An introduction to fox hunting
For as long as records go back, dogs have been widely used, not only as pets, but as tools for hunting. There is evidence of dogs being used for hunting in the Bible, as the quote below shows.
'The Egyptian and Assyrian monuments show that dogs were employed in hunting in the ancient East, and it is not improbable that they were put to this service by the Hebrews also, but there is no clear Biblical evidence, as "greyhound" in Prov 30:31 is a questionable rendering. Josephus indeed (Ant., IV, viii, 9) mentions the hunting dog in a law ascribed to Moses, but the value of the allusion is uncertain.'
Despite the historic and widespread use of dogs when hunting, issues with it have recently arisen. Fox hunting is one area in particular which has created tension between sides with opposing views. The aim of this website is to look at the issue of fox hunting in detail, without bias. Below I have written a brief summary of the history of fox hunting...
Fox hunting is an activity which involves the tracking, chasing and often killing of a fox using a pack of dogs. These packs vary in size, and can be made up of any number of dogs. They often consist of a variety of different breeds, each with its own role. For instance, terriers are often used for flushing foxes out of their dens, bloodhounds are used to track the fox, and greyhounds are used for chasing them out in the open. Fox hunts are led by a group of people, who tend to be on horseback, and who in turn are led by the Master of Foxhounds.
Fox hunting originated in the UK, and the first recorded example of it was in 1534 when farmers in Norfolk began using their dogs to kill foxes on their land. The first organised hunt – which was made up of hundreds of dogs – took place in the early 1600’s. Red foxes were introduced into North America in 1750 purely for the purpose of hunting and then into Australia in 1855 which shows how popular fox hunting was - and still is!
Due to the controversy of fox hunting in the UK, the government took a vote in the House of Commons in 2004. The result (387 to 174) caused a ban to be passed on fox hunting, declaring it illegal in the UK. Registered fox hunting groups are still allowed to participate in hunts, however not in the conventional way. A false scent is placed on a route which the hunting party then tracks. This method ensures that no foxes are hurt, but both the dogs and the people in the hunt still get to experience the thrill of the chase.
Fox hunting is also banned in Scotland but is still freely practiced in many countries such as Australia, Canada, France and Italy. In the USA, fox hunting has much stricter rules which are governed by the hunter, as opposed to the government passing official laws. This means that hunters can choose how far a hunt progresses before it is called off, and for the majority of the time, the fox is not actually killed because of this.
'The Egyptian and Assyrian monuments show that dogs were employed in hunting in the ancient East, and it is not improbable that they were put to this service by the Hebrews also, but there is no clear Biblical evidence, as "greyhound" in Prov 30:31 is a questionable rendering. Josephus indeed (Ant., IV, viii, 9) mentions the hunting dog in a law ascribed to Moses, but the value of the allusion is uncertain.'
Despite the historic and widespread use of dogs when hunting, issues with it have recently arisen. Fox hunting is one area in particular which has created tension between sides with opposing views. The aim of this website is to look at the issue of fox hunting in detail, without bias. Below I have written a brief summary of the history of fox hunting...
Fox hunting is an activity which involves the tracking, chasing and often killing of a fox using a pack of dogs. These packs vary in size, and can be made up of any number of dogs. They often consist of a variety of different breeds, each with its own role. For instance, terriers are often used for flushing foxes out of their dens, bloodhounds are used to track the fox, and greyhounds are used for chasing them out in the open. Fox hunts are led by a group of people, who tend to be on horseback, and who in turn are led by the Master of Foxhounds.
Fox hunting originated in the UK, and the first recorded example of it was in 1534 when farmers in Norfolk began using their dogs to kill foxes on their land. The first organised hunt – which was made up of hundreds of dogs – took place in the early 1600’s. Red foxes were introduced into North America in 1750 purely for the purpose of hunting and then into Australia in 1855 which shows how popular fox hunting was - and still is!
Due to the controversy of fox hunting in the UK, the government took a vote in the House of Commons in 2004. The result (387 to 174) caused a ban to be passed on fox hunting, declaring it illegal in the UK. Registered fox hunting groups are still allowed to participate in hunts, however not in the conventional way. A false scent is placed on a route which the hunting party then tracks. This method ensures that no foxes are hurt, but both the dogs and the people in the hunt still get to experience the thrill of the chase.
Fox hunting is also banned in Scotland but is still freely practiced in many countries such as Australia, Canada, France and Italy. In the USA, fox hunting has much stricter rules which are governed by the hunter, as opposed to the government passing official laws. This means that hunters can choose how far a hunt progresses before it is called off, and for the majority of the time, the fox is not actually killed because of this.