BBC News latest: 'The Future of Hunting' section
Iona of Plymouth said, "I love fox hunting. It keeps the horses fit and healthy through the winter months.
"Foxes need to be managed. Yes, you can go out lamping BUT you will not necessarily kill the fox, many crawl away in agony and die hours, days, or even weeks later.
"When you hunt a fox with dogs, yes we do chase the fox and there is an element of thrill to that chase, but once the dogs have the fox it's killed instantly.
"...People say you can rehome the dogs. Is it fair to take a pack dog away from a pack and put it in a family environment."
Nathalie in Austria says:
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I am against foxhunting! Its very cruel! Some people think that foxes kill lambs and chickens, but I think there are not many foxes any more and so it is very silly to say that. Foxes can only run for two hours but dogs can run six or seven hours. That is not fair. And the hunters hunt on horseback. That is vile. I like foxes and I hope the foxhunting will be stopped."
ELD from Cardiff says:
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I am against hunting! Its cruel and vile. Its not a sport its murder! We are animals too, so think about that - would you like to be torn apart for enternainment! The animal is running for its life while you are running for fun! I love horses and horseriding, I also love dogs but this is not right...!"
Beth from Ilminster says:
"I strongly disagree with fox hunting or any form of hunting. Supporters of hunting say that it is an English tradition and should be kept, but slavery was a tradition should that be kept?? Many comments have been made that foxes are vermin but that is utter rubbish, the only reason why people say that foxes are vermin is because they are not domestic, if dogs were wild animals we would chase them so why does the same rule apply to foxes. In a hunt not only do innocent foxes get killed but many of the horses and foxes get severly wounded and many have to be put down, now how can this be right, how can people stand up for a so called "sport" so barbaric, any one who does is small minded!"
Katie, aged 15, from Haverfordwest, is pro fox-hunting:
"I strongly agree with fox hunting. Ever since I can remember my Dad has always taken me to see and follow Boxing Day hunt in Haverfordwest. All of my family know how much Fox-hunting means to me and even if they don't agree with it they still support my views. My friends in school will sometimes disagree with me but after they saw how upset I was when the "ban" came into place they stopped and tried to understand me.""I live on a farm and have seen the destruction foxes cause. It hurts me and even makes me cry when I see a innocent sheep all intact but murdered for no reason. I wish the "townies" that think they know everything about the rural life just leave us alone to get on with our lives! We leave them get on with theirs so can't they just leave us? I've told people who are against hunting that I will carry on hunting no matter what. I may be 15 but hunting is my life and it is a part of me as it is a part of Wales and Britian. We cant get rid of something so entwined in our past. It's who we are, it's who our country is. Hunting is our past, our present and our future, don't let something so important be demolished for a few measly people who dont understand it. I know I won't."
Isobel argues for hunting:
"I'm for fox hunting. It's not a cruel sport it's a part of the country's heritage, and an effective way of keeping the numbers under control. Now the ban is in place you should all expect to hear a lot more shooting, something I am not pleased about at all because that's what people are going to do now that there is no other way to cull them and keep their numbers in check. I think hunt saboteurs are worse for the environment, they spray perfumes and aerosols on the ground to cover the foxes scent, how about trying to protect the environment for the animals their saving? "We all used to hunt for our food, and in the days that we did if a fox came and ate our livestock we would have hunted and killed it. This is the same sort of thing, a hunt rarely catches a fox, the hunts around me haven't had one for over a year and some more so. It doesn't mean we're blood thirsty, it means there's more food for another fox to live on. There's a difference between hunting to extinction and controlling its numbers. And to Paula of Banbury's statement, that sums it all up, I don't hate foxes I think they are beautiful but their numbers need to be controlled, not to the point of extinction though. Ridden hunting with hounds could never cause that because they never catch enough foxes to effect it that badly."
Emily from Bristol says:
"Fox-hunting treats the torture and death of an animal as entertainment. No society that sanctions this can consider itself civilised."
Rachael from Sheffield says:
"Hunting is the most disgusting, appalling and cruelest way of killing animals. The animals will not need to be killed because their numbers are controlled naturally. Hunting just came about to give people undeserved pleasure. Did you hear about wild cat hunting? What about otter hunting? Thanks to hunting, the otters are now endangered and the wild cat gene pool was severly weakened ...".
Paula of Banbury says:
"When the foxes come into towns they should be treated as vermin and put down humanely. We have foxes in Banbury. They are a pest but the men in red coats with their supporting cast of baying hounds can not chase them down the high street. A fox in the wild is a beautiful thing and part of our natural heritage that must be preserved, but when that fox leaves home for easier pickings in dustbins and hen coops it is worrying. So here's to the fox, managed with care, and here's to the men in red and their hounds as they go drag hunting, for they are part of our heritage, and may my hens sleep in peace in their coop at night."
Richard from Canada describes what happens there:
"Over here in Canada, it is illegal to kill or hunt a fox, but yet we still have plenty of hunt clubs around (not as big as in the UK). The clubs over here in Canada drag fox urine for the hounds to follow, everyone still gets out in the fresh air and all enjoy themselves. I personally do not believe in the hunt but this is one of the ways to do it without harming nature."
Alan from Port Talbot says:
"The world's gone mad. The fox is a disease carrying verminous animal whose numbers must be controlled."
Anonymous argues for banning fox hunting:
"I get a bit sick of the hypocricy and crocodile tears from hunters, stating that hounds will have to put to sleep if hunting is banned. Why don't we ask them what happens to their hounds anyway, if they don't live up to the expectations of the hunt - they're put to sleep!! Usually at 5 or 6 years old, half way through their natural life." Hunting is not a 'townies' vs 'country' issue. It is a cruelty vs humanity issue. It is also an utter lie that 59% support hunting - a publicity stunt by the Countryside Alliance. 76% of this nation are anti-hunt, and that's the true fact. I find it incredibly insulting that chasing a defenceless animal until exhausted, and then having it torn to shreds by a pack of pre-starved hounds, can be classed as 'sport'. Hunting is a barbaric, pompous activity, enjoyed by a minority, and finally we are coming to a long over-due outright ban."
Malcolm from Penzance says:
"Following the ban on fox hunting in Scotland last year, no hunts were closed. Why all the protests citing destruction of hounds etc. in England?"Why don't the English hunts link up with the local cross country running clubs to follow an aniseed trail laid by a runner (with a good start!)? No hounds destroyed, no jobs lost and everyone still gets an enjoyable ride. Ban fox hunting."
Gwyn from Pontarddulais says:
"Perhaps Emma you should get out more, she would meet those people she hasn't met for years and it might cure her of the urge to kill something she can't eat."
Sheridan from Pembrokeshire says:
"I resent the fact that fox hunters say that people from the countryside support them. I'm from the countryside and think that it is disgustingly barbaric and cruel. As for people losing jobs, well not a lot of jobs depend solely on murdering innocent foxes. And what a shame about the hounds having to be shot, why not let a pack of lions chase them down and rip them apart!"
Russ from Port Talbot says:
"Emma - I wouldn't say it's a good day all round for the fox. And us 'townies' pay our taxes like anyone else so I'm sorry it annoys you so ..."
Jap from Newport says:
"Why is it still going on, it was banned by a democratically elected parliament, end of story move on. So the next time the government passes a law I don't like, should I organise a national campaign?"
Siarls of Abertawe is against hunting:
"You don't need to brutally kill a creature in order to see people you haven't seen in years. What the argument of fox hunting comes down to is the issue of the sanctity of life. How dare anyone dismiss that. We're not in the Middle Ages any longer."
Emma from Surrey supports hunting:
"I think fox hunting is fab. If you think about the history etc. about it. It really annoys me that townies can have a say. I'm Welsh and love fox hunting. It's a good day all round and you meet people you haven't seen for years..."
Keri from Neath says:
"After yesterdays (September 16) disturbances in London, it shows how important 'blood lust' is to these vile people. If they cannot get their own way, (which most of these people are used to), they are prepared to bring their single-minded barbarity into the public eye."
Aberboy from Aberystwyth says:
"I do wonder if banning a fox hunting would actually lead to the end of hunts ..."Are there not alternatives out there to chasing a fox?
"I'm sure plenty of people would take up riding and joining in if you were to chase something that didn't lead to a kill ...
"Are they implying that the only way to get your thrills is if something gets killed ...?
"And do they mention other animals killed - pet dogs, cats, etc ...
"Having once had a pet killed by a pack of dogs (not a hunt) I can tell you it can be far from pleasant and quick ..."
Bryn from Haverfordwest replies to Catherine's comments:
"Catherine, you can guarantee and you have proof that every caught fox dies instantly? I don't think so. And secondly, you say that 'it's being devoured by many hungry mouths'! So you're now saying that fox hunting is needed to feed your dogs? Buy some dog food for the hounds, and stop glorying in the murder of animals. If your hounds were killed by a human, that person would be prosecuted; what makes the killing of one animal right and another wrong?"
Catherine from Stratford argues for hunting:
"I am very pro-hunting and I take part in it. I've met loads of antis who say that they think it's cruel because the fox is 'ripped apart while it's still alive'. This isn't true. The fox dies immediately when the hounds catch it. It's death takes less than a second and when it's dead, the hounds rip it up and each have a bit to eat. It is not killed when it's being devoured by many hungry mouths."
Rebecca from Warwick stands up for hunting:
"I am strongly pro fox hunting. I'm not a farmer or anything like that but is anyone thinking of the hounds and the horses all over England that would be killed if fox hunting was banned? Also surely the government would realize that if fox hunting was banned there would be a decrease in the amount of livestock as most of them would be killed by foxes."
Peter from Ammanford says:
"There is a need to hunt foxes in the countryside. They are a real pest to farmers as they kill farmers animals. I think we could come to perhaps a compromise about how the foxes are hunted. I don't agree with the way the dogs rip them apart. People in the city don't appreciate the problem farmer's have with foxes and the trouble they cause."
Victoria from Haverfordwest argues for a form of hunting:
"As I see it, those who don't live in the countryside shouldn't mess in things that don't concern them. I've never been hunting before, but I know exactly what foxes are like. They raid a chicken house and will kill every chicken there and not even take one away to eat! ... "I agree that this should not be seen as a sport, and I'm not entirely sure that I agree with terrier hunting, as if the fox escapes that fox should be left as it won the day. I agree also that us humans use our superiority way too much ... Alot of people in towns do not know for example that they are surrounded by foxes, and they carry as many diseases as rats.
"There are many humane ways to control the population increase of foxes and so if any regulations should be passed it should be to allow those ways which are humane. The government should most definately make sure that ground and mounted hunters carry out a clean shot to the head, not watch the poor animal be torn to shreds by hounds and terriers. Either that or make sure that the hounds do their job properly, just like a lion! Also I would just like to point out that hounds are not cuddly puppy dogs, they are bred for a purpose, and don't go thinking that you could adopt one . They are not house pets ..."
Gwyn from Pontarddulais is opposed to hunting:
"If and it is a big if, foxes become a pest they should be controlled.There are scientific ways of controlling population growth. It is quite beyond belief that some people derive pleasure from dressing up in fancy dress and persuing an animal to see it killed by other animals. If you say this is tradition well so was public execution and the burning of witches. It's time to move on folks."
Catrin from Pembrokeshire says:
"If fox hunting isn't banned, foxes might become extinct!"
Martin from Swansea says:
"And if the fox did run the world it would be a fair better place than it is now!"
Kevin from Llandeilo replies to Lisa's comments:
"Better foxes running the world than George Bush!"
Simon from Swanea is totally opposed to fox hunting:
"Something seriously abnormal about people who get their kicks out of killing for enjoyment. Don't make excuses about pest control. Sick ..."
Lisa from Haverfordwest goes fox hunting:
"Fox hunting is amazing! I go every year with my horses. It keeps them fit through the winter months. If fox hunting was to be banned foxes would be running our world!"
John from Aberaeron stands up for fox hunting:
"For goodness sake foxes are vermin they kill just for the fun of it. Let's not get too romantic about these killing machines, if the farmers want them hunted then let the hounds do it quickly and efficiently. If you don't like it stay out of the countryside."
Gary from Portadown is angered by hunting:
"What if there was a species above humans in the food chain? What if your family were being slaughtered by a far superior entity? How would you feel? Imagine this ...you come home early from work one day and see that a large pack of a superior force have broken down your door to your house, found you husband/wife/child etc. being torn to pieces and then once they have died they stand there and laugh and celebrate at you misfortune, when they didn't even know you or your spouse...but who cares right? To murder someone in cold blood is not lawful in the UK and animal or human, murder is murder. MURDER IS MURDER! You people out there that do hunt foxes should be ashamed of yourselves and I feel that YOU should be hunted. Maybe you will learn some manners."
Bob from Pembroke is in a supporter of hunting but:
"In light of recent press ... I am and have been a supporter of hunting and country pursuits for over 50 years to that end I have always said that hunting will see it's own demise! Why you ask ... the terrier men ... I still believe that if a fox can not be taken cleanly above ground it should be left to fight another day! These whether rightly or wrongly shown pictures on national tv this week of fox hunting at it's worst has I think added another nail in the coffin of hunting. When will hunts wake up and act within their own rules and regulations ... or see the outcome we don't want."
Cassie believes that hunting should be banned:
"I'm doing a project on fox hunting at the moment in school, and we have a pro-hunting teacher, and it's hard to have an opinion on it because she just puts you down at every chance you get. When I went on the internet to look at fox hunting and read some of the articles that were on there, I cried. I thought it was horrific and there were these people saying how great they felt afterwards. I can't believe it! Thay say everywhere that most politicans are against fox hunting, so why can't they do anything about it? If when reading facts they make some people cry then it shows how barbaric this supposed 'sport' is!"
Robbie from Carmarthen stands up for hunting:
"Go on, ban all field sports but just watch the countryside disappear before your very eyes as the the reason for woods, copses, rivers and other rough areas is taken away. It will also allow a lot of housing to be freed because the people who really look after our countryside are deprived of their livelyhood and no longer need to live there."
An objector against fox hunting says:
"I strongly object to fox hunting. Why should we kill foxes for fun, we wouldn't like it if we where chased by evil hounds and teared to scraps. What is the matter with the people, can't you see it is not a game, not a laugh, it is murder. How can you delight and toast to the hunt after you have killed murdered an innocent being? You are dripping with blood, why aren't you filled with guilt?"
Mark from Shrewbury argues for fox hunting:
"Kirsty from Glasgow says foxes should be killed by experts, well who are the experts? With hounds foxes die instantly, and the only other method is the gun, but guns don't kill instantly."
Bryn from Haverfordwest:
"No Alex, you're quite right. When we say it's cruel to rip a fox to shreds, we just don't what we're talking about. If you treated a cat in the way that a hunted fox gets treated, you'd be jailed. End of story. What makes fox torture different from cat torture, then?"
Alex from Haslemere supports hunting:
"I think that this is an important part of country life and that all those in the city who say this is cruel, don't know what they are talking about!"
Peter from Cowbridge says:
"Reading through this lot makes me smile. Especially the ones who suggest that hunting provides a service to the foxes. There are those who will never change either way and have closed minds to different views. If I am not mistaken cockfighting is illegal, even though that seemed a much fairer fight. Come on Blair do what you promised and bow to the will of the majority of the elected members, civilise us now."
Thomas from Swansea argues against fox hunting:
"I keep seeing people argue that fox hunting shouldn't be stopped because of the number of horses and dogs that would have to be put down. My response to this is, why would they have to be put down? If they are bred for the purpose of fox-hunting, I think it would be the moral duty of the hunt organisers/owners to keep the animals comfortable and looked-after even if they are not needed. They would only "have" to be put down if, having no purpose to the owners, the owners thought that was justification for having them put down. I'm not an expert on animal rights law, but this sounds like something illegal. Besides which, if horses and hounds did have to be put down, it may be several thousand. But if hunting continues at the rate of a few hundred foxes a year, the equivalent number would soon be reached and surpassed ..."To read Thomas' comments in full click here.
Bec is a supporter of fox hunting:
"I'm totally in favour of fox hunting. When I came home today and I saw a pack of hounds on the local common hunting, and a group of small children watching them with big smiles on their faces, holding onto their dads hands. If huntings banned banned they'd be unhappy children!"Many people who are against it, just think we kill for fun but we don't, we take out the old, the weak, the ill and injured foxes. If it's banned more than 13,600 jobs will be lost, 60,000 horses and ponies will be culled and millions of hounds will be lost ... So for foxes sake leave fox hunting be, ban football instead!"
Emma argues against fox hunting:
"I am replying to the 'one bite kill' it is a load of rubbish. The hounds will rip the fox to pieces, the fox will be in pain and I see no reason to hunt a fox for personal pleasure, or because it's an age old tradition. I don't care how many jobs would be lost, or how other people's lives would be effected, a fox is an animal. Comparing a fox to a cow is wrong. We need cows for food, we don't need to kill foxes for food. So why do it? 'Cause you've been brought up to kill an innocent animal who has done nothing to you. The only reason to kill a fox is if it's threatening you personally, and how can a fox that barely reaches your knees threaten you?"
Bill from Llanelli draws comparisons to the mining industry:
"Those who indulge themselves in cruel sports state that only people who have witnessed and taken part in a hunt are the only ones qualified to comment on foxhunting. This is absurd. If you pursue this argument into other domains, then I suppose one has no right to speak out against paedophiles if one is not a child molester. "What disgusts me is that the community I come from was devastated by the closure of the mining industry, over a quarter of a million jobs were lost, yet when legislation is proposed to outlaw foxhunting (a majority of MPs voted from across the political spectrum voted in favour of a ban), then the establishment is up in arms.
"This makes a mockery of the idea of democracy, and indeed,why have the House of Lords repeatedly thrown out a ban on foxhunting, but not in other areas (such as the government's white paper on the closure of the mining industry?).
"I believe in the rights of minorities, but to include the aristocracy and the leisure interests of the House of Lords as a minority is farcical, and moreover when one speaks of the right and liberty to hunt purely for gratuitious pleasure, this is a perversion of human rights. I would like to know where in the Human Rights Act does it stipulate this right, and moreover, why isn't Liberty and other human rights groups championing the views of the countryside alliance?"
Natalie of Portsmouth argues to ban fox hunting:
" Has any one ever read or found out information on fox hunting? These defenceless animals are torn to death by dogs. They are killed. I'm still not sure how people can say that they spread disease, they come nowhere near people only near rubbish bags and to be honest what cat or dog doesn't, even my own cats get into the rubbish bags! "One child was attacked by a fox last year. Every week several women are killed by their husbands and several children are killed by their parents. Who's the vermin now! Oscar Wilde's description of fox hunting was "The unspeakable in full persuit of the uneatable". We have no reason to kill these animals. Foxes keep their numbers down themselves. There will not be a population increase if we ban fox hunting at all - they do this themselves. As for them killing chickens and such like. Do we not kill chickens and all other types of farm animals and produce. I say ban fox hunting and so do 80% of the population. So all the ignorant and evil people out their need to open there eyes and wake up to the evil being suffered!"
Alice of Denbigh would like to see hunting banned:
"I have lived in a small village surrounded by farmers all my life but it is still in-humane. I hear farmers complain about the foxes stealing their sheep and lambs but they do not think of the thousands and thousands of sheep, cows, pigs etc. that we kill everyday. This is just as much their world as it is ours. I don't mind if a farmer sees a fox on their land and goes and kills it instantly with a gun, but getting dogs to tear them apart is just disgusting. They are animals, and they need to eat! What if bears suddenly decided that we were vermin and tried to kill everyone? We would destroy them all, but foxes do not have that power, its just wrong!"
Jane from Clanfield argues that hunting should continue:
"I feel that hunting should be allowed to continue, even though I am not involved in hunting, I am heavily in to animal rescue. The fox has no natural predator since the removal of the wolf. In the days wolves were present the fox was always being moved on to new territory and thus creating fresh blood and preventing interbreeding and disease. Today it is all to common to see fox's dying a terrible slow painful death riddled with mange, a drawback of staying in the same area. Hunting at least helps to drive on healthy fox's and dispatch old or ailing animals, which would have been picked off by the wolf it were here today. I feel hunting is more about weeding out the weaklings rather than mass killing."
Thomas from Tiverton agrees with hunting:
"Hunting improves and controls the quality and quantity respectively of our wildlife. Banning hunting would be the start to a downfall in the foxes breeding and health. It is well documented and known that hunting promotes breeding by moving stock and keeping down diseased animals.
Alice from Denbigh defends animals right to eat:
"I think that fox hunting should be banned. I have lived in a small village surrounded by farmers all my life but it is still inhumane. I hear farmers complain about the foxes steeling their sheep and lambs but they do not think of the thousands and thousands of sheep, cows, pigs etc. that we kill everyday.
"This is just as much their world as it is ours. I don't mind if a farmer sees a fox on their land and goes and kills it instantly with a gun, but getting dogs to tear them apart is just disgusting. They are animals, and they need to eat!
"What if bears suddenly decided that we were vermin and tried to kill everyone? We would destroy them all, but foxes do not have that power, its just wrong!"
Tom from Tiverton says hunting is beneficial to wildlife:
"Hunting improves and controls the quality and quantity respectively or our wildlife. Banning hunting would be the start to a downfall in the foxs breeding and health. It is well documented and known that hunting promotes breeding by moving stock and keeping down diseased animals."
Samantha is opposed to fox hunting:
"I think fox hunting is grotesque. I don't think it's right that poor innocent little animals are being killed for a sport! How would you like it if you were wondering around and you were being chased for your life? I don't think you would like it, so all those posh ignorant people should stop and think! They should try hunting with rags which is alot safer and no poor animals get hurt."
Liesl of Haverfordwest sits on the fence in this argument:
"I don't think fox hunting is 'cruel' and I don't think it's an efficient way of controlling the fox population either ... in fact I sit on the fence on this one. However, having lived in two very different rural communities in the last six years , I can see that it is not a 'class' issue, and it does provide numerous (albeit low paid) jobs for people who live in the country."Animal instinct ... is that what gives those who go fox-hunting a buzz? I don't know because I've never taken part, I've only ever killed things to eat and have felt greatly satisfied that shooting a 'free range' pheasant to eat a few days later is much more humane than eating beef from a cow raised in a shed, fed on pellets and shot in an abbatoir ... at least the pheasant has a sporting chance.
"Will Tony Blair and his cronies insist that we're all veggies by 2020? Tony ever raises this issue when the chips are down. This isn't about fox-hunting ... it's about covering Alistair Campbell's backside!"
Darren from Glossop says:
"I think fox hunting should be made totally illegal. What right do we have to go and slaughter foxes? Even if it went ahead, it is still very inhumane. Foxes are ripped apart by dogs and given slow painful deaths. I cannot comment on how poeple have been brought up and what to believe, but I know that neither they, or I would like to be hunted and disembowled."
June from Burton on Trent wants to ban fox hunting:
"Fox hunting? When you think of the lust for blood - which is what a lot of people judge the fox hunting community on, then surely no one can condone it. We're supposed to be civilised now - our menfolk don't have to go out hunting to bring home the meat."All that fox hunting, deer hunting, hare coursing, or any sort of hunting does, is to pander to the darker side of human nature - that of wanting to kill and for the thrill of the chase, and not caring that they are hurting something smaller than us.
"Some people think it's clever to shoot birds or other small creatures. Anyone who kills or supports those who kill, must be satisfying some sort of perversion in their nature.
"I know that if I had to personally kill an animal for any reason - ie. food, then I'd become vegetarian straight away. It's only that meat on the supermarket shelves does not look like a whole animal that I stay omnivorous. And I really think that becoming vegetarian is something to aim for in the future. In any case, we eat far too much meat in the western world for our own good.
"The only reason I can see that justifies killing an animal is when that animal is threatening your life.
"So - do foxes threaten your life? If your answer is no - then QED! Ban fox hunting!"
Bod from Saundersfoot argues that fox hunting shouldn't be stopped:
"In reply to Bob - he is wrong to say that the majority of people are against 'murdering foxes'. Facts - foxes are vermin, spread disease, kill livestock (which is theft of a kind) etc. "There is a small but vocal majority that want to see fox hunting banned as they think it is eliteist. I don't condone or agree with fox hunting, but I am not going to stop a farmer protecting his stock, nor do I feel arrogant enough to remove other people's civil liberties. The over policing of the people of this country needs to stop. David Blunkett and Jack Straw have turned the UK into the most policed sate in the world, and also the most spied upon."
Val from Ruthin disagrees with hunting:
"I agree with Kate form Lincolnshire and disagree with Clare of Shropshire. Cause and effect - no foxes leads to a population explosion of rats, which leads to diseases in the water systems used by people, which leads to epidemics. Need I go on?"
Bryn from Haverfordwest replies to what Clare of Shropshire has said:
"How many times does a hunt go out and not catch a fox? Plenty. Now, what's the difference between that and a scenario where it is illegal to catch and kill the fox? Nowt, that's what. There'll be government grants galore to bail you all out if fox hunting is banned anyway. Your tory hunting sympathisers will see to that."
Katie from Lincolnshire wants to ban hunting:
"Ban hunting! It's the worst thing ever! Leave the animals at rest and let nature take it's course! Free the foxes let them be free!"
Clare from Shropeshire is fully in support of hunting:
"I don't think that hunting should be banned. Do anti hunters actually know what will happen if the ban comes? "Thousands of hounds and horses would have to be slaughtered. Hunt staff would be thrown out of their homes. Alot of people would lose their jobs which would put their security at risk and this will be all the result of the sake of a few foxes. When the fox is caught it is killed in an instant by one hound bitting its neck, it is all over for the fox then. This is just the same as a cow going to the slaughter house and I don't see anyone wanting a ban on that.
"Hunting isn't all about chasing after a pack of hounds, jumping hedges and going to posh parties. It's about looking after the hounds at kennels, giving up your spare time if your horse is ill, struggling to find the money to pay vets bills and keeping the fox population down. It isn't all easy for us so called posh snobs who hunt, we try to help the countryside, not ruin it. Anti hunters go on about how cruel we are but we aren't the cruel ones they are. They would bring deaths to many hounds and ruin many lives, now that's what the word cruel means. People need to start thinking about the facts and figures before they start messing around with peoples lives!"
Dottie from Swansea offers this argument for hunting:
"Unfortunately the fox does not have any natural predators, therefore their numbers will rise out of control without hunting. Then we can expect massive culls from men armed with firearms, who may not always kill first time ..."
Val from Ruthin has a simple message:
"I think that fox hunting should be banned. Let nature regulate their numbers."
Kirsty from Glasgow is against fox hunting:
"I think fox hunting is cruel and should be banned, because the hounds rip the foxes to pieces. If a fox needs to be killed it should be done by experts who know how to kill them painlessly."
Katie from Monmouth is fully in support of fox hunting:
"I feel very strongly about fox hunting. I have hunted with dogs all my life. With out hunting the fox population will rise, this will distroy the farming industry. People who want to ban hunting are townies and they don't understand the importance and meaning of how the countryside has been run for hundreds of years. I feel you can't judge hunting with hounds unless you have been out on a hunt and experience the real thing. Most of the people who want to ban hunting are just prejedice!"
Ceri from Australia has emailed us in reply to what Stephen said:
"... Are humans the only living animal which feels pain and fear? I think not, or isn't fear an emotion?"
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