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Fox-hunting and the Ban

The Basics

The old pursuit of hunting foxes provided England with much of its traditional folk imagery over the centuries. Country pubs are adorned with pictures of the hunt, inns are named after it, and the stirring sight of packs of hounds and riders gathering in the early morning is depicted on many a place-mat and in many a painting.

Foxhunting and the ban (silhouette white)
To the exasperation of huntspeople, though, hunting has long had its opponents among those who felt that its rituals were distasteful, and the practice of hunting down and killing a single animal by superior force of numbers was an act of cruelty.

In 2005, the lengthy – and at times bitter – campaign to send it down the same legislative plughole as badger-baiting and cock-fighting finally succeeded. Hunting is, officially at least, no more.

At the centre of the hunt is the fox itself, represented since medieval times as a cunning and resourceful character of legend, an insolent defier of authority who is always just a little bit smarter than his enemies. In modern times, it has proved smart enough to have moved out of the countryside and into urban areas, where it is seen either as a pest to be controlled, or a charming visitor to be encouraged by feeding, depending on your taste.