This is a news article about an incidence that occurred during a New Years Day hunt.
A group is looking to ban fox hunting in Bucks County, PA parks because of the incidence. The article is a little short on details.
I am also unclear on whether the hounds bit the couple or bit the couples dogs.
I saw that too. There is something off about that story to me.
The newspaper account, and the couple’s new story, does not jibe with the incident report filed when the incident occurred weeks ago.
I suspect local politics is at the heart of the matter - though no one using public land should have to worry about other users - conflicts do happen.
Whether it’s between bicyclists and hikers or trailriders and hunters - doesn’t matter and I don’t mean to minimize those conflicts.
But in this case… I smell politics. The nastiest sort. Small town politics.
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An unfortunate incident like this is always seen as an opportunity by groups opposed to hunting. I will say that I have to agree on one thing that the Coxes said, which is that if a hunt plans to go over a public area, it’s a good idea to post some sort of notice (and yes, I understand that can “tip off” objectors). New Year’s day would indeed be a day when the woods would be full of what I call “outdoor amateurs”, people who only go out when the weather is nice and who think that a walk in the woods should be just like a walk around their condo complex, except with more trees. A Disney-fication of the outdoors.
As more an more of rural America disappears into subdivisions and developments, these sorts of conflicts will happen more frequently. I suppose every hunt must have some sort of discussion as to how to address conflict with non-hunters.
As an aside to those of you with far more experience with hounds than I, isn’t it unusual for hounds to be distracted by people/dogs/cats/sheep whatever while hunting? Would the hounds have seen these dogs as interlopers? I’m puzzled, because every hound I’ve ever met has been mellow and almost timid, but I’m sure there are exceptions.
[QUOTE=Hinderella;6092125]
I’m puzzled, because every hound I’ve ever met has been mellow and almost timid, but I’m sure there are exceptions.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, me too. People here carry on about the deer dogs and say they’ll attack horses and children and doG knows what else - but the ones I’ve met are so timid they’d faint if you stomped your foot at them.
Things that make you go hmmmm. From http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/01/19/controversy-erupts-over-new-years-fox-hunts-in-bucks-county-parkland/
[alleged victim] Judy Cox told her story to the Warwick supervisors this week. Her husband, who was walking with her, is on the board which voted to call on the county to ban the hunts in county parks.
UPDATE
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Scarey…very scarey…
What update? Why was the post edited?
I think the mods deleted a post by a possible spammer.
Ah, ok. I did hear that foxhunting had been banned in the park.
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