Two atrocious hunting stories appeared in the news this week. One was covered by the news media, online and in print. The other appeared on the hunt saboteur’s website and on social media sites. Both stories involved the hunting fraternity, and both stories are shocking for their gratuitous violence against people and their wanton cruelty and brutality towards innocent animals. In the first incident, which occurred in late December last year, three men and three children are photographed at a dig out. The shocking series of events was recorded in stills by a farmer who witnessed the hunting of a fox, which was chased across his land by hounds into a neighbouring farmer’s field. The farmer who took the photos is anti-hunting and he had warned the hunt repeatedly that they were not welcome on his land. The fox tried to hide in a badger sett and the mounted hunt moved on. Enter a trio of terrier men, complete with guns, spades, a terrier and three young children, the youngest of whom looked no more than five. As the children watched, one of the men fired a shot into the hole where the fox was hiding while the others began to dig the poor animal out. A beautiful vixen tried to bolt from her tormentors, but she was caught, dragged out terrified and trembling, and shot. The whole disgusting incident was performed in full view of the children who had moved in closer for the kill. This totally barbaric and unnecessary execution of a fox was witnessed by three impressionable young children. A second fox was also killed but it is not clear there who did the shooting. One of the stills shows a man holding out a gun to one of the children. The child is seen reaching out to touch the barrel. The second totally unrelated incident involves the Llangienor hunt, who on the 25th of January this year, colluded in the brutal beating of a young woman saboteur who was punched to the ground by one of the hunt followers. During this cowardly attack on a woman, the mounted hunt milled on horseback, watching and shouting and pointing at the other sabs. At the beginning of the video, two male saboteurs can be seen on the ground surrounded by a ring of red coats on horseback who did absolutely nothing to stop the beatings. The sabs were punched, pushed and pummelled resulting in a slim female (whose only crime was to be against the hunting abuse of animals) being treated in hospital for her injuries. The footage shows that the saboteurs were not the instigators, and they were clearly out-weighed and outnumbered by the hunt heavies who, it would seem, were there expressly to prevent surveillance of hunting activities. It is not difficult to see the violent connection between the two incidents. They both showed cowardly, callous bullies who care nothing for animal or human life, and that these monsters take impressionable children along to watch makes it even worse. Treating children in this way is nothing short of child abuse by brainwashing children into thinking this is acceptable adult behaviour. It is said that by the age of seven an adult character is set, so hardly surprising if in the future the youngsters carry on their parent’s grisly traditions. It would seem that a collective conscience rarely, if ever, troubles these people who close ranks and refuse to divulge the identities of the thugs who break the law. The saboteur’s video shows that the red coats, although they did not appear to administer the beatings, were quite clearly colluding with the beaters because they did nothing to stop the abuse. There were at least two youngsters present who were witness to the violence and the collusion of the other adults. The children who were present when the foxes were killed were subjected to the sight of a grisly and violent death of two small inoffensive mammals who had no way of fleeing or defending themselves. What those children will learn from this is that compassion is wrong, and an animal’s pain and terror can be safely ignored. What normal parent would not want to shield a precious child from such sights as these? No children’s film or TV programme would be allowed to show such scenes, yet society turns a blind eye when rural children are allowed to view this horror as if it’s of no account. As more of these incidents come to light, we see beyond the chocolate box image the Countryside Alliance seeks to portray. The dark underbelly of hunting is seen for what it is, perhaps for the first time, and we are reminded why hunting was banned in 2004. Unrepentant, the hunters claim they have done nothing shameful and this stance is reinforced by the comments from Mr Tim Bonner, the campaign manager for the Countryside Alliance. In a statement to the press Mr Bonner had this to say about the fox killing, “The outrage merely demonstrated that outsiders do not 'understand the realities of the countryside and country life. The children were not in the hole - they were close by - and as far as we are concerned it was a totally professional operation and nothing which should upset anyone. There would be plenty of children of that sort of age involved in pheasant shoots and ferreting.” He went on to claim it was pest control requested by the farmers. This is in spite of the farmer stating clearly that he had no problem with foxes and in almost twenty years of farming he had never lost a single lamb to a fox. These bloodthirsty dinosaurs have got to go, and we must stand up now and make our voices heard. According to many anti-hunt people the police are not upholding the law as they should and often collude with the hunters. We are shamed as a society and we lose a portion of our humanity if we remain silent. Please write to your MP and tell him/her that the police must start to vigorously prosecute hunt abuse of people and animals, and the courts must begin to hand out maximum sentences for those who indulge in these abuses. Terrier work and digging out must be abolished forever and if these vile people can’t hunt within the law then they must be banned from keeping animals for life. Hunting Tim Bonner claims the digging out was perfectly legal, but let us not forget the words of Martin Luther King Jr. when he reminded us that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal too. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2546867/Shocking-photos-moment-fox-dragged-hole-hunters-shot-children-young-FIVE.html?ico=home%5Eheadlines http://www.league.org.uk/
16 Comments
lesley fishwick
1/28/2014 07:13:46 pm
really well written piece, highlighting the disgusting behavior that sabs face.
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eileen
1/28/2014 07:41:44 pm
Lesley is spot on. And of course currently the Tory part of the coalition supports the hunters, whether they admit that or not.
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Kieran
1/28/2014 08:32:31 pm
PMSL Check your facts first. There was no bedding outside the DEN (not a set), No badgers inside ergo not a badger set. The terriers were put to ground to flush the fox to waiting guns (Totally legal and sanctioned by LACS & the RSPCA during the hunting act debates as perfectly humane methods)... Another non story with emotional red herrings and inaccuracies at it's heart. The woman that was ALLEGEDLY attacked.. very strange that every anti in the countryside has a recording device of some kind yet NOT ONE managed to record anything illegal or violent happening hmmmm very suspicious. And lastly, likening Tim's comments and hunting to Mr Luther's comments on Hitler and German atrocities is as preposterous and disgusting as the atrocities themselves. You should be ashamed that you can sit there and liken a hunting trip to the holocaust and the murder of millions. Pathetic attempt to use emotion to justify you position.
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David Monaghan
1/28/2014 08:47:37 pm
Nothing wrong with emotion mate, maybe if you were a bit inclined that way yourself you would stop picking on defenceless animals. It doesn't matter what kind of hole the fox went into, so trying to score a point because it wasn't a badger sett is irrelevant. The point of the story is that two foxes were killed unnecessarily and in a particularly nasty way while 3 kids were watching. As for the holocaust indignation, you are easily affronted when it suits you. Look up Eternal Treblinka if anyone had the right to make comparisons he did
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melanie Beckford
2/5/2014 06:11:13 am
Well said David !!
caroline
1/30/2014 05:26:48 pm
As you are talking about being a father & passing on knowledge, I'll tell you something my mother taught me, nothing cures you faster than a taste of your own medicine. All you hunting fraternity should be subjected to the same treatment you dish out to the innocent animals. And yes, they ARE innocent animals so dont give me any clap trap about the "demon" fox. Its just a tired excuse for your outdated & blood thirsty ways. Also just like to point out, as a wise man once said, "in order for something to be considered a sport, both sides need to know they're in the game"
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1/29/2017 04:50:59 am
I note that you ignored the part of the story where the farmer said he'd had. NO problem with foxes. You clearly lack any morals and you bring shame to this country. Get a conscience or at least do try to develop some empathy for the most abused and tortured animal in the UK.
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David Monaghan
1/28/2014 09:41:05 pm
I don't think you read the article properly Kieran, because the shot was fired into the hole to keep the fox in there while the others dug down to get it out. So unless a dead fox was dragged out terrified and trembling after trying to bolt, I reckon it will have heard the bang. Out of interest are you Kieran Withadog from we love fox control
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Rosalyn Cullan
1/28/2014 10:47:14 pm
This is what the farmer had to say about the incident. I suppose he will know best what happened Kieran http://www.league.org.uk/content/804/Digging-Out--the-hidden-shame-of-hunting
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Rosalyn Cullen
1/28/2014 11:19:39 pm
I don't agree with digging up graves that is horrible and totally unacceptable. I know of no letter bombs from antis although there is the story of a hunter who was arrested for planting a bomb under his own car. If you've got any reliable proof of your claims lets be having it lad
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Rosalyn Cullen
1/28/2014 11:36:21 pm
Mr Bradshaw I don't think the law means for you to shoot your deer anyway. It only says if they are serious pests and has been worded the way it is to stop stag hunts chasing animals for miles so the rides can get a thrill out of chasing and cornering an exhausted stag. Ive seen some horrible footage of winded stags at bay. Really horrible, surely you don't condone that. This thread is about the unnecessary killing of foxes, have you any thoughts about that
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Rosalyn Cullen
1/29/2014 12:05:26 am
What has veganism got to do with anything. I'm vegan because I don't want to be part of eating animals and all the cruelty of livestock farming. I don't eat soya Kieran and what had thT got to do with killing innocent foxes
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David Monaghan
1/29/2014 03:28:22 am
Not all Spaish people are cruel, but bull fighting and hanging old greyhounds is disgusting. There is nothing wrong with feeling sorry for a helpless animal. People who enjoy killing are psychopaths I'm told badger baiting goes on in Spain too
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FOL
1/29/2014 03:33:21 am
Here we go, yet again hunt supporters believe they're talking on behalf of the countryside. Please pack it in. I'm country born and bred, and I have spent an awful lot of time with farmers, the majority of which despise the fox hunts because of their arrogant and unnecessary behaviour. It's always 'Oppose blood sport? You must be a townie' but no my good friends, this is not the case and I would appreciate it if you'd stop speaking on my behalf.
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JAG
1/29/2014 07:40:00 am
Great article! well reflected thank you!
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Lucille
1/30/2014 01:12:30 am
If humans did not raise animals for food, thus rendering them commodities, then no one would have the excuse of protecting their livestock against fox attack. If you eat animal products you are complicit in the destruction of wildlife. Think of the badger cull because of BOVINE TB. Whether or not they have anything to do with the spread is not really their problem because wild animals do not suffer from disease in the way that artificially selected livestock do. But we make it OUR problem cause we really really need STEAK and ICE CREAM that badly. Please, if you eat animal products but are against hunting, examine your beliefs.
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