Nearly half a million people arrived by train, car and coach. Fishermen, falconers, ferreters, wildfowlers, game Shots, gillies and, of course, people who hunted turned out in 2002 to oppose a ban on hunting with hounds. How had this oldest of sports become indefensible to the masses? The answer is that too little was done too late; arrogance, if you want a simple answer. Along with politicians, actors, the good and the great, were grassroots people from both town and country. They may well have never followed hounds, lifted a gun nor cast a fly, but they identified with a right to do so and perhaps understood a little about the countryside. They all knew that where foxhunting was concerned there was a swift death, no wounding and an overpopulated quarry that had to be controlled. Hunting with dogs was almost as old as humankind. It had once provided food and now provided an exciting form of predator control. The biggest bugbear was not only that hunting with hounds was enjoyed, but th
Wildlife and conservation charities have raised the alarm over the ‘sudden’ disappearance of two rare male Hen Harriers in the Peak District - leading to the loss of two nests and 10 eggs.