Hunting Policy

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Badgerland are 100% against the hunting of each and every animal for so-called sport.

• We stand opposed to badger-baiting.
• We are opposed to fox-hunting, otter-hunting and mink-hunting.
• We are against hare coursing and rabbit hunting.
• We also believe that hunting deer with horses or hounds is an abominable act of cruelty.
• Shooting such as grouse, pheasants, partridge and other species is an immoral abomination.
• The burning of peat moorland is an environmental and ecological catastrophe, which we fully oppose.

However, we do not agree that animals should be confined to zoos in order to entertain us humans. We also believe that the abuse of animals in advertising and in TV reality shows should stop. We have NEVER bought that brand of tea that "abuses" Chimps by making them dress up in pathetic costumes.

So far as hunting is concerned, the people who go fox-hunting too often block up badger setts; with the result that badgers are trapped inside or suffer due to lack of oxygen or due to the stress of the confinement and nuisance of the hunt.

Fox-hunting too is a fraudulent sport; as the numbers of foxes torn to pieces has absolutely no significance in terms of the overall fox population. When fox-hunting was "banned" during the Foot-and-Mouth crisis, the overall fox-population showed no increase. Overall, the numbers of foxes killed on the roads and the railways, remains several orders of magnitude greater than the number butchered by dogs.

In certain areas, foxes may pose a problem if they follow their natural instincts and predate on other animals. Chickens, ducks, turkeys, pea-cocks and guinea fowl are all targets for foxes; but they can all be 100% protected by the use of a fence or by shutting the birds into a suitable shed at night.

Foxes too have been seen to be eating dead lambs and killing new-born or young lambs. The evidence of the researchers who have studied these reports over the years, is that lamb predation by foxes is exaggerated by farmers. As often as not, the predation of lambs turns out to be a fox eating a still-born lamb which the ewe may still be trying to revive; or foxes eating carcasses which have died due to the cold/wet (exposure) or other natural causes or the afterbirth.

Of course, farmers might kill the next fox which is seen on or near the premises. The real solution is to use fencing, electric fencing, secure buildings to keep the fox out. The fox may well then be more inclined to kill and catch other species (such as mice, rats and rabbits).

We do not subscribe to the view that the use of champagne-slugging blood-sports enthusiasts on horseback has any beneficial effect on whether lambs survive or not. Secure lambing facilities and improved animal husbandry has a much better effect.

The brutality of hunting animals to the death is one which is deeply worrying for many civilised people. Psychologically, people who hunt, enjoy getting into a pack of like-minded hunters; and enjoy the adrenaline of chasing a defence-less animal over miles and miles of countryside. Part of the "appeal" of the hunt is the fact that the hunters, if they ride hard enough have the power of life-or-death over the animal they are hunting. What makes this worse, is that they get immense pleasure by causing an act of killing. This desire to exercise the power of life and death is important, because it is what makes a hunter "tick". The hunter, in finding pleasure in the act of death, relishes their power, in the same way that, it is suggested, psychopaths do too. In each case, the ability to hold a life in your hands; and to crush it in a most bloody fashion on little more than a whim is not what you would call an endearing characteristic in any-one - let alone a potential husband wife, work colleague or business partner.

The blood-sports brigade, in finding pleasure from the brutal death of a defence-less animal, exhibit their violent mind-set for all to see. It's not too surprising that such a comparatively high proportion of fox-hunters also have convictions for wildlife crime and violence. People should find it worrying that such people often claim to be representative of country life or of a rural England.

The following organisations do a great deal to stop the persecution of animals: