Found FOX remains

[willbick]

I own a few acres of woodland and today found the remains of a fox's lower leg. Could there be any other explanation than being ripped apart by a pack of hounds? If so I am less than impressed.... I am no expert but I dont suppose the anti-hunting law has made much if any difference to fox welfare.

[davecatt]

All things die eventually,if they happen to die out in the wild then there's a chance that bits of them could be scattered about by scavenging predators.

If the fox was ripped apart by hounds there would be a lot more evidence than a bit of a foxes leg. If you can find proof that a hunt is acting illegally in your wood then you should report it to the local Police.

If you cant prove it legally you could still approach your local hunt master and tell him his hunt is not welcome on your land and any future intrusion will be looked on as trespass with damage to your property.

[Brocakat]

I'm wondering, willbick - surely you would have heard the Huntsmans Hounds/ Horn / Riders in the 1st instance ?

[fairplay]

I once knew an old lady who bought her own little wood of 3.5 acres to turn it into a wild flower reserve and promptly ruined it by planting daffodils and Spanish Bluebells and foreign conifers.
She lived 20 miles from it, and only visited it twice a year.

Neil.

[Brocakat]

I overlooked a good point there, fairplay - thanks.
Of course one doesn't have to live near a piece of property one owns.

[willbick]

Thanks for yr thoughts. I live 2 miles away and visit regularly. ( I am lucky enough to have native daffodils and bluebells in the wood and virtually no conifers!). Im sure the 1st comment was right in that it was probably the result of natural death, its just that a couple of years ago I turned up at the wood to be confronted with about 30 hounds in there with 2 rural types attempting to 'control' them!! As I was telling one of them where he could shove his hounds (politely!) they found a rabbit and ripped it to shreds in front of us! After that its fair to say Im a bit sensitive about the issue!

[fairplay]

Originally Posted by willbick

Thanks for yr thoughts. I live 2 miles away and visit regularly. ( I am lucky enough to have native daffodils and bluebells in the wood and virtually no conifers!). Im sure the 1st comment was right in that it was probably the result of natural death, its just that a couple of years ago I turned up at the wood to be confronted with about 30 hounds in there with 2 rural types attempting to 'control' them!! As I was telling one of them where he could shove his hounds (politely!) they found a rabbit and ripped it to shreds in front of us! After that its fair to say Im a bit sensitive about the issue!

So basically they were after anything they could find - I do hope you reported it and the press really went to town.

Neil.

[willbick]

Well Im sorry to let you down but I didnt. TBH Im completely clueless when it comes to fox hunting and 'country ways'. I didnt know what they were doing, I suppose I just thought in my naivety that they were exercising the dogs or something, albeit that 'exercising' involved the dogs basically running amok!!

You are suggesting they were on a kind of indiscriminate pest-control outing? I have no idea where the law stands on these things. Perhaps if I see their like again I should ask more questions.

[davecatt]

Dosent sound like a fox hunt. How many dogs did they have and what sort of breed?

Cant help thinking you stumbled across a couple of poachers.
Dave

[Farplace]

Are there any traps set in this wood? Sometimes an animal is trapped by the leg for days before it either dies or manages to escape minus the leg. of course, traps SHOULD be inspected regularly (at least once a day i believe??) But this doesn't always happen - especially when the traps are placed illegally on private property. Im not sure what traps are legal either.
Whatever the case, it doesn't sound like a fox hunt with dogs incident.