The purpose of cub-hunting is to take young, inexperienced hounds out with older hounds prior to the start of the season in order to 'blood' them and allow them to get the taste for chasing and killing foxes. Their quarry is the fox-cubs born in the spring and now six-months old.

During the early hours of the morning, the hunt, aware of the location of a family of foxes - say in a wood - surround it with horses and riders. The huntsman takes the hounds into the wood to chase and kill the cubs. If a cub breaks from the wood, the riders chase it back. A former master of fox-hounds provides an insight into the end of a typical cub-hunt. The cubs, he said:

It is also known that many fox-cubs are dug out from their earths and either given to the hounds or savaged where they lie.

After weeks of training, the hounds are ready for the main hunting season and at the beginning of November, fox-hunting begins in earnest. During the early hours of the morning, an 'earth stopper' may have been out to block up the entrances to known fox earths in the area that is to be hunted. The fox, being a nocturnal animal, returns after spending the night searching for food only to discover that it is unable to find refuge underground and therefore has to lie up above ground. Prior to the chase, hounds are sent in to flush out the fox. The terrified animal runs for its life and is either caught and savaged to death by the pack of hounds, finds a refuge underground or escapes. The chase can be brief but can also last several hours.

Hunters have asserted that foxes taken above ground are killed with a quick nip to the back of the neck from the lead hound in the pack, breaking the fox's spine. However, post-mortem, photographic and eye-witness evidence show that foxes savagely killed by dogs sustain appalling injuries. A recent veterinary report showed multiple wounds to the rear quarters of a young fox that was lucky enough to escape and be taken for treatment. (The Veterinary Record, 27 February 1999.) Where a fox has found refuge underground, the hunt, in an attempt to either force the animal to run for its life once more or keep it under attack so that it can be dug out and shot, will introduce the terriers into the refuge.

Terriers are specifically used by the hunt for foxes that have gone to ground. The terrier dogs are put down the earth by their owners in an attempt to 'bolt' the fox and force it to run for its life again. If the fox refuses to move, perhaps because it is physically incapable (or is defending its cubs), then the terriers keep it under attack thereby allowing the terrier men to dig down to it. Often a subterranean

battle between the fox and terrier takes place which can result in serious injuries to both dog and fox. When the fox is exposed it is either shot or forced to run for its life past the waiting hounds.

When a fox is killed by hounds, the animal's head (mask), feet and tail (brush) are often removed as 'trophies.'

In the south-west of England, both red deer and roe deer are hunted for 'sport' by packs of dogs. Hunting deer with dogs is illegal in Scotland.

The red deer is Britain’s largest native land mammal. There are three packs which hunt red deer – all of which are located in the south-west of England - the Tiverton, the Quantock and the Devon and Somerset Staghounds. Spring stags (young males) are hunted during March and April. Autumn stags (mature males) are hunted throughout August, September and October. During this time they may run until darkness falls, a matter of some eight hours or more after first being chased. Hinds are hunted from November through to the end of February – pregnant hinds are able to run longer in November and December than in January and February when their pregnancy is advanced.

A typical day’s hunting starts with a hunt servant (the ‘harbourer’) going out early in the morning to locate a good strong ‘warrantable’ deer for hunting. Normally the deer are in a herd which often includes a number of "suitable victims." At the start of the day’s hunting, the huntsman selects around a dozen of the more experienced dogs (known as ‘tufters’) which, along with riders wielding whips, split up the herd until a suitable deer is running alone or with a small group of others. This achieved, the whole pack of dogs is let loose to chase the running deer. The whole herd may suffer hours of torment and harassment before this stage is reached. Often the herd largely consists of hinds which have young calves at foot or which may be heavily pregnant. It is illegal to hunt hinds during the stag-hunting season, but hunts avoid prosecution by asserting that any diversion of dogs on to hinds is unintentional. The claim by hunters that a single deer is selected and hunted is misleading. The dogs often change quarry during the day’s hunting and it is quite normal for small groups of single dogs to leave the pack and hunt other deer. Furthermore, hunt supporters with CB radios, cross-country motor bikes and four-wheel-drive vehicles also pursue and harass the deer.

The dogs are bred specifically for stamina, not speed, in order to prolong the day’s ‘sport’ – the distance can be anything up to thirty miles. Their ability to sustain a slower pace over many hours tires the deer which, although initially faster, needs frequent rests. A comparison in human terms would be matching a sprinter against a long-distance runner. Within an hour the deer is suffering fatigue, but fear drives it on and it may run and collapse many times before total exhaustion slows it to a point where the dogs may catch up and savage it unless there are hunt

supporters on hand to keep the dogs back. The duration of a hunt varies according to the time of year. Exhausted deer will usually head for water – as well as a means of cooling down, standing in deep water enables a deer to better defend itself when dogs have to swim. Whether or not the deer is physically attacked by the dogs depends on circumstances. If only a handful of dogs are present at the end of the chase and the deer is standing in deep water, they will hang back, respectful of the stag’s antlers. However, if the pack is present in strength, some dogs will seek to attack from the rear – ‘hocking’ the stag.

If the stag is in some way handicapped, perhaps by being forced to swim in deep water or has become entangled in barbed wire or brambles, the dogs may attack it. In this event, hunt supporters may try to hold the deer and beat back the dogs. The deer will be held until a member of the hunt arrives with a gun to dispatch it. It may often take some minutes before a person with a gun arrives on the scene during which time the exhausted deer suffers the terror of being manhandled by humans and surrounded by baying dogs. There are documented occasions when the delay in the arrival of a ‘gun’ has led to hunt supporters resorting to the old traditional method of dispatching a deer – slitting its throat with a knife. Hinds and calves have no antlers and are obviously far more vulnerable to attack by the dogs.

Hunt enthusiasts claim that the deer are humanely killed with a single shot at the end of the hunt, but it is not a simple matter to kill a deer with the prescribed heavy gauge shotgun. The shooter has to think and act quickly taking into account the position of dogs and hunt supporters and whether the deer is standing in a position from which it can be easily retrieved. There have been reliable reports of occasions when the shot has failed to fatally penetrate the heavy-boned skull of a deer and several shots have been fired before the deer has been killed. For example, kills which have been witnessed by local residents or visitors have been described by them as violent, bloody affairs, involving shot or savaged deer crashing through gardens, chased by armed hunt supporters or swimming out to sea and being chased by hunt supporters in boats. Hunting literature has also described deer being killed by the dogs. After the kill the dogs are pulled back, the deer’s stomach is slit open and the contents tipped onto the ground. The liver is cut up and, together with the kidneys, shared amongst supporters. The heart goes to the landowner on whose land the kill took place and the remaining carcass dragged away. The dogs are then called in to tear into the stomach and entrails. Attention then focuses on the carcass. The lower legs are skinned and broken off, the feet (slots) given or sold to supporters, and even the large teeth (tushes) are removed and sold as trophies. Antlers are given to long-standing friends of the hunt, and the meat distributed amongst hunting farmers.

An important aspect of autumn stag-hunting is that the strong mature stags with the best antlers are selected. This coincides with the rut which is when the large stags need to save their strength in order to fight rivals to secure a harem of hinds. The rut is a very tiring period for the stags during which they may have little time for eating. In the old days, stag-hunting always finished by the first week in October in order to permit the strongest to breed and pass the best genes onto the

next generation. Modern-day stag-hunters do not accept such a restriction on their hunting and, as a result, the best stags are often chased away from their hinds thus enabling the weaker stags to breed. In addition, when stag-hunting begins in early August, there are many vulnerable newly-born calves which have no defence against packs of dogs as they race through the countryside. Clearly, large numbers of these calves are killed.

The cruelty of hind-hunting is exacerbated by the fact that hinds often have a young calf at foot. They may also be pregnant and hunted at a time when they need to conserve their energy and body fat to survive the winter. Hind-hunting starts at the beginning of November and continues through to the last day of February. It basically operates in the same way as stag-hunting except that "tufters" are not always necessary as there is little cover for the hinds due to the lack of foliage. When hunting stags, the hunters will choose a deer with a fine set of antlers for trophies, whereas any hind will suffice. Hinds do not have the stamina to last as long as stags, so frequently more than one will be killed during a day’s hunting. At the start of the hind-hunting season many hinds will have totally dependent calves which may have been born as late as September. These calves obviously have great difficulty in keeping up with the hinds during a chase. During the process of splitting up the herd, all calves unable to keep pace, or who reach a fence which cannot be jumped, will be left behind. It is most unlikely that these calves will be found again by their mothers, even if they survive the hounds. When a hind and calf are singled out for hunting, the hind suffers anguish as her calf quickly tires. The hind will double back trying to urge on the calf – at times nudging it to keep it on the move. Eventually the hind is forced to abandon her calf, driven by extreme fear for her own life. The more fortunate calves collapse when a huntsman is at hand to shoot it before it is savaged by the dogs. When a hind can run no more she, like her calf, has no defence against the dogs and she may be savaged before the huntsman can use his gun. After the kill the ‘trophies’ such as the feet and teeth are removed, and if a well-developed calf is in the hind’s womb, its feet may also be cut off as souvenirs.

The hare population in Britain has declined dramatically over the years. In some areas they have disappeared altogether and this once abundant wild creature is now a rare sight in some parts of the UK.

As with fox-hunting, the purpose of hare-hunting is to provide amusement for a minority of people. Hares are hunted by packs of three different breeds of hounds – some 80 packs of beagles, 12 packs of bassets and 20 packs of harriers. The beagles and bassets are followed on foot, harriers on horseback. The season starts in September/October and ends in March/April. As with all hunting with packs of dogs, the victim if caught is beaten not by speed but by stamina. Its speed gives the hare the early advantage - however the hounds’ superior stamina wears the hare down to exhaustion. A pack is judged to be ‘well-bred’ if it takes 60-90

minutes to run the hare to exhaustion and kill it. Any less time detracts from the ‘fun’ of the hunt. When first hunted and fresh, hares run in large circles, reluctant to leave their home range but, as they tire, they are overwhelmed by the dogs and killed.

There are three basic types of hare-coursing:

Over 60 organised hare-coursing events take place in England and Wales, the main one being the ‘Waterloo Cup’. The aim of hare-coursing is for two dogs (usually greyhounds) to compete against each other in the pursuit of their quarry. Hares can be driven over a distance of half-a-mile into the coursing field by individuals known as ‘beaters’. Once there the dogs, straining at the leash, are released by the ‘slipper’ who gives the hare a recommended start of about 80 yards (although sometimes it is less). The already tired hare then has to run for its life. Points are awarded to each dog according to its ability to turn the hare which may or may not escape. When both dogs catch the quarry, the hare can become a living rope in a tug-of-war as it is pulled and torn between the two dogs.

Supporters of coursing say that the hare is always killed instantly and the Countryside Alliance claim "it is not cruel." Time and again this has been proved to be nothing more than a lie. The hare’s agony may last several minutes, depending on how quickly the handlers reach the dogs. At this point the hare is more often than not still alive and screaming. It is then taken from the dogs and its neck broken.

A reporter from the Belfast Telegraph who had never seen hare-coursing before attended the annual meeting of the Dungannon and District Coursing Club. Afterwards he stated:

When otters received legal protection in 1978, the few remaining packs of otter hounds were then used to hunt mink. There are now around a dozen packs of mink hounds which hunt from March to September, thus spanning the breeding period of the mink. Followed by supporters on foot, the dogs search the river for the scent of a mink. Most often the mink will seek refuge either in a hole or a tree. The hunters then attempt to dig out or dislodge the mink using terriers, spades or sticks. If the mink hides in the branches of a tree, hunt supporters may shake the tree, or may poke the mink with sticks or throw stones in an effort to dislodge it.

It is estimated that at its peak in the spring, the fox population of the United Kingdom may be over 500,000. By the winter, when mating takes place, some 300,000 foxes will have died. Much of this mortality will be due to natural selection ie the deaths of the weakest cubs. It is estimated that around 20,000 foxes are killed by hunting with dogs.

Foxes are highly adaptable and live mostly on earthworms, rodents, beetles, rabbits and carrion. Their diet varies considerably depending on the local environment but in most cases the largest prey taken by the average fox would be a rabbit or weak hare. They prey on ground nesting birds and this has led to intense persecution of foxes by gamekeepers. Like all animals at the top of their food chains, the fox population is governed by the year round availability of food in a defended territory. A fox family usually consists of one dog fox and 1-3 vixens of which only the dominant vixen will produce a litter. On average 4-5 cubs are produced annually. In areas of high human persecution of foxes, such disruption results in an increase in fertile vixens and larger litter sizes - a biological response which restores the population to its natural level.

Foxes can conflict with human interests such as free-range poultry farming. This is best dealt with by deterrence and proper protection of stock. Killing foxes, by whatever method, merely creates vacant territory which will quickly be filled by other foxes.

Over the past twenty years, comprehensive scientific investigation has shown that the fox's mythical image as a cunning, vicious, large-scale killer of lambs and poultry is false. For instance in the vast majority of cases, post-mortem evidence has proved that lambs taken by foxes are likely to be either already dead or weak, non-viable lambs. A five year study undertaken for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in Scotland revealed that whilst up to 24% of lambs in the Highlands of Scotland may be lost through still births, malnutrition and hypothermia, only around 1% are lost to foxes (ref: 'Scavenging and Predation upon Sheep and Lambs in West Scotland' by R. Hewson and A. F. Leach, Journal of Applied Ecology (1984) 121, 843-868).

Another example is a three year study of fox predation on lambs in Scotland which found that leaving foxes in peace did not result in an increase in fox numbers or an increase in the already small number of lambs taken (ref: 'Predation upon Lambs by Foxes in the Absence of Control' by R. Hewson MSc, PhD, MIBiol, Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, 1990). It is clear from the number of foxes killed annually by hunting with dogs that this pastime in no way acts as a method of control. It is undertaken merely for fun and pleasure. Fox-hunting with hounds also fails the test set for a civilised society and, as mentioned at the start of this section, if wildlife needs to be controlled it should be done as quickly and as humanely as possible. Hunting with dogs results in the animal being terrified in the chase and, if caught, becomes a living rope in a tug of war. Very rarely is it killed instantly.

Other facts which clearly demonstrate that fox-hunts are established for the pleasure of killing and not for the purpose of controlling fox numbers (or in support of conservation) are: that many hunts provide artificial earths in which foxes can breed and raise their cubs; hunts make sure there are sufficient foxes left to breed at the end of each hunting season: and that foxes are brought from other areas to bolster populations in a heavily hunted area.

Fox-hunts claim to be a service to agriculture but in fact are the complete opposite. Fox-hunts can be responsible for damage to stock fencing and the disturbance and frightening of livestock. Where a fox is causing damage and needs to be controlled, this can be done by either shooting the animal with an appropriate weapon or by trapping it in a cage and despatching it humanely. It is a nonsense for anyone to suggest that the control of foxes would be seriously undermined were hunting with dogs to be banned. Of the total amount of agricultural land in Britain, only a small percentage of it is hunted over with packs of dogs. The fact is that efficient fox control takes place on the majority of land in Britain as and when necessary without there being a need to resort to or require the brutal use of packs of dogs.

The availability of vegetation is the principle factor which determines deer population densities. All the natural predators of deer, such as wolves, have long been eradicated. An uncontrolled deer population could increase to a level which would cause considerable damage to forestry, arable and livestock farming interests. In the past, predators would have culled the old, sick and infirm deer and, to a limited degree, controlled deer numbers. Now, humans are the only threat to deer and we believe that it is beyond dispute that deer must be subject to control management.

Shooting is the method universally employed and accounts for 99% of the annual cull. This is essential to remove the old, sick and weak and to prevent over population. A skilled professional marksman using a high powered rifle fitted with a telescopic sight can kill a grazing deer instantly. However, deer-hunting using slower running dogs and the selection of the fit and strong as victims, results in exhausting and terrifying the deer in a chase which can last for seven hours over a distance of some twenty-five miles. Hunting with dogs is inefficient, very expensive, causes unnecessary suffering and is done purely for fun and pleasure. Again this method of killing wildlife fails the test of how, in a civilised society, wild animals that must be controlled should be killed quickly and humanely as possible.

In Scotland, the use of dogs to take or kill deer is illegal under the Deer (Scotland) Act 1959. Having witnessed on many occasions deer being shot by professional stalkers I have no doubt that this is the most humane and efficient method of controlling deer numbers.

Shooting is clearly the method to be deployed and were hunting with dogs banned, there would be no detrimental consequences for agriculture and pest control.

Over recent decades the hare population has declined dramatically - mainly due to intensive methods of agriculture. The destruction of hedgerows, the advent of mono-culture, herbicides and pesticides and the more frequent use of modern farm machinery have all contributed to this decline. In some areas they have disappeared altogether and this once abundant wild creature is now a rare sight in many parts of the UK.

Brown hares live on the open downland and farmland in the lowlands of Britain whilst the Blue or Mountain hare lives in the mountainous areas of Scotland, the Peak District and North Wales.

Both hare-hunting with beagles, bassets and harriers and hare-coursing, usually with greyhounds, has nothing at all to do with controlling the hare population but everything to do with fun and pleasure. The practices of hare-hunting and hare- coursing have already been described in this paper earlier and, again, like fox/deer- hunting, both fail the test of a civilised society in that if wild animals have to be controlled, it must be done as quickly and as humanely as possible.

Should control of hares ever be necessary, it should be done humanely by shooting. An end to hare-hunting and coursing with dogs therefore would have no effect on pest control or agriculture.

Mink is not a native of the British Isles but was imported into Britain to be kept in fur farms. Many were deliberately released by the owners during fluctuations in the fur trade and a large number escaped. Mink are now firmly established in Britain's rivers. Mink produce four to six young each year.

The diet of mink is fish, birds, small mammals, frogs, toads, snails and insects. However, domestic ducks and poultry can also be lost to mink if inadequately protected. Mink, like foxes, are territorial animals and where a territory becomes vacant through the death of the resident animal another mink will quickly move in to take its place.

Mink hunting is insignificant in terms of mink control as very few animals are killed by this cruel method, which again fails the 'test' of a civilised society. As the killing of mink is not quick or humane, when it is felt they need to be controlled, it should be done by means of the humane trap and shooting. There would be no detrimental consequences to agriculture and pest control were mink hunting with dogs to be banned.

A fox being chased by a pack of hounds suffers the terror of the chase and when caught is savagely attacked and killed. It is often asserted by those who hunt that the foxes taken above ground are killed by a quick nip to the back of the neck from the lead hound in the pack, breaking the spine. However, post-mortem and eyewitness evidence, including that of the author of this paper, reveal that foxes can sustain appalling injuries as they are brutally killed by dogs. As already stated, a recent veterinary report has shown multiple wounds to the rear quarters of a young fox which escaped from the hounds and was taken for treatment (The Veterinary Record, 27 February 1999).

Horses too can suffer injuries when jumping hedgerows and barbed wire fences. Similarly, the hounds can suffer serious injuries from barbed wire fences and can be killed when crossing roads and railways lines as they sometimes do when in full cry or out of control. The terriers which are put down earths in an attempt to 'bolt' the fox because the animal refuses to move (perhaps because it is either physically incapable or is defending its cubs) can also suffer serious injuries. Often, a subterranean battle between the fox and terrier takes place underground resulting in appalling injuries to both terrier and fox.

There are numerous documented cases of domestic pets being killed by hounds. Only last month a cat (belonging to a widow) was torn to pieces by hounds belonging to the Warwickshire Hunt. The RSPCA is considering a prosecution.

Again, as stated elsewhere in this response, livestock can also suffer, for example when hounds run through herds of cattle or flocks of sheep. This is particularly stressful for pregnant animals.

As already mentioned in this response deer suffer the terror of the chase, physical exhaustion, the terror of being manhandled by humans and being surrounded by baying dogs. Kills are violent, bloody affairs, sometimes involving shot or savaged deer crashing through gardens chased by armed hunt supporters. Deer can also be attacked by the hounds.

The cruelty of hunting with packs of hounds is exacerbated by the fact that the hinds often have a young calf at foot. They may also be pregnant and hunted at a time when they need to conserve their bodily resources to survive the winter. When a hind and calf are singled out for hunting, the hind suffers anguish as her calf quickly tires. Eventually the hind is forced to abandon her calf, driven by extreme fear for her own life.

Hunters claim that any deer which escapes from the hunt later returns to the herd without suffering any ill effects. This is far from the truth. In addition to the suffering and cruelty of the chase, deer which might escape may have lost so much body heat that they succumb to hypothermia or pneumonia. An even more painful death is that caused by myopathy. This is a condition brought on by the stress and overexertion of a long pursuit. The deer basically suffers from the build up of lactic acid which breaks down the muscle tissue. Death finally comes, usually as a result of kidney failure. Lactic acid is a natural by-product of exertion and normally the kidneys can clean this out of the bloodstream. However, excessive and unnatural levels of exertion result in massive doses of lactic acid breaking down the muscle tissue, causing extreme pain.

In 1997, Professor Patrick Bateson of Cambridge University published the findings of his study into the 'behavioural and physiological effects of hunting'. When he released the report Professor Bateson said: "The scientists involved had been astonished by the clear-cut results which were irrefutable. Before the study it was possible to argue that views about suffering and hunting deer were subjective and open to debate. This position is no longer tenable. Our inescapable conclusion is that the level of total suffering would be markedly reduced if hunting with hounds were ended."

The last paragraph of the conclusion section of the Bateson report states:

As with fox-hunting, injuries to horses and dogs are extremely possible.

Hares, as with all animals hunted with packs of dogs, suffer the terror of the chase and, when caught, become a living rope in a tug-of-war as they are pulled and torn between the dogs. With coursing, the hare's agony may last several minutes, depending on how quickly the handlers reach the dogs. The hare is more often than not still alive and screaming before being taken from the dogs and having its neck broken. We record again the comments of an independent reporter from the Belfast Telegraph who attended the annual meeting of the Dungannon and District Coursing Club. He reported:

Mink also suffer the terror of the chase. They may be prodded with sticks or have stones thrown at them in an effort to dislodge them from a tree. They may have sticks poked in at them if they seek refuge in a hole in a riverbank. They can be savagely attacked by the pack of hounds Terriers can hunt them underground in an attempt to 'bolt' them from their refuge.