Campaigners claim calves shot to feed hunt hounds

“Time more of us rejoined the countryside alliance!”

“A few hilarious and very good comments just passed.
And Freeborn_john, absolutely! If many hunt staff and followers are found to be guilty of breaking the law and sent to jail(or gaol, whatever. Same word, Agent006), then it would draw attention to the fact that the act may need reassessing. However they would not be in there for violent acts (except a few maybe).”

“So in summary we can say that this is a pointless story which is designed to get people chattering. They have learned that controversial animal stories get lots of hits, makes the advertising revenue more valuable.
The use of the word 'executed' in the third paragraph is something that I find particularly tabloid.
So male calf is slaughtered and the meat is used to feed dogs, but not just any dogs- hounds from the hunt. Happens every day I suspect. What can we expect from TiG next week? 'Rabbit dies in hit and run horror motorway mercy dash celebrity shock expose'. Come on TiG, you can do better.”

“I wish the world would give farmers a break! If it's not milk prices it's badger culling!
The killing of male calves has been going on for years, NOT with the number 1 goal of feeding the hounds but because the British public has issues eating veal! I'm sure some farmers would rather rear the calves for longer to sell them for meat, but no one is willing to buy it! So rather than wasting the meat in vain, giving the carcass to the hunt is the only sensible option left.
And before the onslaught starts, is it worth reminding the UK that British farmers have one of the highest animal welfare standards going? We need to SUPPORT our farmers, no attack them and be proud to buy British meat. It maybe more expensive now (which is due to the increase in welfare standards!), but the cheap imported meat will come from much lower standards of animal welfare hence it being cheap.
I can't actually believe this is an article.”

“You spell jail as gaol. Your superiority complex makes your argument invalid.”

“"Male dairy animals" - Er, exactly what kind of use do the campaigners think that dairy farmers would have for MALE dairy animals? I don't know what kind of animal liquids the campaigners drink, but I always insist that my milk comes from FEMALE animals. What next, complaining that egg suppliers have no use for male chickens? If we need to point out that male animals don't give milk and don't lay eggs, I do wonder exactly what kind of animal knowledge these animal rights campaigners actually have. Male animals in dairy and egg production are routinely killed as soon as their gender is known; typically shot, gassed, electrocuted or bolt-gunned. If their bodies are used for something other than incineration/landfill, that's a good thing. It's good that hounds eat meat that would otherwise go to incineration/landfill - it saves CO2, saves landfill, and saves another meat animal that would otherwise have to be bred for dog food.”

“This type of action has been going on for hundreds of years. Nothing new to see here!”

“Well done Gallopingbear, and since I'm a law abiding citizen, I call for the Huntsmen and the sabs to all be thrown into gaol, as you have helpfully pointed out that they are all breaking the law. (I do also know many of the CVH, and they freely admit actively hunting foxes, in breach of the law).

I sure you would join in a call to have all of these criminals locked away for the good of society, after all if both sides so blatantly flout these laws, who knows where they will stop?”

“Exemptions in the Hunting Act allow the following activities to take place in limited circumstances: stalking and flushing out; use of a dog below ground, in the course of stalking and flushing out, to protect birds being kept or preserved for shooting; hunting rats and rabbits; retrieval of hares which have been shot; falconry; recapture of wild mammals; and research and observation.

Exempt hunting can only take place either on land which belongs to the hunter or which he has been given permission to use for that purpose by the occupier or, in the case of unoccupied land, by a person to whom it belongs.
_DEFRA

Therefore, any saboteurs present are committing trespass on land, and assault - intentional act by one person that creates an apprehension in another of an imminent harmful or offensive contact.

Who is law abiding?”

“Curious - the animal rights people vilified as lunatics, the hunt as the custodians of the countryside...
Last time I looked hunting with dogs was illegal, so surely law-abiding citizens should be in favour of the Hunt sabs? Or is it pick and choose the laws you obey time? I personally have never been fond of licencing laws...”