Hound, Rod and Gun: Reality Check

No public debate on hunting is complete without its misconceptions. The arguments they engender occupy much time, and get nowhere, thereby reducing the time available for getting somewhere. As an act of catharsis, we now summarise and dispose of them.

First, that field sports are the perquisite of a rich, snobbish, exclusive caste, few in number, out of date, and insulated by wealth from contact with reality.

Every day’s hunting or shooting is a pyramid of human effort. The participant element in a hunt comprises the Masters, huntsman and whippers-in. Everybody else, on horseback, in cars, on bicycles, on quad bikes or on foot, their numbers running into hundreds, are spectators. The unseen corps of helpers, voluntary or paid, to whom fence-menders and gate-shutters must be added, increase the number by another 20 or so. A shooting party of the conventional eight Guns probably means that another 50 are enjoying themselves as background participants, mostly without endangering their amateur status. Fishing is a solitary sport, and the nation’s most popular pastime, actively followed by more people than the total who attend League football matches.

Secondly, that prohibition is proposed of hunting only. A few simpletons may genuinely believe assurances to this effect. Nobody else doubts that the paid staffs of organisations opposed to hunting would, if deprived of hunting as a target, speedily find themselves campaigning for the abolition of whatever else was remaining to abolish.

Thirdly, that field sports are rustic pursuits with which townsfolk are out of sympathy. On the contrary, the turnout at any meet of hounds, formal shoot, or on the banks of any river or lake will be found to consist of about 50% of individuals who slept the previous night in a town and commuted out.

Fourthly, the slack use of the words ‘cruel’ and ‘cruelty’ loads the accusations and distorts the defence. Much of what is talked about is not cruelty, though it may be suffering, as is natural for all living beings. Cruelty is a different matter. Cruelty means the disposition or intention of inflicting pain, and also pleasure at suffering. The operative element in establishing cruelty is volition. We may as well use the English language accurately in these exchanges.