Foxhunting

Without their permission the hunt cannot go on to their land. They do the physical hunting and it is their job to catch and kill foxes. The hunt does not charge for these services.
             The people that follow the hunt pay to do so but hunting takes place in the winter months only. They take no part in the hunting itself and they just follow at a distance behind. Their enjoyment is being able to ride a horse over country that they would not normally be allowed to ride over. As well as the galloping and jumping of hedges or fences, they just like being out in the countryside. Most have very little interest in what the hunt is doing. Their main concern is not to fall off and hurt themselves.
             Also point to point racehorses have to qualify each year before they race; their owners pay to go out hunting a number of times, to prove the horse is fit to race.
             There are a number of different types of fox hunts, ranging from the fashionable "Shires" hunts most often seen in the Anti hunt literature, to farmers packs; miners packs in Wales; hill packs in Cumbria where quad bikes are used because the terrain is too rough to take a horse, or hill packs in the north of Scotland. The latter are subsidised by the local councils. These packs use hounds to flush foxes out of the large forests to waiting guns so they can be shot, although some are also caught and killed by the hounds.
             Terriers are used in the spring at the foxes den when the vixen has young cubs. Terriers are put down the hole; the vixen bolts out and is shot. The cubs are killed by the terrier and the person waits until the dog fox comes home and shoots it. This is a very effective method but very time consuming and it can only be undertaken over a few weeks each year.
             Shooting with a rifle or shotgun is good as long as it is done by a professional who can make the foxes" death quick and easy, but even the professionals admit to only an approximate 70% accuracy rate.