Berwyn Fox Hounds
Berwyn Fox Hounds Cynwyd, North Wales is a member of The Welsh Farmers Fox
Control Association.
The number of foxes accounted for in the season 98/99 was 233.
1. 20 couples approximately are used in a hunt. The hounds are used to flush
foxes from the forest to open ground to guns. The average chase is approximately
10 minutes depending on terrain and size of area being swept. The hunts are
carried out once weekly in different areas between the months of September and
March, covering a large area in rural North Wales.
2. Money is spent on dog food, transport, fuel, weather proof clothing, CB radio's
for communication, veterinary bills, shooting accessories and consumables etc
which amounts to over £5,000 a year, but actual amounts not known and probably
far greater.
3. The money spent in question 2 would no longer be spent in economy and loss
of revenue to the farmer, due to loss of livestock to foxes.
4. Drag or bloodhound hunting would not be of any use to the farming community.
5. The Forest Commission pays part payment for the hounds to go into the forest
to flush out the foxes to minimise damange to livestock in an area which is
mainly sheep rearing uplands.
6. Due to vast forestry in our area it is only possible to flush out foxes to
guns by means of hounds.
7. Number of foxes would increase dramatically causing damage to farm livestock
and ground nesting birds such as Grouse, Blackaim and many others.
8. Snearing, trapping and poisoning would have to be used and would be harmful
to other animals not only foxes e.g. badgers, birds of pray etc.
9. As hunting with dogs cannot be done alone it brings the rural community together
in hunt meetings and in care for the dogs as it is part of the cultural way
of life in our area.
Date uploaded to site 8 June 2000