Fox hunted for 45 minutes during shameful hunt in County Wicklow

An unfortunate fox who was hunted for 45 minutes was among those terrorised during a shameful hunt in County Wicklow.

A report in the Irish Field of 12 January 2024 outlined how "with the mist coming down and near darkness", the huntsman of the Wicklow Hunt "found [a fox] in the second covert and they had a lovely hunt for about 45 minutes we believe, as we could see nothing, but we could hear two of the top hound voices that kept us in touch".

"It was a good job the fox did not straighten up, as the valley ran all the way to Inch," the report added.

Earlier, a fox was forced to run for his life through a wood, with the Irish Field report stating that the hunters and hounds "had some wonderful woodland hunting" and that the fox was "eventually [marked to ground] in a wide ditch".

The fate of this fox was not revealed but in fox hunting terminology, marking or “marked to ground” refers to the point when the pack of hounds chase the fox into an earth or drain and this is typically followed by the arrival of the hunt’s terriermen who cruelly catch the fox using shovels, spades and terriers before the doomed animal is brutally killed.

According to the report, "there was a plethora of foxes congregating...two left and headed for Coolgreany before hounds entered the covert and there was at least a brace and a half still in the covert as the pack settled on one, who ran towards the hills and to ground".

The pack of dogs disturbed at least two other foxes - one was seen running "up the valley...and to ground", while they also "found another in the long ditch and hunted him and marked him also". 

Cruel fox hunting should not be happening in modern Ireland. A RED C opinion poll, commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, shows that a 77% majority agree that the government should ban fox hunting. The poll found that just 12 per cent disagree with a ban on fox hunting.

Join us in urging the Irish Government to finally ban this barbaric bloodsport.

ACTION ALERT

Tell Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin to respect the wishes of the majority and ban fox hunting in Ireland.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
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Tanaiste Micheál Martin TD
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
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Contact the leaders of the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour to urge them to back a ban on fox hunting and all bloodsports.

Eamon Ryan
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
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Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
X: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
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Ivana Bacik TD
Leader, The Labour Party
Tel: (01) 6183136
Email: ivana.bacik@oireachtas.ie
X: https://twitter.com/ivanabacik
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bacikivana/

Contact Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour Party TDs and tell them to back a ban.

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 If you are a landowner, make your land off-limits to hunters. Find out more about how to do this on our Farmers/Landowners Page – http://www.banbloodsports.com/farmers.htm

Witness the cruelty of fox hunting
http://www.banbloodsports.com/videos.htm
https://youtu.be/cbLKs9pgQno

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