For many countrymen and women, the ban on hunting has only confirmed what we already knew — that the fox as a species was a lot better off living in countryside that was regularly hunted by a recognised pack of foxhounds. That’s not to suggest that foxes enjoy being pursued — though they often behave in a remarkably sangfroid manner when only a few minutes ahead of hounds — but that populations were healthier and more buoyant in traditional hunting countries where farmers, landowners and gamekeepers allowed the hunt to fulfil its role in managing the fox population. Many recognised the important differences between indiscriminate control and management, where the ambition was to maintain a healthy population at an acceptable level.
Farmers and landowners who supported hunting achieved this by safeguarding foxes during the breeding season, monitoring other methods of control throughout the year and by providing habitat that enabled foxes to be found easily on hunting days. Hunts still own thorn woodlands that were planted for their sport more than a century ago, though there are plenty that have also been created within the past 25 years.
Esta historia es de la edición November 11, 2020 de Shooting Times & Country.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición November 11, 2020 de Shooting Times & Country.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside