Hunting actually has many plus points

LEGALLY organised trail hunting offers fresh air and exercise to its followers, in addition to watching the hounds work out the trail of a scent. This is with the permission of the landowner and gives a great deal of pleasure to many people.

The organised hunts also offer a valuable service to farmers and landowners in the collection of fallen stock and casualties.

In the case of the staghounds, in addition to trail hunting they contribute to the natural culling of deer, taking out the very old, injured or otherwise sick animals; such as those suffering following road accidents.

Numbers also need to be controlled in order to maintain a healthy herd as we humans are constantly invading their space and there is a finite number that can be supported in their ever shrinking habitat. This is most efficiently and humanely done using hounds, normally limited to two and despatching the deer with a gun when it is in a safe place to do so.

We all want to continue to see our wild red deer herd on Exmoor and the Quantocks and the hunts are contributing to this.

Rosalie Hughes

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