Hunting Rabbits

[curiosity]

Hi, at work (NHS property) we have a number of rabbits in the grounds, they don't cause us a problem, and in fact most people still say "ooh look a rabbit" We have some "Chav like dressed" young men come onto the site daily with their dogs, one looks a bit like a pit bull, not sure (staffordshire body frame sandy colour short ears) and some others have skinny not whippets but terrior looking dogs. Anyway, we know that they are after the rabbits. Our dilemma is... is using dogs to kill rabbits wrong? If they are taking the rabbit home to make a pie for the kids tea then at best we assume this is poaching, which wouldn't bother us if it was considered humane. But we feel they are doing it either for sport, or to keep the dogs hungry for live prey. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions as to what they are doing & why and how wrong it is.

[kempie]

Are you certain they are rabbits and not hares?

The Hunting Act makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs, apart from the tightly-drawn exemptions set out in the Schedule to the Act. The ban covers the hunting with dogs of all wild mammals, including fox, deer, hare and mink. The Act also completely bans hare coursing.

The exemptions from the offence of illegal hunting permit the following types of hunting:

� Stalking and flushing out
� Use of a dog below ground, in the course of stalking and flushing out, to protect birds being kept or preserved for shooting
� Hunting rats and rabbits
� Retrieval of hares which have been shot
� Falconry
� Recapture of wild mammals
� Rescue of wild mammals
� Research and observation

These exemptions are subject to strict conditions (eg on the number of dogs which can be used in stalking and flushing out (two) and on obtaining permission to carry out the activity on the land on which it is to take place). The Schedule also requires that anyone intending to rely on the stalking and flushing out exemption must ensure that animals flushed out are shot as soon as possible afterwards by a competent person.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/hunting_ qa_a.htm

[RATTER15]

Keep dogs hungry for live prey!!! what nonsense, no hunter is going to keep their dogs hungry if they want that dog to work. A staffy or any dog of that breed or stature could not run fast enough to catch a cold let alone a rabbit.

Why don't you find out from someone in authority if they have permission.

It may be that they have permission! I used to have a contract on NHS land to hunt rabbits as they have a legal duty to keep the rabbit population under control so as to prevent the rabbits invading neighbouring land and destroying gardens crops etc.

The question you ask is it wrong to use dogs to kill rabbits, depending on the situation it may not be legal.

Is it morally wrong? that depends on your point of view!

[Mrs_Pegasus]

Even if they do have the authority, the employers still have a duty of care to notify their staff that people are coming onto their land to help keep the rabbit population under control. NHS land is still private property and no-one without a cause to be there should be coming onto the land without permission.

[wellybooy]

i have hunted rabbits for many years, with a legal .22 riffle (with landowners permision) and always taken my dogs. my dogs play a huge part in killing rabbits humainly. any less of a head shot will result in the rabbit scurrying away into a borrow to die SLOWLEY AND PAINFULLY. wich is not accepetable. nor humain. as soon as the rabbit has been hit. the dogs are lose. they kill almost instantly preventing the wounded rabbit going under ground to die slowly. unless the rabbit is dead befor the dogs reach it. wich is normally the case. in my opinion the use of dogs is essential to reduce the suffering of the rabbit. my dogs return home with me to a house with cats. and they never bother them.so there is no "hunger for live prey" most if not all hunters want the kill to be a quick and painless as possable. i hope this info helps you come to your own conclusion.