Its a funny old world. I remember going to the cinema with my parents and watching a film called the Bellstone Fox, not sure how accurate the memory is as it dates from the early 70's, but the story is about a hunter who spares a fox cub, then some time later the same fox is responsible for the death of about thirty dogs, and even the huntsman. Despite the havoc this creature wrought sympathy lay with the fox. Then theres another film I vaguely recall about a man eating tiger, who after killing many villagers, is shot dead and I distinctly recall the audience going "Aaaahhhhhh" in sympathy for the tiger as it gasped its last, but being very quiet when another hapless farmer bought his celestial plot with help from the stripey fiend.
So after four years of us acting as a fast food outlet to Mr Fox, Mrs Fox and their entourage, where we have lost over 200 bird of various guises, including pets like Terrance the Turkey (a monster who weighed in at 40 pounds) his wives, their eggs, complete hen houses of birds, Jenny Goose (pet with head bitten off) Jasmine the cat, several mauling of lambs and ducks, hens and geese far too numerous to mention, in the words of the outraged moral majority, something had to be done. Hence the acquisition of firearms once it was found that fences were about as effective to foxes as they are to goats. Now on these pages an often humorous account of life as an incompetent smallholder is recounted, and sometimes a glimpse of the darker side is given. The death of some of our animals has been traumatic for us, and shared, prompting kind replies and emails. The deaths caused by foxes has often been reported, but never shown, perhaps the last pile of feathers of the victim, but never the massacre in detail. So we thought long and hard about publishing the death of Romeo and Juliet pic, the foxes shot on the weekend, and after weighing up the pros and cons felt that it was justified as brought to a conclusion many of the tales. And as they were anonymized and bloodless there was little room for offence. Well it seems that the pics have caused a whats known as a Marmite reaction. People either loved it or hated it. The reaction has been interesting to say the least. When we talk of pigs being sausage that prompts no reaction, referring to the cute creatures above as potential lamb chops does not prompt an email, but let people know you have killed a fox who had entered your territory with intent to kill and that provokes a certain outrage.
My colleagues at work, used to the fact that I lead a very different life to theirs were split in the two camps and the arguments supplied by the how could you camp when explored rationally did not hold out under scrutiny. The build fence around your stupid birds brigade crumbled to a well what happens if you feed the foxes wont they leave you alone, to the, well if something was going to kill my pets then I'd bloody kill it too. So we are agreed then. No! Well we wont agree. I don't personally hunt, but if something hunts whats mine then I'm going to shoot it, providing its legal (so no birds of prey, badgers and the like)and now we have made it known to the local population of bushy tailed vermin(for they will have seen the death of Romeo and Juliet, and we got a third fox as yet unnamed on Monday morning) which will no doubt continue to outrage those that don't like Marmite and go "aaahhhh" when the Disneyfied killers meet their ultimate end.
4 comments:
Yep I am in the "Hunt if you go after my pets type, and blow them up with dyminate to boot !!!" category. And betcha something else that doesn't come into your collegues minds is the risk of the fox or another predator spreading rabies to our sheep, cats or dogs. You are so lucky to live in country where rabies is so rare. Here in the USA, your darin totin you go after foxes that kill chickens and other animals.
Kit
PS If your collegues don't believe you can get rabies from sheep, you can. They don't go mad, just don't eat and more quiet. Making the caring owners having to interact with it even more.
Good on you I say. Perhaps you should show pictures of the "after events" - that would shut the "how could you they are so cute" buggers up.
It's my worse nightmare that foxes get my girls. I often come across a fox when walking the troup and although they obviously run (wouldn't you being chased by 6 bernese!) I'm sure they are laughing.
It's about time people realsied foxes are vermin same as rats.
Rant over - thank you!
Totally agree with you about killing the foxes. Perhaps you should show the carnage they've done to their victims (perhaps with a warning of what's to come) but for goodness sake, come on people! Good luck with everything.
Man, I hate it when good people, usually sensible people, go all 'bleeding heart' on you.
We do hunt, not for pleasure but for food only. Everything gets used - we roast, pickle, smoke, jerk, stirfry, grill and mince. I make stock out of bones and things and the dogs get what we can't eat. We even tan the hide.
The animal doesn't suffer, a quick clean kill is always strived for. If the shot is no good then we don't shoot.
Then people tell me I'm cruel 'how can you kill and butcher an animal'? they cry accusingly.
I note that they eat meat, all kinds. How many chickens do they think were killed to make their marinated chicken wings they downed with such gusto? How did those chickens live and die? What about the steaks? Were those feed lot cows? And what exactly is in the mince they ate?
At least I'm taking responsibility for what I eat. I know that when I raise livestock for the table it has lived a good and happy life. It has been well fed, healthy and had an enjoyable time. It dies before it even realizes what's happened.
As for foxes (for those of you in the sympathy camp), they are a menace. Unstoppable by ordinary means. If you are raising stock to feed your family or even just as pets and foxes get in time and again and slaughter them how are you going to feel? And it's not just the loss of life, it's also the time, effort and expense that you've put into feeding, caring, housing and raising them. All that time and worry down the drain.
At the end of the day it's only nature. Hunt or be hunted. Foxes understand this, it's perfectly natural. It's us humans who have become unnatural. We've insulated ourselves with our modern lifestyles and forgotten how it works.
Sorry for rambling on Tony, again, good job getting some of them. Hopefully the others will start to get the message and bugger off.
Amanda
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