Fox Hunting VS Decorating your House

[OneGrayPony]

Fishermen generally decorate their houses in fish too. And deer hunters frequently have pictures of deer etc. I think there’s an innate respect for an animal that you get when hunting. It’s the same way as with farming, many farmers have pictures of cows or of chickens.

And those foxes ARE wily and hilarious. I have hill topped and car-followed and that darn fox didn’t look a bit out of breath as he popped out of the bushes, looked over his shoulder, and trotted merrily away as the hounds gave chase. I cannot say the same about the riders following, who all looked like they were about to die

[DQ_Foxhunter]

I consider myself lucky when I get to even see the fox!
i belong to a drag hunt now, but I hunted for years with another pack and never saw a fox killed.
The home decor is usually from people who know I hunt
and give me it as presents.
If they are close friends or family I leave it out,if not it goes in the closet.

[BeeHoney]

I just have to add that it irritates me to no end the scrutiny fox hunters are subjected to. People in my hunt alone have worked to preserve thousands of acres of land via personal land purchases, encouraging and assisting fellow land owners to put their land into trusts that prevent development, and lobbying localities to protect and preserve land. In however many decades of fox hunting, I have seen TWO foxes killed by hounds, both were sick and I think one may have been dead when the hounds found it. In the past YEAR, I have seen FOUR foxes dead on the road hit by cars. Why isn’t anyone harassing the careless drivers that speed down our country roads while fooling with their cell phones? Why isn’t anyone harassing the planners and developers who are ripping up wildlife habitat to put in new shopping malls instead of rehabilitating unused urban spaces?

I can’t repeat this loudly enough: the people endangering and killing the foxes are NOT the fox hunters. Some hunts hunt coyote, and the same thing applies. Many more coyote are killed by cars or farmers than the hunt could ever possibly kill. In the US, the fox hunting community is saving entire populations of fox, coyote, and many other wild animals. I really think that some people are either just incredibly naive, or they dislike fox hunting because of a perceived social class issue.

OP, just to clarify, I’m not harassing you, my remarks are a generalized vent added as an aside to this conversation and I appreciate you bringing up the topic as it allows me to air these thoughts.

[Scribbler]

It’s also true that some of the earliest work protecting wetlands was done by bird hunting groups like Ducks Unlimited. Back when wetlands were just seen as waste land to backfill or drain.

Ha. I just googled them to make sure. They still exist. But looks like the hunting angle has been scrubbed clean off their public profile.

OK still there but buried a bit. Anyhow a great example of hunters being early conservationists.

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/ducks-unlimited-and-hunting

[ecileh]

I can’t speak for anyone else, but my house is full of fox decor because people keep gifting it to me and I don’t know what else to do with it all.

[McGurk]

I have that same couple of foxes, Brown Derby. Also gifted. And a host of fox Christmas tree ornaments.

[Red_Hiltop]

I said… “devil’s advocate” Tounge 'n cheek if you will. But the question remains, why put them on a pillow? :winkgrin:

@BeeHoney

So, I just want to point out here (again) that in the US fox kills are extremely rare and typically in the instance of an old or sick animal that was likely to die of natural causes.

As far as burning unnecessary calories, I find that point very strange. Do you hunt? Have you seen how easily a fox eludes a pack of hounds? A fox that is needing those calories so desperately that it is endangered by a day’s hunting is likely an unhealthy specimen that arguably should be culled to prevent the spread of disease.

Most hunts (at least ones that I am familiar with) go to great lengths to preserve large tracts of land in order to preserve habitat for foxes. Hunts often care for their foxes with period deworming via laced food and by protecting the locations where the vixens are raising their young. I think being chased a little is probably not a bad tradeoff to not having your home sold to be turned into a shopping mall or housing development. Fox hunters also tend to be animal and wildlife lovers who work in their communities to advance habitat preservation and animal welfare.

I get it that you find there is some kind of conflict between being fascinated by foxes and also hunting them, but seriously, in terms of cruelty to animals, fox hunting is pretty darn mild. Yes, there is an inconvenience to the animal being hunted, but there is rarely any actual harm done. In terms of animal welfare, your concern would be better expended in about a thousand other directions.

[Red_Hiltop]

This may be hitting the nail on the head analysis, I have now heard this from a few folks via PM.

@DQ Foxhunter

I consider myself lucky when I get to even see the fox!
i belong to a drag hunt now, but I hunted for years with another pack and never saw a fox killed.
The home decor is usually from people who know I hunt
and give me it as presents.
If they are close friends or family I leave it out,if not it goes in the closet.

[Red_Hiltop]

No worries. I’m oddly “ugh”
about over-foxing of a living room. I feel the same way about too much burgandy and green plaid, and too many “hunt scene” paintings. I do totally get feelings need to be expressed (and agree with your feelings, I just don’t agree with fox/duck/deer/fish/chicken decor I guess).

@BeeHoney

I just have to add that it irritates me to no end the scrutiny fox hunters are subjected to. People in my hunt alone have worked to preserve thousands of acres of land via personal land purchases, encouraging and assisting fellow land owners to put their land into trusts that prevent development, and lobbying localities to protect and preserve land. In however many decades of fox hunting, I have seen TWO foxes killed by hounds, both were sick and I think one may have been dead when the hounds found it. In the past YEAR, I have seen FOUR foxes dead on the road hit by cars. Why isn’t anyone harassing the careless drivers that speed down our country roads while fooling with their cell phones? Why isn’t anyone harassing the planners and developers who are ripping up wildlife habitat to put in new shopping malls instead of rehabilitating unused urban spaces?

I can’t repeat this loudly enough: the people endangering and killing the foxes are NOT the fox hunters. Some hunts hunt coyote, and the same thing applies. Many more coyote are killed by cars or farmers than the hunt could ever possibly kill. In the US, the fox hunting community is saving entire populations of fox, coyote, and many other wild animals. I really think that some people are either just incredibly naive, or they dislike fox hunting because of a perceived social class issue.

OP, just to clarify, I’m not harassing you, my remarks are a generalized vent added as an aside to this conversation and I appreciate you bringing up the topic as it allows me to air these thoughts.

[FitToBeTied]

I was out hunting the other day and we had two long runs which ended with the fox circling back to his den unharmed. He took the hunt all over the place. When you watch the hounds follow you realize how much the fox understands the game and he zigs and zags, circles, climbs things etc.

[OneGrayPony]

@Red Hiltop

No worries. I’m oddly “ugh”
about over-foxing of a living room. I feel the same way about too much burgandy and green plaid, and too many “hunt scene” paintings. I do totally get feelings need to be expressed (and agree with your feelings, I just don’t agree with fox/duck/deer/fish/chicken decor I guess).

Such a strange thing to say. Other people’s decor choices are not something to be agreed with or not. Preferences, sure. I would never do my house in those wolf paintings and southwestern decor, but I’ve no judgement or disagreement with those who do.

[Scribbler]

I tend to dislike “theme” decoration of any kind, but I can’t say that fox decor is any worse than any other theme.

Years ago I knew an old cowboy who lived alone, and could do what he wanted. He went on a big salmon fishing charter expedition every year and caught giant 5 foot long salmon. One year he decided to make a print of his trophy fish like the Japanese do (with much smaller fish!). He made an ink print of a 5 foot long salmon on an old bed sheet and had it over the back of his sofa. He then smoked the salmon in his own homemade smoke house.

[Brown_Derby]

@Red Hiltop

No worries. I’m oddly “ugh”
about over-foxing of a living room. I feel the same way about too much burgandy and green plaid, and too many “hunt scene” paintings. I do totally get feelings need to be expressed (and agree with your feelings, I just don’t agree with fox/duck/deer/fish/chicken decor I guess).

Most of the respondents here have said they neither like nor do the fox overboard. Your query should be addressed to the layperson, not to fox hunters and enthusiasts. The people who look to Ralph Lauren & even Sotheby’s to reinvent themselves (via themes of polo, the hunt, the shore, nouveau Wyoming, etc.).

[Red_Hiltop]

Good for you, I guess? LOL
Dissect the term if you want, but you still won’t find cow print dish towels in my kitchen

[Red_Hiltop]

If I was curious in the layperson’s opinion on fox decor, I would have not posted to the fox hunting section on a public horse BB

[Scribbler]

@Red Hiltop

If I was curious in the layperson’s opinion on fox decor, I would have not posted to the fox hunting section on a public horse BB

I think most of the folks on this section are hunter ring hunters

I have to say I don’t really want barn decor in my house. This despite the fact I have two out of commission western saddles in my living room, plus a bin of tack cleaning gear, plus a rack for drying saddle pads, and a fine later of silted wood chips in the front hall.

I mean deliberate barn decor.

I once saw photos of wainscotting made out of badly chewed fence boards. And it made me as nervous as seeing badly chewed boards in my own paddock.

Someone once told me they panelled their house in old barn boards for the rustic look and then dealt with several years of major plagues of flies coming out of the walls every summer.

[xeroxchick]

Coyote have moved in and red foxes moved to the suburbs. I wonder if people are as enthralled by the beauty of coyotes as they are by foxes.

[FitToBeTied]

@xeroxchick

Coyote have moved in and red foxes moved to the suburbs. I wonder if people are as enthralled by the beauty of coyotes as they are by foxes.

That is not a true statement. The coyotes moved in and then nature re-balanced. We have a very healthy fox population in this area and a very large coyote population.

The coyotes are cool in their own way. I love to listen to them at night with all of their calling from hill top to hill top.

[OneGrayPony]

It’s funny, coyotes I associate with the west (I know plenty of people who use them as western decor) and foxes with British/Old eastern US money. I’ve seen both in homes.

[Scribbler]

PNW. Suburban condo near a greenbelt. When the fire trucks go past on the big through street, the coyotes sing back. Sounds like they are living right in the condo landscaping! However I have never seen a fox IRL.