into the pros and cons of hunting foxes with dogs! If you want to discuss hunting, please start a new thread.

[Drewhound]

1/ around a quarter of a million http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3929441.stm 3/ 20,000 is usually the estimate given 2/ That's the tough one, I'd say the population the countryside can sustain. I'd suggest the present figure is about right

[norfolk boy]

1 Dont know 2 Total extermination is impossible as they mainly live in towns 3 very few.

[TommyC]

'Fraid you've rather missed the point, SteveD. The whole reason why the pro/anti fox hunting lobbies are so very vociferous is precisely because the eminently sensible questions you've asked - especially (1) and (3) - are all but unanswerable with any truly factual, verifiable figures. Were it clearly otherwise, the factual case for or against hunting simply as a means of fox control would be categorically proven one way or the other..!! But it CAN'T be... and therefore the lies and the class hatred simply go on..!!

[Drewhound]

According to that bbc link I posted around 14% are urban dwellers, hardly mainly living in towns I should think