Tag: hunting

Wildlife

Hunting, Humanity & the Circus at CITES

BY JOHN NASH COP20 — the latest Conference of the Parties to CITES — has just drawn to a close in Uzbekistan, and once again, what ought to be a sober gathering of grown-ups discussing wildlife trade was overrun by the usual swarm of parasitic NGOs and tin-shakers clutching fluffy toy elephants like infants’ emotional support animals. Instead of encouraging the tried-and-tested systems that actually … Continue reading Hunting, Humanity & the Circus at CITES

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Hunting, Opinion

In Defence of the Hunter

BY JOHN NASH There are moments when, even ignoring the vegan propaganda, one article captures a much wider malaise. Such was the case when I recently read a Psychology Today piece by Dr Marc Bekoff, titled “Keeping Cecil the Poster Lion Alive to End Trophy Hunting.”   What troubled me was not just its truth-bending and the familiar disapproval of hunting— particularly trophy hunting—but the … Continue reading In Defence of the Hunter

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countryside

Eco Illiteracy

BY JOHN NASH On Monday 18th November, by an amazing coincidence just in time to confuse Farmer’s Day on the 19th, YouGov published a survey, “Where do the British public stand on hunting?”   The short answer is they don’t – their ability to stand on hunting approximates that of standing a drunk worm on end. It makes for interesting reading, mainly because it illustrates … Continue reading Eco Illiteracy

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fashion, Traditions

Montreal’s Fur Ateliers

BY ALAN HERSCOVICI When I was a child, in the 1950s, my father would sometimes bring me down to my grandfather’s fur atelier, on St. Helen Street, in Old Montreal. In the lobby of the grey-stone building, my father greeted Frank, the elevator man, who crashed shut the heavy metal-grate doors, and swung the wood-handled lever to guide our clunking steel cage up to the … Continue reading Montreal’s Fur Ateliers

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Hunting

Boxing Clever

BY JOHN MUSGRAVE This Boxing Day morning thousands of folk will gather on cobbled squares to greet their local hunt. Packs of hounds and squadrons of horses will clip-clop down the highway to cheers and applause. Gabled inns will do a roaring trade in mulled wine, cider and ale. Old friends greet one another. Hounds cast about the crowd for titbits delighting children. It’s a … Continue reading Boxing Clever

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countryside, Opinion

Breaking the Hunting Act is “fine” says Avery

BY GILES BRADSHAW The Wild Justice Director Mark Avery has given qualified support to disobeying the Hunting Act. He believes that it is “fine” provided that: I’m going to assume this is also the position of the campaign group to which he belongs. And I think this is a reasonable position to hold. I’d like to give qualified support to Avery’s qualified support of hunt … Continue reading Breaking the Hunting Act is “fine” says Avery

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Trophy Hunting

The Polarising Issue of Trophy Hunting

BY ED STODDARD Hunting, especially trophy hunting, is a thorny issue that has taken centre stage in countries such as the UK in the wake of the slaying of a Zimbabwean lion named Cecil in 2015. A recent book takes an objective look at the topic and reaches conclusions that both hunters and animal welfare activists will find discomfiting. Trophy Hunting by Nikolaj Bichel and Adam … Continue reading The Polarising Issue of Trophy Hunting

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africa

Colonialism All Over Again

BY AFRICAN COMMUNITY CONSERVANCY LEADERS In this open letter to the UK Minister of State for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, 109 representatives of community-run conservation areas in the four African countries which come together in the massive Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) respond to the bill currently before the British Parliament to ban the import of hunting trophies to the UK. The Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier … Continue reading Colonialism All Over Again

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africa, Hunting

Truth Clashes with Ivory Towers

BY MARK CRUDGINGTON Lord Goldsmith wants trophy hunting banned because he finds the idea of it, as well as photos of hunters posing with dead animals, repulsive. This is a call echoed and endorsed by celebrities such as Ricky Gervais, Peter Egan, Chris Packham and even the explorer Ranulph Fiennes. Lord Goldsmith claims trophy hunting is helping species extinction as well as damaging some environments … Continue reading Truth Clashes with Ivory Towers

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Hunting

The Reality of Hunting for Newbies

BY SARAH GREENWOOD The Mendip Farmers Hunt have recently had so many new faces out on mounted hound exercise, which has provoked lots of enquiries about how to get into hunting, that they have answered publicly. This means that they are being blatantly transparent about the activity – much, I am sure, to the various anti organisations’ collective horror! Transparent and above board is not … Continue reading The Reality of Hunting for Newbies

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africa, Hunting

Does Hunting Have Value Beyond the Rhetoric?

BY PAUL STONES Before reading this piece, I ask that you consider that I am not a trained journalist like the one whose article has spurred me into action. As a professional hunter myself, my agenda is clear and open – I wish to see a future in which hunting remains one of the cornerstones of good conservation practice. The moniker that hunters are merely … Continue reading Does Hunting Have Value Beyond the Rhetoric?

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countryside, Politics

Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man?

BY CAPTAIN ED SWALES In the aftermath of the resignation of Boris Johnson, could this be the opportunity to get straight to the point that has eluded the UK rural voter over recent years and get a proper review of wildlife management law and strategy? To start delivering for the Countryside? Now, more than ever, the support for whichever party champions the cause of the … Continue reading Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man?

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Ideas

Urban Fox Hunting: Worth Considering?

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?

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Campaigns

Hunting Kind

BY CAPTAIN ED SWALES Rural Britain is being eradicated, quietly, in the back halls of Westminster, Stormont, Cardiff and Holyrood, by the sour ingredients of a damaging cocktail of misguided urban political correctness, ‘virtue signalling’ and woke agendas. As they used to say in the Army, when unexpectedly under attack…. “Stand To!”. In reality, this threat is from a tiny minority of animal rights extremists, … Continue reading Hunting Kind

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countryside

The Truth About Hunt Monitors

BY SARAH GREENWOOD In the recent ‘Trail of Lies’ cartoon, produced by LACS and narrated by Chris Packham, there was an assertion that: ‘During a decade long study, hunt monitors reported that only 1% of so -called trail hunts lay a potentially genuine trail’. Hmm! Hunt Monitors! An interesting use of words. This appellation makes them sound like a peer reviewed group of people lawfully … Continue reading The Truth About Hunt Monitors

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countryside, Letters

Fantasy Cartoon Cobblers

BY SARAH GREENWOOD Dear Editor, Having watched the recent ‘Disney’fied production narrated by Chris Packham about ‘fox hunting’, there are some comments about this ‘production’ I would like to draw your attention to: Overall, the Chris Packham et al portrayal of the countryside is misleading, claiming it is a place of ‘tranquility’ and ‘serenity’ with all creatures living in harmony, when it patently is not. … Continue reading Fantasy Cartoon Cobblers

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