shoota - //the responsibility to protect the chickens lies with the farmer.// - Which includes hunting foxes which prey on his chooks. //
If the farmer built his hen house properly, there would be no killing by foxes - and no need to hunt them for that reason.
//As to the notion of foxhunting - I would have more respect for the hunting fraternity if they had the courage of their convictions - if they admitted that they hunt for the fun of it, rather than trying to dignify what they do as some kind of countryside management, which it clearly is not because it is manifestly ineffective as a method of controlling foxes.// - A traditional mounted foxhunt serves two purposes, it's principle purpose is to effectively hunt and despatch foxes, the secondary purpose is to provide the opportunity for a fun day out in the country for the followers who thereby fund the pest control function. //
It's primary function fails then - you know as well as I do that the hunt fails more than it succeeds. And if chasing animals and tearing them apart represents a 'fun day out', then perhaps country people need to find other things to do 'for fun' that don't involve sadism.
//useless success rate// - Hunt's aren't always successful but they are a large part of the time.//
I would dispute that -
Fox Mortality In Britain
From Table 2 below you can see that people kill around 300,000 foxes each year in Britain, about equivalent to all the fox cubs born annually. Fox hunts kill about 20,000 foxes a year. Motorists, snare setters and shooters kill the great majority of foxes. Thus foxes suffer a high mortality rate and fox hunters are only one of their troubles.
Table 2. Rough numbers of foxes killed annually in Britain.
Figures are from a number of sources.
Adult population 200,000
Cub population 300,000
Causes of mortality:
Motorists 50,000 - 100,000
Snare setters 50,000 - 100,000
Shooters 50,000 - 100,000
Terriermen &
fox destruction clubs 20,000
Mounted hunts with hounds:
Adult foxes 10,000 - 12,000
Fox cubs 8,000 - 10,000
//Hunters hunt because they enjoy the thrill of the chase// - true, but incomplete: Hunters hunt because they enjoy the thrill of the chase and provide a valuable service the farming community.//
The above statistics demonstrate that hunting kills are about equal to the number of foxes born - i.e. it does nothing to eradicate the fox population.
//it has no redeeming qualities whatever// - Untrue, it kills foxes. //
That is what makes it true!
14:25 Thu 14th May 2015