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I was going for a late night stroll around Hampstead Heath last night

I was going for a late night stroll around Hampstead Heath last night when along one street in the nearby area, I was stopped in my tracks by a fox prowling the roads.

Now I don't have any inexplicable fear of foxes, but as I approached nonchalently, it looked back at me with menacing eyes and let out what can only be described as a shrieking was cry, and one which you would never expect to derive from the mouth of a fox. To say I almost soiled myself would be an understatement.

For a moment, it disappeared into a neighbouring bush or garden, so I marched on. However, as I approached the area, back out he came. He walked back and forth across the road, and whichever side I chose to try and pass him unnoticed, he seemed to echo my movements. I felt like Clint Eastwood slowing pacing towards my arch enemy in the old West, except in the new er... Hampstead. This happened 3 times forcing me to consider an alternative route.

Then, like before, Mr Fox leapt into the bush like a panther, perhaps, if I recall correctly, being summoned by another shrieking fox. As I listened intently, I heard what I believe was the high pitched noise of a screaming cat amid a host of mysterious noises that you'd expect to hear in the Blair Witch Project.

Realising this was my chance, I crept a few steps forward, if anything out of fear that he was going to pounce out again and leap at me like a facehugger from Alien. However, there was no sign of him this time, so I ran like a girl down the road until I felt I was out of range.

Was I right to be wary, or are foxes harmless?

How can you mock? I was just being cautious because I was scared was wary of frightening the poor fox.

Scared of a fox - are you real?

We need a better explanation of why you were walking round Hampstead at night.

Oh, any sign of George Michael or Michael Barrymore up there?

I didn't know whether they were harmless. I figured if people hunt them with guns, snarling dogs, and giant horses, they must be ferocious animals liable to attack an innocent stroller by like myself.

They are not harmless to chickens!

They are only hunted because the landed gentry think they are "good sport", (sorry, "the farmers need to keep their numbers down for financial reasons") & it's something that Brits should be ashamed of, that we tolerated such disgusting cruelty for so long.

They are not harmless to chickens!

They are only hunted because the landed gentry think they are "good sport", (sorry, "the farmers need to keep their numbers down for financial reasons") & it's something that Brits should be ashamed of, that we tolerated such disgusting cruelty for so long.

I've had a fox come and take food from my hand in the gardens of the block of flats where I live in central Nottingham.

It was mid-winter at the time so the vixen was obviously starving, but equally obviously used to humans.

That screeching noise is their call, perhaps she fancied you ?

they are hunted so that people living in the city can have meat on there tables

its the most selective way to kill off the old and dying foxes that will attack the chickens and the lambs
the younger fitter foxes can survive off the land without attacking farms
the younger fitter foxes can escape the dogs

the younger fitter foxes are the ones more likely to get shot thus hurting the fox population
so hunting was a better way of keeping the foxes in check while allowing people who like to eat meat the freedom to eat meat, meat brought up in a humane way and not locked up in a battery farm.

the banning of hunting was the worst thing that could happen for animal welfare in this country

We need a better explanation of why you were walking round Hampstead at night.

Oh, any sign of George Michael or Michael Barrymore up there?

Why block up the fox holes then if it's 'fair'?

Ive hunted foxes in the past with my Grandad, who is/was a gamekeeper... Foxes caused him mayhem, if they broke into one of his pheasant pens they'd kill at least 20/30 pheasants, while eating only 2/3 of these, the rest he would be find dead in the morning... When you consider each pheasant to him represents £20-£25 and it was his livelihood, i dont think he thought twice about 'getting rid' of them...

Things have changed now obviously, but now i'm a little older i can see how some ppl view this as cruel...

Unfortunately the "hunt" is a big thing around where i live which i dont approve of, im not against hunting as such, with guns, but hunting with dogs is a cruel and inhummane act. From a distanced, human perspective. Nature is red in tooth and claw. 10 hounds ripping the neck out of a fox is pretty instant death, faster than a .22 rimfire or .243 rifle.  With the banning of hunting, farmers have had to use other methods of fox control to keep populations at a reasonable level. These include snaring and firearms. But most have resorted to using shotguns, more often than not with the wrong shot type, resulting in more wounding and injuries all of the UK.

BUT, a lot of mt country friends go hunting and they will vow that they dont block fox holes, that is a pretty big speculation, which is pretty much unfounded, made by anti-hunt protestors in the media and on the net.

ITs total BS tho about having to keep the fox poplulation down, a fox/group of foxes may take 3/4 lambs ff a farm in lambing time, now when you count the actual numbers of sheep a farmer has, that 3/4 lambs is a drop in the ocean!

Most farmers worth their salt want a healthy fox population on their farms. Fact. It keeps disease down amongst gamebirds as foxes predate on the weak, whilst also keeping plague rabbit numbers in check. In the past, specifically in sheep country, hunts were used to target specific foxes during the lambing season that had realised a ewe in lamb is especially vulnerable and can be killed as she is in labour.


I have been on hunts and speak to hunting people a lot. In principle, fox hunting was sound. The master of the hounds was an experienced countryman who recognised his role and didnt impact further than he should. I appreciate that several "bad eggs" sprung up, hunts who had little respect for the complex dynamics of the ecosystems they were acting upon and the impacts of their actions. But these were in a minority. The steroetypical huntsman hit home with the middle classes, who had an immediate reaction to the "horrific" images they were shown in their own homes, but this was purely because they had neved had to kill rabbit, hang a pig or shoot a pheasant. The publics seperation from natural occurences made them overreact.

Rant over. Would like Red-Dogs opinion on this.


This is an argument founded on the fact that intelligent people with zero experience of countryside matters are making a judgement based by the twisted information given by various media sources. Banning hunting was the worst example of bad law in my lifetime.

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Was I right to be wary, or are foxes harmless?

Chasing foxes down in a hunt, isn't going to prevent one from getting in to the pheasants is it?  Build better fences, shoot the fox if absolutely necessary, chasing them down in a hunt where the odds are unfairly stacked against the fox for 'enjoyment' is not the way to control fox populations.

Maybe i worded it badly, it wasn't a hunt, it was exterminating vermin...

A lot of arguments about fox culling is around the method of dispatch. But just a thought, when you put down your anticoagulant poison (or call in RentAKill to do it for you) to dispatch Rats in your vicinity, which kills them slowly and painfully are you better that the farmer who kills a fox, who he classes as a disease carrier and livestock killer. Is it because foxes are magnificent creatures to look at whilst rats are horrible and evil.

A lot of arguments about fox culling is around the method of dispatch. But just a thought, when you put down your anticoagulant poison (or call in RentAKill to do it for you) to dispatch Rats in your vicinity, which kills them slowly and painfully are you better that the farmer who kills a fox, who he classes as a disease carrier and livestock killer. Is it because the perception of foxes, is that they are magnificent creatures to look at whilst the perception of rats, is that they are horrible and evil.

I wouldn't condone hunting of rats with a group of hounds and men on horses either.  I think many mouse traps are nasty, particularly the ones that use poisoned bait, and like you said inflict a long and painful death on the animal.  One that explodes or runs a million volts through the animal are far more humane however.  I don't think foxes or rats should be hunted for fun.

Cats on the other hand...

I wouldn't condone hunting of rats with a group of hounds and men on horses either.  I think many mouse traps are nasty, particularly the ones that use poisoned bait, and like you said inflict a long and painful death on the animal.  One that explodes or runs a million volts through the animal are far more humane fun however. 

Ive hunted foxes in the past with my Grandad, who is/was a gamekeeper... Foxes caused him mayhem, if they broke into one of his pheasant pens they'd kill at least 20/30 pheasants, while eating only 2/3 of these, the rest he would be find dead in the morning... When you consider each pheasant to him represents £20-£25 and it was his livelihood, i dont think he thought twice about 'getting rid' of them...

Things have changed now obviously, but now i'm a little older i can see how some ppl view this as cruel...

they kill other animals because they need to.

if thats all they did i would be against fox hunting. but its not so i am.

foxes will slaughter a whole hen coup to get 1 or 2 chickens
then the next night they will have to go find somewhere else to find food as they have killed all the chickens in one night

well forgive the fox for its instinct..........................................................as for the birds, keep them more secure or dont farm them for a living:) simple!

some of us like meat just like some people like eating that green stuff that grows in the ground
each person can make there choice

as for the chicken keeping them somewhere more secure would be a crime against the chickens
have you seen the hen houses that some countries still use
they keep the chickens out of danger but the chickens dont even have roon to flap there wings
and many chickens are trampled to death

i've had to kill a chicken and cook it but never rear it first.

there is a happy medium give the birds the room they need to lead a happy life

and keep the old infirmed foxes away from them

the young foxes dont go looking for chickens and lambs as they can hunt there natural prey

yep

they even made me eat sprouts once

cruel is kev forcing ginger to marry him

We need a better explanation of why you were walking round Hampstead at night.

Oh, any sign of George Michael or Michael Barrymore up there?