Anyone going hunting Stephen's Day?

Dudess · 22-12-2007 11:40AM #1

I'm not posting this to the Hunting forum because I think it merits general discussion.
OK I ain't an expert, but I'm just trying to find the merits in a group of people on horseback, accompanied by several aggressive hounds, chasing one fox, deer etc for miles and then said wild beast being savaged. Could someone enlighten me? Are there benefits apart from this being a type of sporting activity?
There is an element of competition in hare coursing - I don't agree with it, but at least there's a point to it.
But hunting?

GerryRyan · 22-12-2007 11:52AM

Doing the coursing thing (haven't missed a St. Stephens Day session in years). We're not complete savages tho - muzzles on the dogs - and the hares are rounded up on the day, not kept in boxes weeks beforehand like some believe. It's tradition, and none of this PC shite is going to put a stop to it.

Element of competition? Not much, aside from the odd bet being placed. It's not huge money as that'd b looked down upon tbh. The dogs used have had their day at the racetrack - and are either too old/unfit for that type of racing - so 8/10 times the hare will get away.

Dudess · 22-12-2007 11:55AM

It's really not PC sh*te - it's concern for animals. Censoring Fairytale of New York is PC sh*te.

Gillo · 22-12-2007 11:57AM

I've never gone hunting.

I'd love to try it some time, it looks like a great day out. It's also a part of our tradition and I don't think it should be banned.

Edit- Curious to see if anyone get's a ban / warning here, it's bound to rustle a few feathers

Dudess · 22-12-2007 11:58AM

ThatGuy wrote: »

Element of competition? Not much, aside from the odd bet being placed. It's not huge money as that'd b looked down upon tbh.

I used to input coursing results - and even reports - for a newspaper. There are competitions around the country all right.

Dave! · 22-12-2007 12:02PM

Can't say I'd be too into it tbh.

Pj! · 22-12-2007 12:02PM

Don't do hunting (as with horses and hounds). Do go shooting though and will be over the holidays.

You can't beat a freshly shot duck or pheasant for a meal.

ejmaztec · 22-12-2007 12:03PM

Isn't this bad habit a relic from pre-independence days, where the land-lords had a day off from evicting tenants and eating their Catholic babies?

From my time in the UK amongst these 26th December red-suited odd-balls, I found it really annoying that, if they were blocking the road, and I used my car-horn to get them out the way, I could be prosecuted if one of the chinless hoorays fell off and broke his neck. The cheek of it!

And there's the poor-man's version - hare-coursing!

None of these people think it's barbaric, all seemingly putting it down to organised pest-control.

GerryRyan · 22-12-2007 12:03PM

Dudess wrote: »

It's really not PC sh*te - it's concern for animals.

I've had this debate before (back in primary school

) My view point is; animals, especially dogs, have it in them to hunt. A dog will chase a hare if it sees it, with or without human involvement. Same goes for cats and mice, dogs and badgers, lions and other game ... the list goes on.

Very few groups still leave the dogs un-muzzled when coursing - when the dog catches it, the tip of the muzzle is counted as a win. We're not responsible for any decline in the hare population - as some would have you believe.

It's one day in the year, for coursing anyway ...

GerryRyan · 22-12-2007 12:08PM

ejmaztec wrote: »

Isn't this bad habit a relic from pre-independence days, where the land-lords had a day off from evicting tenants and eating their Catholic babies?

From my time in the UK amongst these 26th December red-suited odd-balls, I found it really annoying that, if they were blocking the road, and I used my car-horn to get them out the way, I could be prosecuted if one of the chinless hoorays fell off and broke his neck. The cheek of it!

And there's the poor-man's version - hare-coursing!

None of these people think it's barbaric, all seemingly putting it down to organised pest-control.

Well at least we're past the stage of shoving dogs down badger's holes ... I hope.

Pj! · 22-12-2007 12:09PM

ThatGuy wrote: »

Well at least we're past the stage of shoving dogs down badger's holes ... I hope.

Still goes on. Quite a bit actually.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 22-12-2007 12:11PM

I have never seen a hunt, ie the type of hunt the OP is talking about.

Although I do like to shoot when I can get out.

I'm also an animal lover, you can see that from my signature I'm sure.

In regards to hunts, ie on horse and chasing a fox or a dear, it doesn't bother me in the least. But I try not think too much about the suffering animals except to think that its all over pretty quickly.

I was talking to a friend yesterday whose family run a hunt back home in Kerry and got an invite down to one, but I can't take it this year.

As far as I'm concerned its a country tradition and (from talking to my friend) its mainly city people who have objections to it.

Sounds like a fantastic day out to me.

GerryRyan · 22-12-2007 12:16PM

Forky wrote: »

Still goes on. Quite a bit actually.

Genuinely saddens me

What's the point in it? Badgers are harmless enough AFAIK

*don't start posting that I'm contradicting myself ... there's a big difference between coursing and the badger thing

Pigman II · 22-12-2007 12:21PM

I think it's a fantastic idea to go out and kill a few madra-rua. Beyond sport it's doing the country a terrific ecological service to try exterminate them as foxes are basically the pikeys of the animal kingdom.

Dudess · 22-12-2007 12:21PM

There are quite a few hunts held out my way (Blarney/Inniscarra, Co Cork). It's kinda surreal. The sight of them and the sound of the foghorn thingy evokes a very different sense of place to what it actually is: a semi urban area about seven miles from Cork city. More like the heart of the English countryside a hundred years ago. It's bloody weird. It also sounds like an Adam Ant song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5nIVP-zwSY

Mossy Monk · 22-12-2007 12:22PM

I have never seen the appeal of going around the countryside dressed like an idiot on horseback.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 22-12-2007 12:29PM

Mossy Monk wrote: »

I have never seen the appeal of going around the countryside dressed like an idiot on horseback.

You'd rather stay at home doing it?

lisa.c · 22-12-2007 12:45PM

Its pretty cruel though on the animal involved though....the poor creature is terrified running for its life then savagly torn apart...for fun. would any of the hunt people think it fun to see one of their hounds being chased and savagly torn to death by a pack of bigger dogs???
I'm a country girl and trust me foxes are forever in our area eating chickens n geese but they have to survive to like every other animal!

ejmaztec · 22-12-2007 12:50PM

If red-coated fox-hunting was a British tradition, I would have thought it would be frowned upon as much as any other British tradition in Ireland. Must be some picking and choosing going on. Perhaps the participants are involved in some kind of snobbery, where they can pretend that they're lords ands ladies of the manor, when they're dressed up like second-hand tampons on horse-back.

WindSock · 22-12-2007 12:50PM

I'd love to go on a hunt. I like the costumes and the bugle and running around on a big horse. Then when it's finished, I'd love to go somewhere to swirl brandy and eat food. The only part I wouldn't like is the bit about the poor foxy.

TheBigLebowski · 22-12-2007 12:50PM

ThatGuy wrote: »

Genuinely saddens me What's the point in it? Badgers are harmless enough AFAIK

*don't start posting that I'm contradicting myself ... there's a big difference between coursing and the badger thing

Seriously, are you for real?

Genghiz Cohen · 22-12-2007 12:51PM

I'll probably be going shooting with my dad, game and maybe a fox or two.

I do it because it's really hard to hit something....
For me anyway......

Leave the badgers alone, aren't they protected?
I have nothing to do with hare coursing myself, it might be a good day out htough, as long as the dogs are muzzled.

Dyr · 22-12-2007 12:51PM

A pack of dogs chasing a fox with a gang of wallies on horseback behind them is'nt hunting, add to that the upper crust brits who are over here now because the proletariat banned their sport and i say we call time on it.

I said this two days earlier, import a few hefty wild boar, give the fauntleroys spears and we'll see how eager they are to hunt.

ejmaztec · 22-12-2007 01:02PM

They should ban fox-hunting here. As a compromise, former hunt-members should be allowed to wear their red-coats when they're in the meat section of their local super-market. They could even blow their horns when they see a particularly good joint. A butcher could drag it round the shop on a piece of string all the way to the till! Problem solved - everybody happy!

You Suck! · 22-12-2007 01:02PM

I have never seen a hunt, ie the type of hunt the OP is talking about.

Although I do like to shoot when I can get out.

I'm also an animal lover, you can see that from my signature I'm sure.

In regards to hunts, ie on horse and chasing a fox or a dear, it doesn't bother me in the least. But I try not think too much about the suffering animals except to think that its all over pretty quickly.

I was talking to a friend yesterday whose family run a hunt back home in Kerry and got an invite down to one, but I can't take it this year.

As far as I'm concerned its a country tradition and (from talking to my friend) its mainly city people who have objections to it.

Sounds like a fantastic day out to me.

I kinda come from the same backround and ideals, but I still find foxhunting objectional. A good hunter with a gun get's humane shots most of the time and the animal should know as little as possible about it's demise. Fox/Deer hunting is the oppisite of that, with no concern for the animals welfare, worst i ever saw was some idiot try to finish off a deer with a shotgun and **** it up.

Also I find the notion of it being tradition as being questionable as well, as it's very exclusive tradition and it's roots are not Irish.

Wonderful day out Im sure, don't mean its right tho......

Dudess · 22-12-2007 01:04PM

Bambi wrote: »

A pack of dogs chasing a fox with a gang of wallies on horseback behind them is'nt hunting, add to that the upper crust brits who are over here now because the proletariat banned their sport and i say we call time on it.

Well you're bound to be anti-hunt given what the bastards did to your poor mum...
http://disney.go.com/disneyrecords/Soundtracks/bambi/images/bambi_mother.jpg

Pigman II · 22-12-2007 01:05PM

Dudess wrote: »

Well you're bound to be anti-hunt given what the poor bastards did to your mum...

thanks for ruining the movie. There are things available called spoilers.

ejmaztec · 22-12-2007 01:08PM

You Suck! wrote: »

I kinda come from the same backround and ideals, but I still find foxhunting objectional. A good hunter with a gun get's humane shots most of the time and the animal should know as little as possible about it's demise. Fox/Deer hunting is the oppisite of that, with no concern for the animals welfare, worst i ever saw was some idiot try to finish off a deer with a shotgun and **** it up.

Also I find the notion of it being tradition as being questionable as well, as it's very exclusive tradition and it's roots are not Irish.

Wonderful day out Im sure, don't mean its right tho......

But it's ok to hunt Emo Kids?:D

Dudess · 22-12-2007 01:08PM

You'd cry like a little girl at it anyway. Better off you don't see it.

Dyr · 22-12-2007 01:08PM

Dudess wrote: »

Well you're bound to be anti-hunt given what the bastards did to your poor mum...
http://disney.go.com/disneyrecords/Soundtracks/bambi/images/bambi_mother.jpg

I've never actually seen "that film"

l3LoWnA · 22-12-2007 01:11PM

There's a massive hunt in my area each year on St. Stephens day. From what I know of it, it's more of a social gathering for all the horsey people as the drinking session they go on afterwards lasts much longer than the actual horseback activity on the day.

My little one enjoys going for a spin around the area to find the hunt and looking at all the horses and dogs though.....I don't know what they kill or how.

Anyone going hunting Stephen's Day?

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