Even though the government seems to be against hunting and realises the barbaric nature of the cruel sport, it seems to be reluctant to end the sport once and for all. The reason for this is because of the profit hunting brings. Hunts make around 13.5 million pounds annually, and a lot of that will go to the government as taxes. Also many small communities do depend on the profit hunting brings through selling deer meat, horns and antlers as trophies and decoration. However how can the suffering of animals who have feelings and emotions be justified because of the money it brings. Living through murder is simply not acceptable.
The hunt claims that it is managing the animal populations. In fact, hunts are not need for controlling deer or fox populations. For example, deer are found all over the UK, thankfully only parts of this are covered by the hunt. In those areas not covered by the hunt such as Scotland, there is no problem with the deer population as competition for food and space and disease will naturally control the deer population. The hunting organizations are merely using population control as an excuse for the murder they commit.
The hunt says that their members love the countryside and the animals in it. They claim hunters kill as humanely as possible with a single shot. This is not true, hunts often last for many hours as the hunters and their hounds chase the deer mercilessly until the deer is so exhausted it cannot even lift its head. Finally the deer will give up and collapse and then often dogs will swarm all over the poor animal biting it to pieces. The hunters do not care how much the animal suffers; they simply select a deer that will last them several hours for their cruel chase. They enjoy torturing and killing. A hunter was caught on film holding up an injured fox waving it like a trophy and bragging to his friends. The terrified fox is squealing with pain and the hunters are enjoying it. The league against cruel sports has many video clips to prove that hunts are not what the hunters say and despite their best attempt to make hunting seem humane, the video clips tell a very different story of sadistic killers going on a rampage through the countryside.
I believe shooting deer with a high powered rifle is not acceptable either. Although the animal does not suffer as much as if it was being hunted, mistakes can be made even if you are a highly professional marksman, leaving a deer crippled or a strong stag dead. I think wolves are the answer to areas with large deer populations. Wolves always choose their prey carefully and kill the oldest and weakest of the deer herd. The hunt just chooses any deer that will give them a good chase and marksmen are not often the best judge of an animal’s fitness or importance to a herd. Also wolves have inhabited Britain before and was hunted to extinction by humans, they would naturally be suited to life in Britain and is the most natural control for both deer and foxes by predation. Reintroduction of wolves has been done before in the U.S. and it was a great success, I think it can be done here in the UK too.
Hunts are very cruel, bloody and inhumane. The league against cruel sports has lots of video evidence to support this. This includes the recording of a terrified pregnant deer being chased off a cliff by a whole pack of hounds. Another clip show a magnificent stag that have already been shot at least a dozen times being dragged into a river and drowned by the hunters themselves. The hunters claim that the dogs never touch the deer, that is nonsense, there are many clips of dogs physically attacking the deer. One of which showed over half a dozen dogs biting on to the hip and stomach of a magnificent stag, the stag still alive and is desperately trying to escape. The sheer volume of evidence that has been uncovered by brave cameramen who risked their personal safety to infiltrate into the hunting society and take such graphical images of the suffering of the animals being hunted and the enjoyment the hunters seemed to gain from it proves that a hunt is not humane and that it is bloody and cruel.
To conclude, the hunt is a high secretive and deceiving organization that makes money from the suffering of animals. It indoctrinates the public and deludes them into thinking the hunt is a good organization that is beneficial to the countryside. The hunt aggressively prevents coverage of hunts and cameramen are often beaten up or threatened by hunters. The hunters enjoy the thrill of the hunt and are completely uncaring for the pain and terror they are putting the animals through. In areas where population control is necessary then a biological control through predation is the best and only humane solution. In a modern civilized society in which we live in, how can such a cruel and bloody sport be allowed? How can such an evil organization be allowed to continue its reign of terror for so long? Hunting in all its forms must be stopped and it must be stopped soon!
