Fox hunting 68502 226098879 2008-07-16T20:36:48Z MikeHobday 989150 Rvv {{otheruses}} [[Image:Hunt Master exits Castle.JPG|thumb|250px|right|Master of foxhounds leads the field from [[Powderham Castle]] in Devon, England, with the hounds in front.]] '''Fox hunting''' is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a [[red fox]], by trained [[foxhound]]s or other [[scent hound]]s, and a group of followers led by a ''master of foxhounds,'' who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.<ref name="burns">{{cite web|date=2000-06-09|publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office|coauthors=Lord Burns, Dr Victoria Edwards, Professor Sir John Marsh, Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior; Professor Michael Winter|title=The Final Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/mainsections/huntingreport.htm|accessdate=2008-02-10}}</ref> Fox hunting originated in the [[United Kingdom]] in the [[16th century]], but is practised all over the world, including [[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[France]], [[India]], [[Ireland]], [[Italy]], [[Russia]], [[New Zealand]], and the [[United States]].<ref name="BBC1">{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|title=Fox hunting worldwide|date=1999-09-16|accessdate=2007-10-05|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/428122.stm}}</ref><ref name=grauniad1/> In Australia, the term also refers to the hunting of foxes with [[firearm]]s, in a manner very similar to [[deer stalking]] or [[spotlighting]]. The sport is controversial, particularly in the UK, where a ban was introduced in November 2004.<ref name=BBCNov192004>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4020453.stm|title=Hunt ban forced through Commons|publisher=BBC News|date=2004-11-19|accessdate=2008-02-22}}</ref> Proponents see it as an important part of [[rural]] culture, vital for [[Conservation movement|conservation]] and [[pest control]],<ref name="MFH-social">{{cite web|date=2000|title=Social impact of fox hunting on rural communities|publisher=Masters of Fox Hounds Association|url=http://www.mfha.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=58|accessdate=2007-10-13}}</ref><ref name=MFH-conservation>{{cite web|title=Creation and conservation of habitat by foxhunting|publisher=Masters of Fox Hounds Association|accessdate=2007-10-13|url=http://www.mfha.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=56}}</ref><ref name=MFH-pest>{{cite web|title=The need for wildlife management|publisher=Masters of Fox Hounds Association|url=http://www.mfha.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=54|accessdate=2007-10-07}}</ref> while opponents argue that it is [[cruelty to animals|cruel]] and unnecessary.<ref name=LACS-morality>{{cite web|title=The morality of hunting with dogs|url=http://www.league.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_271.pdf|publisher=Campaign to Protect Hunted Animals|accessdate=2007-10-13}}</ref> == History == {{main|Hunting#History|l1=Hunting — History}} The use of scenthounds to track [[prey]] dates back to [[Assyria]]n, [[Babylonian]], and [[ancient Egypt]]ian times, and is known as [[wikt:venery|venery]].<ref name=grauniad1>{{cite news|publisher=The Guardian|date=2005-02-18 |title=Ten things you didn't know about hunting with hounds|last=Aslam|first=Dilpazier|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/feb/18/hunting.immigrationpolicy2|accessdate=2007-11-03}}</ref> [[Image:CharlesBrand.jpg|thumb|left|165px|A turn of the century Master who lived 1855–1912]] ;Europe Many Greek- and Roman-influenced countries have long traditions of hunting with hounds. Hunting with Agassaei hounds was popular in [[Celtic Britain]], even before the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] arrived, with their Castorian and Fulpine hound breeds which they used to hunt.<ref name=grauniad1/> [[Normans|Norman]] hunting traditions were brought to Britain when [[William the Conqueror]] arrived, along with the Gascon and [[Talbot (dog)|Talbot]] hounds. Foxes were referred to as ''beasts of the chase'' by [[medieval]] times, along with the [[red deer]] (hart & hind), [[marten]]s, and [[Roe Deer|roe]]s,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=St John's College, Oxford|title=Forest and Chases in England and Wales c. 1000 to c.1850|url=http://info.sjc.ox.ac.uk/forests/glossary.htm|accessdate=2008-02-16}}</ref> but the earliest known attempt to hunt a fox with hounds was in [[Norfolk]], England, in 1534, where farmers began chasing down foxes with their dogs for pest control.<ref name=grauniad1/> The first use of packs specifically trained to hunt foxes was in the late 1600s, with the oldest fox hunt likely to be the Bilsdale in [[Yorkshire]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Ridley|first=Jane|title=Fox Hunting|publisher=HarperCollins|ISBN=978-0002179492|date=1990-10}}</ref> By the end of the seventeenth century, deer hunting was in decline. The [[Inclosure Acts]] brought fences to separate open land into fields, deer forests were being cut down, and arable land was increasing.<ref name = "Birley">{{cite web|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=qVQiOYkBvV8C&pg=PA130&lpg=PA130&dq=%22Inclosure+Acts+%22+deer+hunting&source=web&ots=1YyIosAsVB&sig=3kl4lOv-UozUS648wGsu4K76LHk#PPA130,M1|publisher=Manchester University Press|title=Sport and the Making of Britain|author=Birley, D.|date=1993|accessdate=2008-02-14|page=130-132}}</ref> With the onset of the [[Industrial Revolution]], people began to move out of the country and into towns and cities to find work. Roads, rail, and canals split hunting countries,<ref name=Carr/> but also made hunting accessible to more people. [[Shotgun]]s were improved during the nineteenth century and [[Game (food)|game]] shooting became more popular.<ref name=Birley/> Fox hunting developed further in the eighteenth century when [[Hugo Meynell]] developed breeds of hound and horse to address the new geography of rural England.<ref name=Birley/> To protect [[Common Pheasant|pheasants]] for the shooters, [[gamekeeper]]s culled foxes almost to [[extirpation]] in many areas, which caused the huntsmen to improve their coverts to preserve their quarry.<ref name=Birley/> The [[Game Act 1831|Game Laws]] were relaxed in 1831, which meant that anyone could obtain a permit to take rabbits, hares, and game birds.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=United Kingdom Ministry of Justice|title=Game Act 1831|url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/legResults.aspx?LegType=All+Legislation&title=Game+Act&Year=1831&searchEnacted=0&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0&blanketAmendment=0&TYPE=QS&NavFrom=0&activeTextDocId=1032098&PageNumber=1&SortAlpha=0|accessdate=2007-11-03}}</ref> In Germany, hunting with hounds was first banned on the orders of [[Hermann Goering]] on [[July 3]] [[1934]], one of the first laws to be introduced by the [[Nazi]]s when they came to power in 1933.&nbsp;<ref name="verboten">{{cite news|publisher=The Telegraph|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/09/22/nhunt222.xml|title=Thanks to Hitler, hunting with hounds is still verboten|accessdate=2007-10-05|date=2002-09-22}}</ref> In 1939, the ban was extended to cover Austria after Germany's annexation of the country. Bernd Ergert, the director of Germany's hunting museum in Munich, said of the ban, "The aristocrats were understandably furious, but they could do nothing about the ban given the totalitarian nature of the regime."<ref name="verboten" /> ;U.S. [[Image:Desportes fox.jpg|thumb|250px|right|''The Fox Hunt'', [[Alexandre-François Desportes]]]] According to the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America, Englishman [[Robert Brooke, Sr.|Robert Brooke]] was the first man to import hunting hounds to America, bringing his pack to Maryland in 1650 when he imported his horses, his slaves, and a pack of foxhounds.<ref name="usmfha1" /> Also around this time, numbers of European red foxes were introduced into the Eastern seaboard of North America for hunting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-541X(195801)22%3A1%3C45%3ATPSOEM%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Z|author=Presnall, C.C.|title=The Present Status of Exotic Mammals in the United States |date=1958|accessdate=2008-02-21|publisher=The Journal of Wildlife Management, 22(1)|page=45-50}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-2372(195911)40%3A4%3C513%3ATSSOTN%3E2.0.CO%3B2-V|author=Churcher, C.S.|date=1959|title=The Specific Status of the New World Red Fox|publisher=Journal of Mammalogy, 40(4)|page=513-520|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> The first organised hunt for the benefit of a group (rather than a single patron) was started by [[Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron|Thomas, sixth Lord Fairfax]] in 1747.<ref name="usmfha1">{{cite web|url=http://www.mfha.com/abfo.htm#his|date=2008|title=History of American Foxhunting|publisher=Masters of Foxhounds of North America|accessdate=2008-02-10}}</ref> In the United States, [[George Washington]] and [[Thomas Jefferson]] both kept packs of fox hounds before and after the [[American Revolutionary War]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Explore DC|title=Profile - George Washington|date=2001|url=http://www.exploredc.org/index.php?id=69|accessdate=2007-11-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Freedom Fields Farm|title=A short history of foxhunting in Virginia|accessdate=2007-11-14|url=http://www.freedomfields.net/foxhunting_in_virginia.html}}</ref> ;Australia In Australia, the European [[red fox]] was introduced solely for the purpose of fox hunting in 1855.<ref name=ACF1>{{cite web|publisher=Australian Conservation Foundation|title=Australia's Noah's Ark springs a leak|last=Eastham|first=Jaime|url=http://www.acfonline.org.au/news.asp?news_id=345&c=10032|accessdate=2008-02-10}}</ref> Native animal populations have been very badly affected, with the extinction of at least 10 species attributed to the spread of foxes.<ref name=ACF1/> Fox hunting continues in Australia, with thirteen clubs with over 1000 members, still hunting with horses and hounds, in the state of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]].<ref name=theage>{{cite news|publisher=Fairfax Digital|title=It's the thrill not the kill, they say|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Its-the-thrill-not-the-kill-they-say/2005/03/19/1111086058304.html?from=moreStories|2005-03-20|accessdate=2007-11-02}}</ref> Fox hunting with hounds results in around 650 foxes being killed annually in Victoria,<ref name=theage/> compared with over 90,000 shot over a similar period in response to a State government bounty.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Fairfax Digital|title=Bounty fails to win ground war against foxes|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/04/1051987602914.html|date=2003-05-05|accessdate=2007-11-02}}</ref> ==Current status== {{seealso|Fox hunting legislation}} ;U.K. The controversy around fox hunting led to the passing of the [[Hunting Act 2004]], in November of that year, which effectively outlawed the sport in England and Wales from [[February 18]], 2005,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/ukpga_20040037_en_1.htm|title=Hunting Act 2004|publisher=HMSO|accessdate=2008-02-12}}</ref> after the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] rejected the option of a licensed hunting under stricter conditions, advocated by then Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]]<ref name=BBCNov192004/> and members of the government's [[Burns Inquiry|independent inquiry]] on fox hunting including its chairman [[Terence Burns, Baron Burns|Lord Burns]], and the eminent [[veterinary surgeon]] and [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] peer, [[Lawson Soulsby, Baron Soulsby of Swaffham Prior|Lord Soulsby]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Historic deal offers reprieve for hunting|last=Ahmed|first=Kamal|coauthors=Barnett, Antony|date=2001-03-25|accessdate=2008-02-22|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2001/mar/25/hunting.immigrationpolicy|publisher=The Observer}}</ref> the latter who had worked for the [[Countryside Alliance]]'s predecessor body, the [[British Field Sports Society]] before his appointment to the Burns Inquiry committee.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2000/jan/24/hunting.ruralaffairs|author=Hencke, D.|title=Row over hunting inquiry 'bias'|date=2000-01-04|accessdate=2008-02-25|publisher=Guardian}}</ref> The [[Coming into force|passing]] of the Hunting Act was also notable as it was done through use of the [[Parliament Act]], after the unelected [[House of Lords]] had refused to pass the legislation.<ref name=BBCNov192004/> Scotland, which has its own [[Scottish Parliament|Parliament]], banned fox hunting in 2002, over two years before the ban in England and Wales,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/acts2002/asp_20020006_en_1|title=Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act|date=2002|publisher=HMSO|accessdate=2008-02-12}}</ref> whilst it remains legal in Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hain lambasted over website backing hunting|publisher=Belfast Telegraph|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article2360161.ece|last=Hookham|first=Mark|date=2007-03-15|accessdate=2008-02-22}}</ref> After the ban on fox hunting, hunts say that they follow artificially laid trails, although the [[League Against Cruel Sports]] has alleged widespread law breaking.<ref>{{cite press release|publisher=League Against Cruel Sports|url=http://www.league.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=795|title=Hunting season barely underway and 40% of hunts could be breaking the law|date=2005-11-04|accessdate=2007-10-13}}</ref> Supporters of fox hunting claim that the number of foxes killed by dogs has increased since the ban, that hunts have reported an increase in membership,<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4724028.stm|title='More foxes dead' since hunt ban|date=2006-02-17|accessdate=2007-10-13}}</ref> and that around 320,000 people (their highest recorded number) turned up to fox hunts on Boxing Day, 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6209365.stm|publisher=BBC News|title=Hunts hail Boxing Day turn-out|date=2006-12-26|accessdate=2007-10-13}}</ref> ;U.S. In America, fox hunting is also called 'fox chasing,' as the purpose is not to actually kill the animal but to enjoy the thrill of the chase.<ref name=usmfha1/> A hunt may go without a kill for several years, despite chasing two or more foxes in a single day's hunting.<ref name=Smart/> As a rule, foxes are not pursued once they have 'gone to ground.' American fox hunters undertake stewardship of the land, and endeavour to maintain fox populations and habitats as much as possible.<ref name=Smart/> In 2007, the Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America listed 171 registered packs in the U.S. and Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfha.com/memb.htm|publisher=Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America|title=Geographical listing of hunts|date=2007|accessdate=2008-02-12}}</ref> This number does not include the nonregistered (also known as 'farmer' or 'outlaw') packs.<ref name=Smart>{{cite book|last=Smart|first=Bruce|title=A community of the horse|chapter=9|url=http://www.acommunityofthehorse.com/images/pdfs/ChapIX.pdf|date=2004|accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref> In some arid parts of the [[Western United States]], where foxes in general are more difficult to locate, hunts track [[coyote]]s<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arapahoehunt.com/history.asp|title=Arapahoe Hunt Club History|publisher=Arapahoe Hunt Club |accessdate=2008-02-12|date=2007}}</ref> and, in some cases, [[bobcat]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chronofhorse.com/index.php?cat=123009040576283|title=Recognized Hunts|publisher=Chronicle of the Horse|accesspage=2008-02-12}}</ref> [[Charles Dickens]], in a short story titled ''Coyote Hunting'' and published in 1893, vividly describes hunting coyotes near Denver, Colorado.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=j9wRAAAAYAAJ|date=1893|author=Dickens, Charles|publisher=Charles Dickens|title=All the Year Round|volume=9|accessdate=2008-04-11}}, ''Coyote hunting: A Western sketch'', pages 462–467</ref> ;Other countries Fox hunting with hounds is practised in countries including Australia, Canada, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Russia and New Zealand,<ref name="BBC1"/><ref name=grauniad1/> whereas the [[Burns Inquiry]] reported that fox hunting was "not practised or is largely banned" in Spain, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway.<ref name=burns/> ==Animals== === Quarry animals === ==== Red fox ==== [[Image:Rød ræv (Vulpes vulpes).jpg|thumb|220px|right|The [[red fox]] is the main prey of European and American fox hunts.]] The ''[[red fox]]'' (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the normal prey animal of a fox hunt in the U.S. and Europe. A small [[omnivore|omnivorous]] [[predator]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.derbyfoxes.org/diet.htm | title=Diet | date=2006 | work=Derbyshire Fox Rescue |publisher=Derbyshire Fox Rescue | accessdate=2007-09-09 }}</ref> the fox lives in underground burrows called earths,<ref>{{cite web|title=Peatland Wildlife - The Fox|publisher=Northern Ireland Environment and Heritage Service|date=2004|url=http://www.peatlandsni.gov.uk/wildlife/mammals/redfox.htm|accessdate=2007-10-13}}</ref> and is predominantly active around twilight (making it a [[crepuscular]] animal).<ref name=umad>{{cite web|publisher=University of Michigan - Animal Diversity Web|last=Fox|first=David|title=Vulpes vulpes (red fox)|accessdate=2007-10-13|url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Vulpes_vulpes.html}}</ref> Adult foxes tend to range around an area of between {{nowrap|5 and 15}} square kilometers ({{nowrap|2–6 square miles}}) in good terrain, although in poor terrain, their range can be as much as {{km2 to mi2|20}}.<ref name=umad/> The red fox can run at up to {{Auto km/h|48}}.<ref name=umad/> The fox is also variously known as a ''Tod'' (old English word for fox),<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Behind the name|date=2007|title=Todd|url=http://www.behindthename.com/name/todd|accessdate=2007-10-14}}</ref> ''[[Reynard]]'' (the name of an [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] character in European literature from the twelfth century),<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911|title=Reynard the Fox|url=http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Reynard_The_Fox|accessdate=2007-10-14}}</ref> or ''Charlie'' (named for the [[British Whig Party|Whig]] politician [[Charles James Fox]]).<ref name="BBC2">{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|title=Three centuries of hunting foxes|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/422753.stm|accessdate=2007-10-13|date=1999-09-16}}</ref> ==== Coyote, gray fox, and other quarry ==== [[Image:Canis latrans.jpg|thumb|220px|left|Coyotes are hunted in America.]] The [[coyote]] (''Canis latrans'') is one of the most prevalent game of North American hunts.<ref name="usmfha1" /> The coyote is an indigenous predator that did not range east of the Mississippi River until the latter half of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Status and management of coyote depredations in the Eastern United States|journal=US Department of Agriculture|last=Houben|first=JM|url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=icwdmsheepgoat|date=2004|accessdate=2007-10-13}}</ref> The coyote is faster than a fox, running at {{Auto km/h|65}} and also wider ranging, with a territory of up to {{km2 to mi2|283|precision=0}},<ref>{{cite web|publisher=University of Michigan - Animal Diversity Web|title=Canis latrans (coyote)|last=Tokar|first=Eric|accessdate=2007-10-13|url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Canis_latrans.html}}</ref> so a much larger hunt territory is required to chase it. Coyotes can be challenging opponents for the dogs in physical confrontations, despite the size advantage of a large dog. Coyotes have larger canine teeth and are generally more practised in hostile encounters.<ref>{{cite book|author= Coppinger, Ray|title=Dogs: a Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution| year=2001|pages=p352|id=0684855305}}</ref> The [[gray fox]] (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), a very distant relative of the European red fox, which can be the subject of a fox hunt in North America,<ref name="usmfha1" /> is an adept climber of trees, making it harder to hunt with hounds.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=University of Michigan - Animal Diversity Web|last=Jansa|first=Sharon|title=Urocyon cirereoargentus (gray fox)|accessdate=2007-10-13|url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Urocyon_cinereoargenteus.html}}</ref> Hunts also pursue the [[bobcat]] (''Lynx rufus''), and the choice of quarry depends on the region and numbers of each quarry available.<ref name="usmfha1" /> In countries such as [[India]], and in other areas formerly under British influence, such as [[Iraq]], the [[golden jackal]] (''Canis aureus'') is often hunted.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Horse and Hound|title=Hurworth hound bound for India|url=http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/competitionnews/392/49235.html|date=2004-05-24|accessdate=2007-10-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Unusual features of RAF Habbaniya (Iraq)|url=http://www.habbaniya.org/Features.html|publisher=RAF Habbaniya Association|accessdate=2007-10-13}}</ref> === Animals of the hunt === ==== Hounds and other dogs ==== [[Image:English Foxhound portrait.jpg|thumb|220px|left|An [[English foxhound]]]] Fox hunting is usually undertaken with a pack of [[scent hound]]s,<ref name=burns/> and, in most cases, these are specially bred ''[[foxhound]]s''.<ref name=AKC>{{cite web|publisher=American Kennel Club|title=English Foxhound History|url=http://www.akc.org/breeds/english_foxhound/history.cfm|accessdate=2007-10-15}}</ref> These dogs are trained to pursue the fox based on its [[scent]]. The two main types of foxhound are the [[English Foxhound]]<ref>{{cite web|publisher=American Kennel Club|title=English Foxhound Breed Standard|url=http://www.akc.org/breeds/english_foxhound/|accessdate=2007-10-15}}</ref> and the [[American Foxhound]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=American Kennel Club|title=American Foxhound Breed Standard|url=http://www.akc.org/breeds/american_foxhound/|accessdate=2007-10-15}}</ref> It is possible to use a [[sight hound]] such as a [[Greyhound]] or [[lurcher]] to pursue foxes,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=American Kennel Club|title=Greyhound History|url=http://www.akc.org/breeds/greyhound/history.cfm|accessdate=2007-10-15}}</ref> though this practice is not common in organised hunting, and these dogs are more often used for [[coursing]] animals such as [[hare]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=End of the road for illegal hare coursing|publisher=BBC Inside Out|date=2005-01-24|accessdate=2007-10-15|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/east/series7/hare_coursing.shtml}}</ref> There is also one pack of [[beagle]]s in Virginia that hunt fox. They are unique in that they are the only hunting beagle pack in the U.S. to be followed on horseback. [[English Foxhound]]s are also used for hunting [[stag]], [[otter]], or [[mink]]. Hunts may also use [[working terrier|terrier]]s to flush or kill foxes that are hiding underground,<ref name=burns/> as they are small enough to pursue the fox through narrow earth passages. ==== Horses ==== {{main|Field hunter}} [[Image:Mixed field.jpg|thumb|right|A mixed field of horses at a hunt, including children on ponies]] The [[horse]]s, called "[[field hunter]]s" or ''hunters,'' ridden by followers of the hunt, are a prominent feature of many hunts, although others are conducted on foot (and those hunts with a field of horseback-mounted riders may also have foot followers). Horses on hunts can range from specially bred and trained [[field hunter]]s to casual hunt attendees riding a wide variety of horse and [[pony]] types. [[Draft horse|Draft]] and [[Thoroughbred]] crosses are commonly used as hunters, although [[purebred]] Thoroughbreds and horses of many different [[list of horse breeds|breeds]] are also used. Some hunts with unique territories favor certain traits in field hunters, for example, when hunting coyote in the western U.S., a faster horse with more stamina is required to keep up, as coyotes are faster than foxes and inhabit larger territories. Hunters must be well-mannered, have the athletic ability to clear large obstacles such as wide ditches, tall fences, and rock walls, and have the stamina to keep up with the hounds.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Waitemata Hunt|title=Hunt Etiquette|url=http://members.tripod.com/Horse_Hunting/id14.html|date=2008|accessdate=2008-02-10}}</ref> Dependent on terrain, and to accommodate different levels of ability, hunts generally have alternative routes that do not involve jumping. The hunt may be divided into two groups, with one group, the ''First Field,'' that takes a more direct but demanding route that involves jumps over obstacles<ref name=Independence>{{cite web|title=Information and Guidelines for Foxhunters in the Field|publisher=Independence Foxhounds|date=2007|url=http://www.independencefoxhounds.com/protocol.html|accessdate=2008-01-18}}</ref> while another group, the ''Second Field'' (also called ''Hilltoppers'' or ''Gaters''), takes longer but less challenging routes that utilize gates or other types of access on the flat.<ref name=Independence/><ref>{{cite web|title=Hunting Hounds and Polo Ponies|date=1998|publisher=JoCo History|url=http://www.jocohistory.net/culture/11no3hunting.asp|accessdate=2008-01-18}}</ref> ==== Birds of prey ==== In the United Kingdom, since the introduction of the hunting ban, a number of hunts have employed [[falconer]]s to bring [[Bird of prey|birds of prey]] to the hunt, due to the exemption in the [[Hunting Act]] for falconry.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=The Guardian|title=The banned rode on|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/nov/07/hunting.ethicalliving|last=Moss|first=Stephen|accessdate=2007-10-05|date=2006-11-07}}</ref> The legality of this will be tested by a private prosecution being brought by the [[League Against Cruel Sports]].<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/6262524.stm|title=Four men deny hunting with dogs|date=2007-07-02|accessdate=2007-10-05}}</ref> == Procedure == [[Image:BedaleHunt2005.jpg|thumb|300px|left|The [[Bedale]] Hunt, Yorkshire, drawing a wood in February 2005]] Fox hunts are the setting for many social rituals, but the hunting itself begins when hounds are "cast" (put into) rough or brushy areas called ''coverts'', where foxes often lay up during daylight hours or when they hear dogs moving toward them. If the pack manages to pick up the scent of a fox, they will track it for as long as they are able. Scenting can be affected by temperature, humidity, and other factors. The hounds pursue the trail of the fox and the riders follow, by the most direct route possible. Since this may involve very athletic skill on the part of horse and rider alike, fox hunting is the origin of traditional equestrian sports including [[steeplechase (horse racing)|steeplechase]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Steeplechase|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica Online|date=2008|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9069520/steeplechase|accessdate=2008-02-10}}</ref> and [[point to point racing]].<ref>{{cite web|title=A History of Point to Point|publisher=Irish Point to Point|date=2003|url=http://www.irish-point-to-point.com/content.asp?key=History|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> The hunt continues until either the fox evades the hounds, ''goes to ground'' or is overtaken and usually killed by the hounds. In the case of Scottish hill packs or the gun packs of Wales and upland areas of England, the fox is flushed to guns. Hunts in the [[Cumbria]]n [[fell]]s and other upland areas are followed by supporters on foot rather than on horseback. In the UK, where the fox goes to ground, terriers may be entered into the earth to locate the fox so that it can be dug down to and killed.<ref name=burns/> Social rituals are important to hunts, although many have fallen into disuse. One of the most notable was the act of ''blooding.'' This is a very old ceremony in which the master or huntsman would smear the blood of the fox or coyote onto the cheeks or forehead of a newly [[initiation|initiated]] hunt follower, often a young child.<ref name=customs>{{cite web|publisher=Icons - A portrait of Britain|title=Customs of Hunting|url=http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/fox-hunting-and-the-ban/features/customs-of-hunting-finished|date=2006|accessdate=2007-11-13}}</ref> Another practice of some hunts was to cut off the tail ('brush'), the feet ('pads') and the head ('mask') as trophies, with the carcass then thrown to the dogs.<ref name=customs/> Both of these practices were widely abandoned during the nineteenth century, although isolated cases may still have occurred to the modern day.<ref name=customs/> === Autumn or cub hunting === In the autumn of each year (August-October in the UK), hunts take the young hounds out ''cub hunting'' or ''autumn hunting'' in order to cull weaker young foxes (which are full size by autumn season as they are born in spring <ref name=Carr>{{cite book|last=Carr|first=Raymond|title=English Fox Hunting: A History|date=1976|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|ISBN=0 297 77074 8}}</ref>, albeit not yet sexually mature until they are 10 months old and still living in their family group<ref name=umad/>) and teach the young fox hounds to restrict their hunting to foxes.<ref>{{cite web|title=A veterinary opinion on hunting with hounds, Submission to the Burns Inquiry|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence/vetgroup.htm#autumn|author=Thomas, L.H. & Allen, W.R.|date=2000|accessdate=2007-11-20|publisher=Defra}}</ref><ref name="burns"/> In Britain, the activity consists of hunt supporters surrounding a covert, with riders and foot followers to drive back foxes attempting to escape, and then 'drawing' the covert with the puppies and some more experienced hounds, allowing them to find, attack and kill the young foxes within the surrounded wood.<ref name="burns"/> A young hound is considered to be 'entered' into the pack once he or she has successfully joined in a hunt in this fashion. Only rarely, in about 1 in 50 cases, foxhounds do not show suitable aptitude, and must be removed from the pack.<ref name="Fanshawe">{{cite web|title=Future of hound breeds under threat from hunting bill|date=2003|last=Fanshawe|c|url=http://www.mfha.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=9|publisher=Masters of Fox Hounds Association|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> In the U.S., some cubs are chased and allowed to escape to teach them better skills of evasion so that they may be tracked (preferably without being killed) again another day.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} Many foxes learn to evade the hounds by running up or down streams, running along the tops of fences, and other tactics to throw the hounds off the scent. === Main hunting season === [[Image:Chasse a courre.jpg|thumb|300px|right|A Dutch pack: moving off]] Once the season proper starts (usually from early November in the northern hemisphere,<ref name=Carr/> or May in the southern hemisphere), the idea is to drive the fox from the covert and chase it for long distances over open countryside. The northern hemisphere season continues through to April, though a few hunts continue into early May. Fox cubs are born between January and May, dependent on their geographical range,<ref name=umad/> which means that [[Pregnancy (mammals)|pregnant]] and nursing vixens may be hunted. === Drag, trail and bloodhound hunting === [[Drag hunting]], an [[equestrianism|equestrian sport]] which involves dragging an object over the ground to lay a scent for the hounds to follow,<ref name = "NE Cheshire Drag">{{cite web|title=What is drag hunting?|date=2008|publisher=North East Cheshire Drag Hunt|url=http://www.necdh.co.uk/WhatIsDragHunting.htm|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> can also be popular, either instead of, or in addition to, live quarry hunting. Drag hunts are often considered to be faster than standard fox hunts, with followers not having to wait while the hounds pick up a trail, and often covering an area far larger than a traditional hunt,<ref name="MDBA">{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence/mdba.htm|title=The Masters of Draghounds and Bloodhounds Association, Submission to Burns Inquiry|date=2000|accessdate=2008-02-21|publisher=Defra}}</ref> which may even necessitate a change of horses half way through.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|title=Hunting humans, not foxes|date=1999-09-20|accessdate=2008-02-17|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/417435.stm}}</ref> A non-equestrian variation, hound trailing, is practiced in the [[Lake District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.houndtrailing.org.uk/|title=Hound Trailing|publisher=Hound Trailing Association|accessdate=2008-03-11}}</ref> Since the [[Hunting Act 2004|UK hunting ban]], hunts claim to use a mixture of an odoriferous substance with an oil in order to improve the persistence of the scent trail, and then to lay the scent about 20&nbsp;minutes in advance of the hunt.<ref>{{citation|author=Bloomfield, R.|title=All about drag hunting|publisher=Horse & Hound|date=2005-01-07}}</ref> [[Bloodhound#History|Bloodhounds]] are also used to hunt a human runner in the sport of ''[[Hunting the Clean Boot]]''.<ref name="MDBA"/><ref name = "New Forest Drag">{{cite web|title=Drag Hunting|publisher=New Forest Drag Hunt|url=http://www.nfdh.org.uk/draghunting.html|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> === Shooting foxes === In Australia, fox hunting also involves hunting foxes with firearms, much the same as deer or rabbit, although Australia also has mounted hunts with hounds. [[Feral]] red foxes are regarded as a serious problem for farmers in Australia, having been introduced by huntsmen in the nineteenth and twentieth century for sporting purposes;<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water|title=Fox Ecology|date=2007-12|url=http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/LBUN-5K52J2?open|accessdate=2008-02-10}}</ref> as such, their expedient removal is viewed by farmers as the priority, rather than the pomp and circumstance of a traditional fox hunt in the UK. Alongside methods such as trapping and poisoning, hunters usually work at night with a [[spotlight]] and a 0.222 calibre [[rifle]],<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Queensland Government Natural Resources and Water|title=Pest series:The fox|date=January 2007|accessdate=2008-02-17|url=http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/factsheets/pdf/pest/pa13.pdf}}</ref> known as "[[spotlighting]]", or "lamping" in the UK and Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=The British Association for Shooting and Conservation|title=Lamping code of practice|url=http://www.basc.org.uk/content/lampingpractice|date=October 2004|accessdate=2008-02-17}}</ref> == People == ===Hunt staff and officials=== As a social ritual, participants in a fox hunt fill specific roles, the most prominent of which is the master, often more than one and then called masters or joint masters. These individuals typically take much of the financial responsibility for the overall management of the sporting activities of the hunt and the care and breeding of the hunt's fox hounds, as well as control and direction of the its paid staff. * '''Master of fox hounds''' (M.F.H.) or Joint Master of Fox Hounds operates the sporting activities of the hunt, maintains the kennels, works with (and sometimes is) the huntsman, and spends the money raised by the hunt club. (Often the master or joint masters are the largest of financial contributors to the hunt.) The master will have the final say over all matters in the field.<ref name=staff>{{cite web|title=Organization in the field|publisher=Miami Valley Hunt|url=http://mvhunt.net/foxhunting.htm|accessdate=2008-08-13}}</ref> * '''Honorary secretaries''' are volunteers (usually one in America, two in the UK) who collect the '''cap''' (money) from guest riders.<ref name=staff/> * A '''kennelman''' looks after hounds in kennels, assuring that all tasks are completed when pack and staff return from hunting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fresco.ie/imfha/conduct2.htm|title=Code of conduct|publisher=Irish Masters of Foxhounds Association|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> * '''The huntsman''', often the same person as the kennelman, is responsible for directing the hounds in the course of the hunt. The Huntsmen usually carries a horn to communicate to the hounds, followers and whippers in.<ref name=staff/> * '''Whippers-in''' are assistants to the huntsman. Their main job is to keep the pack all together, especially to prevent the hounds from straying or 'riotting', which term refers to the hunting of animals other than the hunted fox. To help them to control the pack, they carry hunting [[whip]]s (and in America they sometimes also carry .22 revolvers loaded with [[rat-shot]] or blanks.)<ref name=staff/> The role of ''whipper-in'' in hunts has inspired parliamentary systems (including the [[Westminster System]] and the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]]) to use ''[[whip (politics)|whip]]'' for a member who enforces party discipline and ensure the attendance of other members at important votes.<ref>{{cite news|first=Pandiyan|last=Veera|date=2006-05-14|url=http://www.malaysia-today.net/Blog-e/2006/05/how-term-whip-came-to-be-used-in.htm|title=How the term 'Whip' came to be used in Parliament|publisher=Malaysia Today|accessdate=2008-02-10}}</ref> *'''Terrier man''' - Most hunts where the object is to kill the fox will employ a terrier man, whose job it is to control the [[working terrier|terriers]] which may be used underground to corner or flush the fox. Often voluntary terrier men will follow the hunt as well. In the UK, they often ride [[quadbike]]s with their terriers in boxes on their bikes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.diggingout.org/hunt_terriermen.html|publisher=Campaign for the Abolition of Terrier Work|title=Hunt terriermen|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> In addition to members of the hunt staff, a committee may run the ''Hunt Supporters Club'' to organise fundraising and social events and in America many hunts are incorporated and have parallel lines of leadership. Britain, Ireland and America each have a ''Masters of Foxhounds Association'' (MFHA) which consists of current and past masters of foxhounds. This is the governing body for all foxhound packs and deals with disputes about boundaries between hunts. === Attire === [[Image:Hubertusjagt-2004.jpg||left|thumb|270px|A group of hunters in Denmark]] Mounted hunt followers typically wear traditional [[hunt seat|hunting]] attire. A prominent feature of hunts operating during the formal hunt season (between late October and the end of March) is that hunt members wear 'colours'. This attire consists of the traditional scarlet coats only worn by huntsmen, masters, former masters, whippers-in (regardless of sex) and other hunt staff members, and are also known as ''Pinks'' or ''Pinques''; the ladies generally wearing scarlet tabs on their black or dark navy coats. These help them stand out from the rest of the field. Various theories about the derivation of this term have been given, ranging from the colour of a weathered scarlet coat to the name of a purportedly famous tailor.<ref>{{cite web|last=Reeds|first=Jim|url=http://www.horse-country.com/jriders/pink.html|publisher=horse-country.com|title=The Legend of Tailor Pink|date=2003-12-07|accessdate=2007-10-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Icons - A portrait of Britain|title=Hunting Fashion|url=http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/fox-hunting-and-the-ban/features/hunting-fashion|date=2006-07|accessdate=2007-11-14}}</ref> Some hunts, including most hare hunts, use green rather than red jackets. The colour of [[breeches]] (riding pants) vary from hunt to hunt and are generally of one colour, though two or three colours throughout the year may be permitted.<ref name=attire>{{cite web|publisher=Beech Grove Hunt|url=http://www.beechgrovehunt.com/etiquette.shtml|title=Dress Code|accessdate=2007-11-14}}</ref> Unlike the jacket, the colours of the breeches remains the same throughout the cubbing and formal seasons. [[Riding boot|Boots]] are generally English dress boots (no laces). For the men they are black with brown leather tops (called top boots), and for the ladies, black with a patent black leather top of similar proportion to the men.<ref name=attire/> Additionally, the number of buttons is significant. The Master of the hunt wears a scarlet coat with four brass buttons while the huntsman and other professional staff wear five. Amateur whippers-in also wear four buttons. Another differentiation in dress between the amateur and professional staff is found in the ribbons at the back of the [[equestrian helmet|hunt cap]]. These ribbons were designed to deflect rain over the collar of the coat rather than allowing it to drip down the back of the neck. The professional staff wear their hat ribbons down, while amateur staff and members of the field wear their ribbons up.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dress Code|publisher=RMA Sandhurst Draghunt|date=2008|url=http://www.sandhurstdraghunt.co.uk/dress.html|accessdate=2007-12-22}}</ref> The traditional reason given for these differences is that the professional staff has no option but to remain out in inclement weather, whereas the amateur or field member may go home whenever they wish. Those members who do not wear colours, tend to dress in a black hunt coat and unadorned black buttons for both men and ladies (called "ratcatcher"), with breeches the same as the other members. Boots are all English dress boots and have no other distinctive look.<ref name=attire/> Some hunts also further restrict the wear of formal attire to weekends and holidays and use ratcatcher all other times. Other members of the mounted field follow strict rules of clothing [[etiquette]]. For example, those under eighteen will wear [[tweed]] jackets or ratcatcher all season. Those over eighteen will wear ratcatcher during Autumn hunting from late August until the Opening Meet, normally around November 1. From the Opening Meet they will switch to regular hunting kit where full subscribers will wear scarlet and the rest black or navy. (In American hunts, only Masters, staff and gentlemen members with colours wear scarlet.) The highest honour is to be awarded the hunt button by the Hunt Master. This means you can then wear the hunt collar (colour varies from hunt to hunt) and buttons with the hunt crest on them. (In America male followers are awarded their ''colours,'' which includes the right to wear a scarlet coat. Female followers are usually awarded ''colours'' which allow them to wear the collar of the hunt but also often a dark navy coat with brass buttons.) == Controversy == The nature of fox hunting, including the killing of the quarry animal and its strong associations with tradition and [[social class]] and its practice for sport have long made it a source of great controversy within the United Kingdom. In December 1999, the then [[Home Secretary]], [[Jack Straw|The Rt. Hon. Jack Straw MP]], announced the establishment of a Government inquiry (the ''[[Burns Inquiry]]'') into hunting with dogs, to be chaired by the retired senior civil servant [[Terence Burns, Baron Burns|Lord Burns]]. The inquiry was to examine the practical aspects of different types of hunting with dogs and its impact, how any ban might be implemented and the consequences of any such ban.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/mainsections/committeedetails/aboutus.htm|title=background to the inquiry|author=Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs|date=1999|accessdate=2008-02-12}}</ref> Amongst its findings, the Burns Inquiry committee analysed opposition to hunting in the UK and reported that: : "There are those who have a moral objection to hunting and who are fundamentally opposed to the idea of people gaining pleasure from what they regard as the causing of unnecessary suffering. There are also those who perceive hunting as representing a divisive social class system. Others, as we note below, resent the hunt trespassing on their land, especially when they have been told they are not welcome. They worry about the welfare of the pets and animals and the difficulty of moving around the roads where they live on hunt days. Finally there are those who are concerned about damage to the countryside and other animals, particularly badgers and otters."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/mainsections/huntingreport.htm|date=2000-06-09|title=Final Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales, para 4.12|accessdate=2008-02-09|publisher=Defra}}</ref> [[Anti-hunting]] activists who chose to take action in opposing fox hunting can do so through legal means such as campaigning for [[fox hunting legislation]] and monitoring hunts for cruelty or illegal activities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.league.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=1704|publisher=League Against Cruel Sports|title=Hunt Crimewatch|accessdate=2008-02-12}}</ref> Some activists choose to engage in direct intervention such as the [[hunt saboteur|sabotage]] of the hunt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hsa.enviroweb.org/tactics/tactbook/tactics.html|publisher=Hunt Saboteurs Association|title=HSA hunt tactics book|accessdate=2008-02-12}}</ref> Hunt Sabotage is illegal in a majority of the United States, and tactics used (such as [[trespass]] and criminal damage) are illegal in other countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huntsab.org/hunter_harassment_laws.htm|title=Hunter Harassment Laws|publisher=American Hunt Saboteurs Association|accessdate=2008-02-12}}</ref> Fox hunting has been undertaken since the 1500s, and in this time, strong traditions have built up around the activity, as have businesses and rural activities and [[Social hierarchy|hierarchies]]. For this reason, there are still large numbers of people who support fox hunting, and this can be for a variety of reasons.<ref name = "MFH-social"/> === Pest control === Foxes are considered vermin by some farmers who fear they might lose valuable [[livestock]],<ref name="CA submission">{{cite web|author=Countryside Alliance|title=Submission to the Burns Inquiry|date=2000|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence/alliance.htm|publisher=Defra|accessdate=2007-11-14}}</ref> whilst others consider them an ally in controlling rabbits, voles and other rodents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence2/drryder.htm|author= Ryder, R.|date=2000|publisher=Defra|title=Submission to the Burns Inquiry|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> A key reason for dislike of the fox by pastoral farmers is their tendency to commit acts of [[surplus killing]] toward animals such as chickens, yet eat only one of them.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kruuk|first=H|title=Surplus killing by carnivores|date=1972|journal=Journal of Zoology, London|volume=166|pages=435–50}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Baldwin|first=Marc|title=Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes:Food & Feeding|publisher=Wildlife Online|date=2007-04-29|accessdate=2008-02-22|url=http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/red_fox.html#feeding}}</ref> Some anti-hunt campaigners maintain that provided it is not disturbed, the fox will remove all of the chickens it kills and conceal them in a safer place.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=National Fox Welfare Society|title=Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) General description|url=http://www.nfws.org.uk/fox_info.html|accessdate=2008-04-13}}</ref> Opponents of fox hunting claim that the activity is not necessary for fox control, arguing that the fox is not a pest species and that hunting does not and cannot make a real difference to fox populations.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=International Fund for Animal Welfare|url=http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=158534|title=New research explodes myth that hunting with gun-packs controlled foxes in Wales|date=2006|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> They compare the number of foxes killed in the hunt to the many more killed on the roads. They also argue that [[wildlife management]] goals of the hunt can be met more effectively by other methods such as ''[[spotlighting|lamping]]'' (dazzling a fox with a bright light, then shooting by a competent shooter using an appropriate weapon and load).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence2/deadline20002.htm#research|author=Deadline 2000|date=2000|title=Submission to Burns Inquiry|accessdate=2008-02-12|publisher=Defra}}</ref> Fox hunts claim to provide and maintain a good habitat for foxes and other game,<ref name="CA submission"/> and, in the U.S., have been leaders in fostering [[conservation movement|conservation]] legislation and putting land into conservation easements. Anti hunting campaigners cite the widespread existence of artificial earths, and the historic practice by hunts of introducing foxes, as indicating that hunts do not believe foxes to be pests.<ref name = "League submission">{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence/league.htm|author=League Against Cruel Sports|title=Submission to Burns Inquiry|date=2000|accessdate=2008-02-11|publisher=Defra}}</ref> It is also argued that hunting with dogs has the advantage of weeding out old, sick and weak animals because the strongest and healthiest foxes are those most likely to escape. Therefore, unlike other methods of controlling the fox population, it is argued that hunting with dogs resembles natural selection.<ref name="CA submission"/> The counter-argument is given that hunting can not kill old foxes because foxes have a natural death rate of 65% per annum.<ref name = "League submission"> In Australia, where foxes are a major ecological pest, the Government's [[Department of the Environment and Heritage]] concluded that "hunting does not seem to have had a significant or lasting impact on fox numbers." Instead, control of foxes relies heavily on shooting, poisoning and fencing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/fox/pubs/fox.pdf|date=2004|title=European Red Fox Fact Sheet|publisher=Environment Department, Australian Government|accessdate=2007-10-05}}</ref> === Economics === As well as the economic defence of fox hunting that it is necessary to control the population of foxes, lest they cause economic cost to the farmers, it is also argued that fox hunting is a significant economic activity in its own right, providing recreation and jobs for those involved in the hunt and supporting it. The [[Burns Inquiry]] identified that between 6,000 and 8,000 full time jobs depend on hunting in the UK, of which about 700 result from direct hunt employment and 1,500 to 3,000 result from direct employment on hunting-related activities.<ref name=burns/> Since the ban in the UK, there has been no evidence of significant job losses, and hunts have continued to operate along limited lines, either trail hunting, or claiming to use exemptions in the legislation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/opinion/Simon-Hart-Hounding-out-a.3619917.jp|author=Simon Hart|title=Hounding out a law that's failed in every way|date=2007-12-26|accessdate=2008-02-11|publisher=Yorkshire Post}}</ref> === Animal welfare and animal rights=== Many [[animal welfare]] [[activists]] believe that fox hunting is unfair and cruel to animals,<ref name=bbccruel/> most especially the fox. They argue that the chase itself causes fear and distress and that fox is not always killed instantly as hunters claim, but is torn to pieces by hounds. [[Animal rights]] campaigners also object to fox hunting, on the grounds of a belief that animals should enjoy the same rights as humans (such as the right to life).<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Uncaged|title=The universal declaration of animal rights|date=2006|url=http://www.uncaged.co.uk/declarat.htm|accessdate=2007-11-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)|title=General FAQs|url=http://www.peta.org/about/faq.asp|accessdate=2007-11-03}}</ref> In the United States and Canada, pursuing the quarry for the sheer purpose of killing is strictly forbidden by the Masters of Foxhounds Association.<ref name="usmfha1"/> According to article 2 of the organisation's code: :"The sport of fox hunting as it is practised in North America places emphasis on the chase and not the kill. It is inevitable, however, that hounds will at times catch their game. Death is instantaneous. A pack of hounds will account for their quarry by running it to ground, treeing it, or bringing it to bay in some fashion. The Masters of Foxhounds Association has laid down detailed rules to govern the behaviour of Masters of Foxhounds and their packs of hounds."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfha.com/code.htm|title=MFHA Code of Hunting Practices|date=2000|publisher=Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America|accessdate=2008-02-12}}</ref> There are times when a Fox or Coyote that is injured or sick is caught by the pursuing hounds, but hunts say that the occurrence of an actual kill of this is exceptionally rare.<ref name="usmfha1"/> Supporters of hunting maintain that when a fox is hunted with dogs, it is either killed relatively quickly (instantly or in a matter of seconds) or escapes uninjured. Similarly, they say that the animal rarely endures hours of torment and pursuit by hounds, and research by Oxford University shows that the fox is normally killed after only an average of 17&nbsp;minutes of chase.<ref name=bbccruel>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|title=Is fox hunting cruel?|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/418681.stm|date=1999-09-16|accessdate=2007-11-03}}</ref> They further argue that, while hunting with dogs may cause suffering, controlling fox numbers by other means is even more cruel. Depending on the skill of the shooter, the type of firearm used, the availability of good shooting positions and luck, shooting foxes can cause either an instant kill, or lengthy periods of agony for wounded animals which can die of the trauma within hours, or of secondary infection over a period of days or weeks. Research from wildlife hospitals, however, indicates that it is not uncommon for foxes with shot wounds to survive.&nbsp;<ref>{{cite web|author=Baker, P., Harris, S. & White, P.|publisher=International Fund for Animal Welfare|title=After the hunt, the future of foxes in Britain|url=http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/dimages/custom/After%20the%20Hunt%20(Web%20final%20Feb).pdf|accessdate=2007-11-25}}</ref> Hunt supporters further say that it is a matter of humanity to kill foxes rather than allow them to suffer malnourishment and [[mange]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence/hunts/fourburrow.htm|author=Four Burrows Hunt|title=Submission to Burns Inquiry|date=2000|accessdate=2008-02-12|publisher=Defra}}</ref> Other methods include the use of [[Animal trapping#Snares|snares]], [[Animal trapping|trapping]] and poisoning, all of which also cause considerable distress to the animals concerned, and may affect other species. This was considered in the [[Burns Inquiry]] (paras 6.60–11), whose tentative conclusion was that lamping using rifles, if carried out properly and in appropriate circumstances, had fewer adverse welfare implications than hunting.<ref name=burns/> The committee believed that lamping was not possible without vehicular access, and hence said that the welfare of foxes in upland areas could be affected adversely by a ban on hunting with hounds, unless dogs could be used to flush foxes from cover (as is permitted in the [[Hunting Act 2004]]). Some opponents of hunting criticise the fact that the animal suffering in fox hunting takes place for sport, citing either that this makes such suffering unnecessary and therefore cruel, or else that killing or causing suffering for sport is immoral.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.league.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_336.pdf|date=2006|author=Linzey, A.|publisher=Christian Socialist Movement|title=Fox Hunting|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> The [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales|Court of Appeal]], in considering the British Hunting Act determined that the legislative aim of the Hunting Act was "a composite one of preventing or reducing unnecessary suffering to wild mammals, overlaid by a moral viewpoint that causing suffering to animals for sport is unethical."<ref name=CourtAppeal>{{cite web|url=http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2006/817.html|title=R. (oao The Countryside Alliance; oao Derwin and others) v. Her Majesty's Attorney General and Secretary of State of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|date=2006-06-23|publisher=EWCA|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> [[Anti-hunting]] campaigners also criticised UK hunts of which the [[Burns Inquiry]] estimated that fox hunts put down around 3,000 hounds, and the hare hunts who killed around 900 hounds per year, in each case after the dogs' working life had come to an end.<ref name=burns/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence2/hounds.htm|author=Fanshawe, B.|title=Details of number of hounds involved in hunting, Campaign for Hunting submission to Burns Inquiry|date=2000-05-17|publisher=Defra|accessdate=2008-02-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence2/amhbmbhanccalc.htm|publisher=Defra|date=2000|accessdate=2008-04-10|title=The Hare Hunting Associations, submission to Burns Inquiry}}</ref> === Civil liberties === It is argued by some hunt supporters that no law should curtail the right of a person to do as they wish, so long as it does not harm others.<ref name="CA submission"/> [[Philosopher]] [[Roger Scruton]] has said, "To criminalize this activity would be to introduce legislation as illiberal as the laws which once deprived Jews and Catholics of political rights, or the laws which outlawed homosexuality".<ref name=scruton>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/evidence/scruton.htm|title=Fox Hunting: The Modern Case. Written submission to the Burns Inquiry|last=Scruton|first=Roger|date=2000|accessdate=2007-11-18|publisher=Defra}}</ref> In contrast, liberal philosopher, [[John Stuart Mill]] wrote, "The reasons for legal intervention in favour of children apply not less strongly to the case of those unfortunate slaves and victims of the most brutal parts of mankind - the lower animals."<ref>{{cite web|title=The history of economic thought|author=Medema, S.G. & Samuels, W.J.|publisher=Routledge|date=2003|accessdate=2007-11-18|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=4PslOtUYstsC&pg=PA360&lpg=PA360&dq=%22the+reasons+for+legal+intervention+in+favour+of+children%22&source=web&ots=_DwnJssDKT&sig=4069B-sJ0Tok2PGfjKz5LAGcGFQ}}</ref> The UK's most senior court, the [[Judicial functions of the House of Lords|House of Lords]] has decided that a ban on hunting, in the form of the [[Hunting Act 2004]], does not contravene the [[European Convention on Human Rights]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldjudgmt/jd071128/countr-1.htm|title=House of Lords judgement on Hunting Act ECHR challenge|date=2007-11-28|accessdate=2007-11-29|publisher=House of Lords}}</ref> === Trespass === In its submission to the [[Burns Inquiry]], the [[League Against Cruel Sports]] presented evidence of over 1,000 cases of [[trespass]] by hunts. These included trespass on railway lines and into private gardens.<ref name=burns/> Trespass can occur as the hounds themselves do not recognise boundaries they are not allowed to cross, and may therefore follow their quarry wherever it goes unless successfully called off. In countries such as the United Kingdom, trespass is a largely civil matter when performed accidentally. [[Hunt saboteur]]s frequently trespass to monitor or disrupt the hunt, and this is referred to in their 'tactics' manuals,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Hunt Saboteurs Association|title=Legal advice on Public Order and trespass|url=http://hsa.enviroweb.org/tactics/tactbook/legal.html|accessdate=2007-11-03}}</ref> although many hunt monitors choose not to do so whilst they observe the hunts in progress.<ref>{{cite paper|author = Stokes, Elizabeth |title = Hunting and Hunt Saboteurs: A Censure Study|date=1996|url=http://www.uel.ac.uk/law/staff/esarchive.htm|format=[[HTML]]|accessdate=2006-12-17}}</ref> In the United Kingdom, attempts to disrupt hunts fall under the [[crime|criminal offence]] of aggravated trespass, rather than being considered as [[Civil law (common law)|civil trespass]] which the hunts may be guilty of.<ref>{{cite web|author=Countryside Alliance and the Council of Hunting Associations|title=Hunting without Harassment|date=2006|url=http://www.countryside-alliance.org.uk/images/stories/pdf/hunting_hb_2006-7.pdf|accessdate=2007-11-03|publisher=Countryside Alliance}}</ref> === Available alternatives === Anti hunting campaigners long urged hunts to retain their tradition and equestrian sport by [[drag hunting]], following an artificial scent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.henrysalt.co.uk/bs_drag_hunts.htm|author=Salt, H.|title=Drag Hunting Verses Stag Hunting|date=1915|work=Killing for Sport|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> However, drag hunting is disliked by some advocates of quarry hunting due to the trail being pre-determined, thereby eliminating the uncertainty present in the live quarry hunt and because they tend to be faster.<ref name="CA submission"/> While drag hunts can be fast,<ref name= "NE Cheshire Drag"/> this need not be the case if the scent line is broken up so that the hounds have to search an area to pick up the line.<ref name = "New Forest Drag"/> Hunt supporters previously claimed that, in the event of a ban, hunts would not be able to convert and that many hounds would have to be put down.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/03/20/nhunt120.xml|publisher=Telegraph|title=Peer warns of a war with countryside |date=2002-03-19|author=Kallenbach, M|accessdate=2008-04-10}}</ref> === Social life and class issues in the UK === [[Image:JohnLeechBriggsPleasuresHunt.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Punch (magazine)|''Punch'' magazine]]'s "Mr. Briggs" cartoons illustrated issues over fox hunting during the 1850s.]] In the UK, supporters of fox hunting regard it as a distinctive part of British culture generally, the basis of traditional crafts and a key part of social life in rural areas, an activity and spectacle enjoyed not only by the riders but also by others such as the ''unmounted pack'' which may follow along on foot, bicycle or 4x4.<ref name="MFH-social"/> They see the social aspects of hunting as reflecting the demographics of the area; the [[Home Counties]] packs, for example, are very different from those in North Wales and Cumbria, where the hunts are very much the activity of farmers and the working class. The Banwen Miners Hunt has been used as an example,<!--an example of what?--> founded in a small Welsh mining village, although its membership now is by no means limited to miners, with a ''cosmopolitan'' make up.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.banwenminershunt.co.uk/index_files/History.htm|title=Banwen Miners Hunt History|publisher=The Banwen Miners Hunt|accessdate=2007-12-02}}</ref> [[Oscar Wilde]], in his 1893 play ''[[A Woman of No Importance]]'', once famously referred to "the English country gentleman galloping after a fox" as "the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable."<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Bibliomania|title=Oscar Wilde|url=http://www.bibliomania.com/0/2/57/frameset.html|accessdate=2007-11-16}}</ref> Even before the time of Wilde, much of the criticism of fox hunting has been couched in terms of [[social class]]. They argue that while more "working class" [[blood sport (hunting)|blood sports]] such as [[Cockfight|cock fighting]] and [[badger baiting]] were long ago outlawed,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Icons- a portrait of England|title=Banned Blood Sports|url=http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/fox-hunting-and-the-ban/features/banned-blood-sports|date=2006|accessdate=2007-11-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Jackson|first=Steve|publisher=Badger Pages|title=Badger Baiting|url=http://www.badgers.org.uk/badgerpages/eurasian-badger-11.html|date=2006|accessdate=2007-11-05}}</ref> fox hunting persists, although this argument can be countered with the fact that hare coursing, a more 'working class' sport was outlawed simultaneously to fox hunting with hounds in the UK. Philosopher Roger Scruton believes that the analogy with cock fighting and badger baiting is unfair because these sports were more cruel and did not involve any element of pest control.<ref name=scruton/> [[John Leech (caricaturist)|John Leech]] had a series of "Mr. Briggs" cartoons in ''[[Punch (magazine)|Punch]]'' during the 1850s, which illustrated class issues.<ref name=class1>{{cite web|url=http://john-leech-archive.org.uk/keyword/hunting.htm|title=John Leech Hunting archive|publisher=Andrew Cates|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> More recently the British anarchist group [[Class War]] has argued explicitly for disruption of fox hunts on class warfare grounds and even published a book ''The Rich at Play'' examining the subject.<ref name=class2>{{cite web|publisher=London Class War|title=Class War Merchandise|url=http://lemming.mahost.org/classwar/merchandise.htm|accessdate=2007-11-03}}</ref> Other groups with similar aims, such as 'Revolutions per minute' have also published papers which disparage fox hunting on the basis of the social class of its participants.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Red Star Research/Revolutions per minute|date=2002|title=The Rich at Play|url=http://www.red-star-research.org.uk/rap/rapframe.html|accessdate=2007-11-14}}</ref> Polls in the UK have shown that the UK public equally divided as to whether or not hunt objectors hold their views based primarily on class grounds.<ref name=tele1>{{Cite news|publisher=The Telegraph|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/1999/07/27/nhunt127.html|title=New poll shows public not prepared to outlaw hunting|last=Clover|first=Charles|date=1999-07-27|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> Some people point to evidence of class bias in the voting patterns in the [[British House of Commons]] during voting on the hunting bill 2000-2001, with traditionally working class Labour forcing legislation through against the votes of normally middle and upper class Conservative members.<ref name="Orendi">{{cite journal|last=Orendi|first=Dagmar|title=The debate about fox hunting - A social and political analysis|journal=Humbolt Univeritat zu Berlin (Master Thesis)|date=2004|accessdate=2007-10-13|url=http://www2.hu-berlin.de/gbz/downloads/pdf/DagmarOrendi_MasterThesis.pdf}}</ref> == In popular culture == Fox hunting has inspired artists in several fields to create works which involve the sport. The most famous usage is in the [[Daniel Pratt Mannix IV|Daniel P Mannix]] 1967 novel titled ''[[The Fox and the Hound (novel)|The Fox and the Hound]]'' which follows a story of a fox called Tod and a hound called Copper. This story was subsequently used by [[Walt Disney Pictures]] to create the animated feature length film ''[[The Fox and the Hound (film)|The Fox and the Hound]]'' in 1981,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Internet Movie Database|title=The Fox and the Hound (1981)|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082406/|accessdate=2007-11-16}}</ref> although the film differs from the novel in that Tod and Copper befriend each other and survive as friends.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Disney's The Fox and the Hound: The Coming of the Next Generation|journal=Animation World Magazine|volume=3|issue=8|date=November 1998|accessdate=2008-02-17|url=http://www.awn.com/mag/issue3.8/3.8pages/3.8sitofox.html}}</ref> Other children's books which involve fox characters becoming involved with a hunt or being hunted include [[The Animals of Farthing Wood]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Dann|first=Colin|authorlink=Colin Dann|title=The Animals of Farthing Wood|publisher=Hutchinson|date= November 1979|ISBN=0434934305}}</ref> and [[Roald Dahl]]'s [[Fantastic Mr Fox]]. There have also been several musical artists who have used fox hunting, with both [[Ray Noble]] and [[George Formby, Jr.|George Formby]] recording ''Tan Tan Tivvy Tally Ho!'', a comic song about fox hunting, in 1932 and 1938 respectively.<ref>{{cite web|title=George Formby Discography|url=http://www.prideofmanchester.com/music/GeorgeFormby-discography3.htm|publisher=George Formby: Pride of Manchester|accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> More recently [[Dizzee Rascal]] used the concept of a fox-hunt for his video of ''[[Sirens (song)|Sirens]]'', showing a stylised urban hunt.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Pitchfork|title=Video:Dizzee Rascal: ''Sirens''|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/42113-dizzee-rascal-sirens-|accessdate=2007-11-16}}</ref> == See also == * [[Beagling]] * [[Beagling on horseback]] * [[Deer hunting]] * [[Hare coursing]] * [[Wolf hunting]] == References == {{Reflist|2}} == External links == * ''News summaries'' ** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2003/hunting_debate_/ BBC News In Depth — ''The Hunting Debate''] ** [http://www.guardian.co.uk/hunt/ Guardian Unlimited — ''Special Report: Hunting''] * ''Hunting and pro-hunting organisations'' ** [http://www.mfha.co.uk/ Masters of Foxhounds Association] (UK) ** [http://www.mfha.com/ Masters of Foxhounds Association of America] (USA and Canada) ** [http://www.countryside-alliance.org.uk/blogsection/hunting-campaigns/ Countryside Alliance — Campaign for Hunting] (UK) ** [http://www.themiddlewaygroup.org.uk/ The Parliamentary Middle Way Group] (UK) ** [http://www.vet-wildlifemanagement.org.uk/ Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management] * ''Anti-hunting organisations'' ** [http://www.league.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=1511 League Against Cruel Sports — Hunting with Dogs] (UK) ** [http://banhunting.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=otherissues&marker=1&articleId=1142240334111 RSPCA — Ban Hunting] (UK) * ''Governmental and other organisations'' ** [http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/inquiry/index.htm ''The Burns Inquiry'' — The Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs in England and Wales] (UK Government Inquiry), 2000. 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