The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Did anyone see Fox Wars last night?

A reasonably balanced programme - possibly slightly biased towards the huggers but it was way better than I would have expected from the BBC. It really did show the number of people who feed foxes and some must spend a significant amount every week.

It is on iPlayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03fgwh8/Fox_Wars/ with the warning "Contains some upsetting scenes" - it certainly does, people feeding the vermin.

I watched it with jaundiced eye at the ready and all sharp implements locked away but I wa pleasantly surprised. It is always difficult to do "safe" bits to camera on these programmes as they are cut to reflect the ideals of the producers, but I thought the pest controllers did rather well.
The fox huggers came off rather sad, I felt.
I knew Nobby as I worked that area for a long while. He was always a bit of a "character" to put it cleanly.
On the whole not a bad programme although I expect the opposition will be organising their complaints dept.
In fact I think I will write in to congratulate the BBC.

I forgot about this, will watch it on iplayer when I get home.

I was surprised to see the guy using a 22 rimfire in what appeared to be an urban environment...........houses at the back of the garden, etc. Was he legal?
The picture of the dead hens was a good bit of "anti" propaganda.
Why didn't the guy secure the hen house? A free-range egg place near me doesn't have a problem, they simply make it impossible for foxes to get at the birds.
The hens weren't just "murdered" for fun. If left, the carcasses would eventually have been collected by the fox and stashed. Unlike human beings, they don't waste food.

H/man

In what way do you think it would be illegal to use .22 rimfire in a back garden ?
Do you think it would be more legal to shoot on a golf course in town or a bowls club?
Would the calibre make a difference?
If you are in possession of an "open ticket" for that calibre then you are presumed to be experienced enough to be safe.
It's part of your risk assessment anyway, and the choice of control method required for each individual site should show the reasoning for this.
Most shots tend to be at quite close range in gardens and usually present a safe shot as the animal can be baited to stand in a convenient spot.
Golf courses and sports grounds often have the risk of dog walkers etc, present hard flat surfaces and shallow angled shots.
Regarding fox proofing hen runs , not every one has the same budget and folk tend to get lax when the threat is not visible.
I have seen new poultry arms which have succumbed to both foxes and badgers. I have also seen where foxes have taken rabbits and guinea pigs from runs in gardens while people were watching.
In most cases advice on deterrents is enough, but one size does not fit all, in my experience.

Good all round program, the fox relocaters were obvious fac rejects or former fac holders that got revoked......I could nit beleive the amount thst cat shat out! Hilarious!!!

et en anglais, ooman ?

Farmer "Tony" was so distressed about his hens he even remembered to fly the Union flag up-side down.

I saw it, foxes are really cute... I don't understand how anyone could enjoy hurting them...
That said, im not a total f~#kwit and I understand that people need to control them and protect there livestock, be it Tony the farmer, or the woman with chickens. and that most pest controllers don't enjoy the killing aspect. and that "Humane" pest control company seems to be full of shat...
Not sure where I stand on hunting with dogs though, that just seems stupid and inefficient...
Anyway the ban serves the tweedyt@~ts right for selling us pistol shooters down river. "Cowboys" I think they said?
as far as the .22 in a back garden goes, I remember seeing a similar program (with more pro fox propaganda) from channel 4 last year, and one of the pest controllers In that used a 2 shot Walther ppk I thought that humane dispatch pistols were the preferred choice of pest controllers in urban areas.

Oscar Wilde allegedly referred to fox hunting as "The despicable in pursuit of the inedible", or words to that effect.

I think the same comment applies to anyone who gets off killing stuff they can't eat.

H/man