Hobby hunters shoot their dogs, they whip their dogs, and they beat their horses.
Hobby hunters kill the pets of ordinary people, damage their property, break the law, and tear apart the dwindling wildlife for fun.
Celebrities call for an end to fox hunting
Vegan environmentalist and presenter Chris Packham is making an appeal to the public ahead of this year's Boxing Day. He is calling on the public to put an end to the barbaric practice of fox hunting, even though it has been banned since 2004.
While most of us today can sit back and enjoy the Christmas holidays, foxes do not have that luxury.
In a “sick and dirty pastime,” as the founder of Keep The Ban, Rob Pownall, explains, fox hunts take place every year.
Fox hunting is illegal in England and has been for 17 years. It is part of the Hunting Act, which bans the hunting of wild mammals with dogs — including foxes, deer, hares, and mink.
Trail hunting as a cover
Instead, trail hunting takes place. Hobby hunters lay a false scent trail and follow it either on foot or on horseback with dogs in tow. This is meant to imitate the historic fox hunt.
How do we actually know what happens at these hunts?
Chris Packham
Activists argue, however, that it is in reality a “cover” for illegal fox hunting. They say that trail hunting is inherently flawed because the hounds are bred and trained to hunt foxes. And when they run through fox habitat, it is only natural that they will encounter the real scent of foxes.
At that point, they could easily be called off by the hobby hunters — but they are not.
In the video, Packham emphasises: “They know it’s going to happen… They know they can get away with the fox slaughter.”
«The only hope for foxes is to find refuge underground. While this may appear to be safety, the final act of the hunt confirms that hobby hunters never intended to merely lay a trail.»
In this context, activists refer to the “terrier men,” where groups arrive on quad bikes with terriers to “flush out” frightened foxes from their place of retreat.
According to Keep The Ban, “terrier men” are present at 78% of hunts.
Political Entanglements
Research by the Labour Party has revealed that the Conservatives and their leader Boris Johnson received more than £1 million in donations “connected” to recreational hunting.
MP Luke Pollard pointed to the hypocrisy of those who have a “passion for hobby hunting” benefiting from a “free pass.”
“We need to close the loopholes so that fox hunting can be consigned to the history books where it belongs,” he added.
Keep The Ban is calling on people to support the petition aimed at abolishing all hunting licences issued by landowners. At the time of writing, the petition has already gathered more than 88’400 signatures.
The organisation hopes that even more people can persuade the Ministry of Defence to ban recreational hunting on its land, which covers an area of 233’000 hectares.
For the 2021/2022 season alone, the Ministry of Defence has already issued 11 licences, according to Keep The Ban.
“It is time for decision-makers to take a stand,” says Chris Packham. He adds: “The Ministry of Defence and other complicit organisations need to wake up and ban the hunts once and for all. Please take action and sign the petition to put an end to this madness.”
Other organisations campaigning against fox hunting include the Hunt Saboteurs Association and the League Against Cruel Sports.
