Should Foxhunting Be Banned In Britain? Essay, Research Paper

I would like to start this essay by stating that I am against the motion, and that I see no reason what so ever why fox hunting should be banned in this country.

Fox hunting is a very controversial subject, and for many years people have campaigned against it. Fox hunting is classed as a blood sport, which involves hounds chasing a fox, in order to kill it. There are also people following the fox on horses. Many of these people carry guns, in case the fox manages to escape with injuries. This way, the fox is put out of its misery and suffers little pain. Apart from being a sport that is enjoyed by many people, fox hunting is also a tradition and provides many people with employment as the animals need to be looked after, and the participants of the sport need accommodation.

People who are for the motion, have no real argument! All their arguments are based on their opinion and are purely emotional. One of their points would be: ?Fox hunting is a cruel and inhumane practise.? I strongly disagree with this as in my eyes; fox hunting helps conserve the countryside and is a necessity in rural life. Apart from preventing other animals from being killed, fox hunting is the most effective method of killing foxes.

People also believe that fox hunting is barbaric and that there is no point in killing an innocent animal. Most of the people who believe this are hypocrites! During a fox hunt, a fox suffers little pain as it is usually killed from the first bite. Other sports, such as fishing are far more ?inhumane?! Fish are pulled out of the water, still alive and are left to die in the open air. This is obviously painful on the animal, but there are no people publicly campaigning about it and trying to ban it! Why should it be any different for foxes? Another argument would be that ?fox hunting serves no purpose.? This is a load of rubbish! If the numbers were not controlled, many other species would start to die out! Foxes will eat or attack anything from pheasant eggs to sheep! They kill for fun, and often leave the animal suffering with limbs torn off for a whole night! This proves that fox hunting has a purpose: it protects other animals and it provides for the local economy.

I think that fox hunting should not be banned as foxes kill such a variety and quantity of animals that, if their numbers were not kept down, other species would start to decline. Foxes will often eat eggs of pheasants, partridge, ducks, woodcock, pigeon and many more. This way, the birds are not even getting a chance to live. Foxes will also attack farm animals. I have first hand experience of this. Living on a farm, I see the destruction that these animals can cause: in a field of seventeen lambs, ten were attacked by a fox, seven of which were still alive the next morning when we went to check them. Some of them had limbs missing, others had just been bitten and were covered in blood. All seven had to be put down. This proves that foxes do not just kill for food, but mainly for pleasure. One fox would only need one lamb ? if any, but most of them will chose to kill many, no one fully understands why!

There are other methods of killing foxes, but hunting is the most effective. When a fox is snared, it often struggles for hours before finally dying from loss of blood. Shooting requires a lot of skill, patience and a shotgun licence. Foxes can also be shot but not killed, leaving the fox injured dying a slow and painful death. Probably the most obvious risk in shooting, is the fact that shooting is highly dangerous, unless it is carried out by someone who really knows what they are doing. Poisoning is another method, but often other animals such as cats of dogs can eat this and will die instead.

Probably the most obvious reason for the motion would be ?fox hunting would never have been invented if there was no purpose to it!? Since the beginning of time, man has been hunting, surely it should not be stopped just because some people think it is cruel?!

To put it into simple terms, the debate about fox hunting is just ?practicality versus emotion.? I think that the majority of the people, who are against fox hunting, have never seen a fox or the mayhem they cause in their lives! In my opinion, they think that because the fox is cute, it should not die. There are good arguments for the motion, but they have no real reason to back them up. I think that that is pathetic! I feel that fox hunting is a good thing and should never be banned.