Sad day for English Hunting: Fox hunting banned

[cag]

Good point Bob...

 

[Cactus]

I agree it is an English tradition....it is not something I would do or want to do.
But a canned hunt where they turn a cougar out of a cage just to be immediately run down and shot for no purpose other than to kill it...I do not think is sportsman like nor would I uphold or partake in it...
I hunt white tail deer/squirrel,but I do not believe in a canned hunt.
I do not believe in bull fighting either.

 

[Mith]

despite the ban there were several hundred hunts yesterday (sunday). some friends of mine went along to watch one, they said no coppers there.
apparently the police are only going to do anything about it if there are complaints
next they are planning to ban shooting and fishing, and im not joking either, its stupid you cant do anythink here, most things are either banned or licenced.
now im not going to voice my opinions because it would surely start antoher debate on the subject /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Bird]

Bob, I don't know much about the "sport" of fox hunting in England, so I can't really have a valid opinion as to whether it should be allowed or not. In my younger days, I was a hunter for birds and animals I could eat, I killed varmints and pests, we slaughtered our own chickens, hogs, and beef, and yes, I use and/or wear some leather products, but I could never understand killing for "sport". As a teenager, I've been on a few coon hunts (Dad's best friend raised, trained, and sold coon hounds). But no one even carried a gun. The "sport" was to let the dogs tree a coon, someone climb the tree to get the coon to jump out, and then watch the fight until the dogs killed the coon. Seems like a sadistic sport to me. Is that the purpose of the fox hunts? I've been to the cock fights once, too; another sadistic sport, to my way of thinking. And while I've never been to a bullfight, I've seen some on TV and I root for the bull. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I've no problem with killing, if it's done as quickly and painlessly as possible. And as a cop for nearly 25 years, I was fully aware of the fact that I might have to kill another human some day, and even that thought didn't worry me much (although I consider myself very fortunate that it never happened). I just have a problem with anyone who considers inflicting pain and suffering on another person or an animal to be "sport".

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Bird, I think what it all boils down to is that those of us on this side of the pond have no valid perspecitve of what the English consider a sport with Fox hunting any more than we have a valid perspective of an Asian cock fight or a Spanish bullfight. Personally I don't understand any of them. However I am not English, Asian or Spanish so for me to lay my values down to judge them seems to be somewhat condescending to their culture(s). Heck I think there are VAST differences in culture within our own United States and I would not want to impose my beliefs on folks in other regions. In fact, I think the point of a representative democracy (a republic as opposed to a pure democracy) is that it is supposed to preserve regional identity so that you in Texas cannot tell me in Indiana how to live, and neither of us would have to obey Junkman's east coast perspective (and visa versa).

The problem I see with this ban, and the current attempt here in the US to ban bowhunting deer, is that a select group is trying to impose their beliefs on society as a whole. There are plenty of things I like, and plenty of other things I don't like. I don't ask you to belive in my value set and I don't like when others impose theirs on me (beyond some core beliefs that we must all hold to maintain society)

So while I may not want to trot on horseback in a silly red coat tooting a horn while chasing a brace of beagles, it does not therefore mean that I think it is good to outlaw you from doing it.

 

[Bird]

I agree with you, Bob, up to a point. You say </font><font color="blue" class="small">( I would not want to impose my beliefs on folks in other regions )</font> and I agree in general, but do you include headhunters, cannibals, slave owners? There has to be a line drawn somewhere, and while I don't know for sure where it should be drawn, I have some opinions, like everyone else. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Bird, I would say that <font color="blue"> within our own United States </font> <font color="black"> I would not want to impose my beliefs on folks in other regions</font> <font color="blue">of the United States. </font> We have existing laws, perhaps too many. Would you rather have East coast liberals or Southern conservatives telling you how to live. Personally, I want the states to effectively rule the citizens within their own states (which is the basic system we have here in the US).

Now with regard to OTHER nations, I suppose I would oppose headhunters, cannibals and slave owners. However, there are practical limits of HOW the line on those things should be drawn and by whom the lines should be drawn.

 

[cag]

Bird you have the way to tell a story that makes it interesting to read... I would like to comment on what you said on the killing for sport.. For my self the sport of hunting is when the hunter gives the game a fair chance to escape. For example when I go duck hunting I only shoot at flyby's, 50-60 miles an hour I feel they have fair chance of escape. I never shoot at a sitting duck unless it is wounded, and I always eat my prey...cag

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( For my self the sport of hunting is when the hunter gives the game a fair chance to escape. )</font>

Cag, I think most "hunters" would agree with you, and I certainly don't disagree, but then I've never done any "sport" hunting. When I went hunting, it was for something to eat, so I had no intention of playing fair. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Although I did play legally. Uh . . ., that is except the time when I was 18 and paid a fine for shooting rabbits from the road at night. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Cactus]

Bird,
I agree with you on all points....Some hunters give other hunters a bad name through thoughtless actions...