Foxes and foxhunting on farms in Wiltshire: a case study

A questionnaire survey of 220 farmers, and interviews with 13 Masters of pa cks of foxhounds, in the county of Wiltshire, UK, were undertaken to answer questions on whether farmers perceived the red fox, Vulpes vulpes, to be a pest, and on pest control methods. Farmers' opinions regarding the need fo r fox control were often contradictory and not directly governed by their o wn interests. Although two-thirds did not consider the fox to be a personal pest, most believed that foxes should be controlled everywhere, because th ey were too numerous. Far fewer believed foxes responsible for actually tak ing domestic livestock. Where farmers' opinions of the fox were influenced by personal stock loss, their main concern was chickens, which were general ly kept on a non-commercial scale. The evidence is that, over the whole cou nty, hunting with hounds makes an insignificant contribution (5%) to total mortality (through 'control efforts'), most being shot. A greater density o f foxes was reported shot when there was a perceived pest problem, where la mb or gamebird losses were reported, or when a farmer farmed stock. Where t he farmer considered shooting to be effective or humane, a greater density of foxes was also shot. The Hunt was less responsive to these situations, p aying fewer visits to farms where the fox was considered a pest, or where t he farmer welcomed the Hunt, hunting being more likely to occur on farms re porting fewer foxes, less livestock farming and fewer fox pest problems. It is likely that these farms presented fewer incompatibilities with, or phys ical access problems for, the Hunt. Most farmers, even on farms where foxes were considered a pest, tolerated, rather than encouraged, hunting on thei r land. Evidence from hunting farmers suggests that hunting is considered p rimarily as recreation, and secondarily as a method of controlling foxes. ( C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.