In response to Lee McKee's question about The March on Sunday 1st March......
yes I went.I live in the UK and use my ferrets and dogs for rabbiting so I
feel strongly about this issue.I don't ride to hounds,but will defend the
right of others to do so.
 
I don't know how much y'all over there know about the Foster Bill,but
basically it wants to outlaw all hunting with dogs (not just foxhounds) and
the original Bill was so badly written that if you took your Pomeranian out
for a stroll and it chased a rabbit,you'd have been banged up in prison for
6 months or have to pay a 5,000 fine (and have your dogs and "equipment"
ie.car,nets etc,confiscated and "disposed of").It specifically mentioned
foxhunting,hare coursing,mink hounds and stag hounds but was really after
any type of chasing things with more than one dog.The bloke who instigated
this Bill was a Competition Angler,but apparently fish don't feel pain in
the same way as cute fluffy animals (sarcastic grin here,chaps!).
 
Anyway,that's the beef(another reason for marching actually.....the banning
of beef on the bone!)so on Sunday about 285,000 of us country chaps and
chapesses went for a stroll in central London to try and make a point.There
were a lot of different types of folk there all with their own reasons for
marching.......but the basic message to the Govt.  was the same....."Listen
To Us".I think it worked this time, as there seem to be a certain amount of
u-turns being performed!:-)
 
The day was wonderful,no rain,no trouble just a great feeling of
camaraderie......I almost wish I'd taken the ferrets,but they'd have got
stood on or something,there were so many feet!The police complimented us on
our behaviour and the cleanliness of the route after we'd gone.I wish I
could describe it all for you,but it'd take too long.
 
Although I would still be able to ferret rabbits if this Bill did come into
effect,I wouldn't be able to use my dogs to catch any escapees.I wonder how
long that would have been tolerated,surely someone else would bring in
anti-ferret legislation next.The whole thing is ludicrous,it should be a
matter of personal choice not a criminal act!
 
The best thing for me was that I saw more foxes that weekend in London than
I've seen up in Yorkshire for ages!Someone even reported seeing one on the
platform at Fulham Broadway Station!:-)
 
Best slogan on the March (IMO) was "For fox sake keep hunting"!!!
 
Ciao,
 
K.
[Posted in FML issue 2236]