BY JOHN MUSGRAVE ‘For Frodo,’ the young boy shouted as the three of us pelted down a farm track, hounds baying ahead of us. ‘For Frodo’ – it’s a line from Lord of the Rings. We were out hunting after the ban came in. This Monday, 17th February, marks the 20th anniversary of the infamous Hunting Act cutting in. On this day the Hard Left … Continue reading The Road to Rivendell
BY ROGER WATSON Over twenty years ago when I lived with my family in the halls of residence at The University of Edinburgh the best time of the year was the Christmas break when the students went home. Only a handful of families who served as wardens remained and we had twenty two frosty acres, under the shadow of Arthur’s Seat to ourselves. One evening … Continue reading Urban Fox Hunting: Worth Considering?
BY NIGEL BEAN & PAUL READ Martin Sims, Head Investigator at the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS), has just shot himself in the foot. In a news briefing, Sims stated that foxhunting is still very much alive after two supporters of the Kimblewick Hunt were caught on a trail camera pulling a fox out of a hole by its tail. The covert footage was not … Continue reading Hounding a Huntress
BY NIGEL BEAN & PAUL READ So the Labour-supporting Cheshire PCC held a review into public concerns over hunting. And, naturally, he received tremendous support from local Labour politicians. Why? Well, for one, it was their party that took a one million pound ‘bung’ from IFAW/PAL to ban hunting in the first place and with a 250k ‘bung’ before the 2010 election and another 250k … Continue reading Labour Police Commissioners Facilitating Sabs?
BY NIGEL BEAN & PAUL READ An Open Letter to Conor O’Halloran Dear Conor, I am writing to you regarding your recent paper titled ‘An outbreak of tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis infection in a pack of English Foxhounds (2016 -2017)’. I am pleased to see none of the contributors, including yourself, had any conflict of interest and I believe this to be true and don’t wish … Continue reading Hunting Ban Deceptions
BY JIM WEBSTER Have you ever wondered whether you were breaking the law or not? This morning I was quietly minding my own business, walking round the farm checking to see that various batches of sheep were OK. Of course I had Sal with me because even when there’s no formal work to be done, she can still be useful. She’ll find the ones who’re … Continue reading Accidental Fox Hunting
BY NIGEL BEAN Here are my answers to the Scottish Hunting Consultation: 1.1. Do you think the definition of “to hunt” as provided in the 2002 Act should be more specifically defined? No, To change the wording is the Scottish Government signing up to the demands of animal rights fundamentalists. The fundamentalists are unhappy because they can’t prove out their money spinning campaigns because they … Continue reading Scottish Hunting Consultation
BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN When fox hunting was banned in the UK in 2005 many rural dwellers (some 17% of Britons live rurally) were livid. Meanwhile the minority of townies who even cared felt warm and virtuous imagining sweet, furry foxes roaming the vast British countryside, protected. Certainly, there was much celebratory clinking of wine glasses in Islington. After all, they had given Fantastic Mr Fox … Continue reading Fox Karma
