“Ban them from entering your land - my father would not have them on his farm and made it clear to the Hunt Master that if there was any disturbance, he would shoot at the offenders! It worked, he had no trouble with them and his land was left alone. If the law says you can't shoot offenders, then say you will sue - and carry out that threat - only way.”

“I feel very sorry for this Exeter farmer trying to earn a living, which can't be easy on 100 acres these days, and having his livelihood threatened by these wasters.

We'll get much more of this, despite the provisions of the Hunting Act 2004. Farmers whose lands are torn up (poached) by galloping horses also risk losing their farming subsidies and those who raise sheep risk losing their lambs when frightened ewes miscarry or give birth to dead lambs.

How much longer do we have to put up with the cruel practices and anti-social activities of the bloodsports lot?. If you live in a country village, as I do, your life is blighted for 7 months of the year!. Local roads become no-go areas, as they're impassable and if you run a business, you simply have to shut down operations until they move on to cause mayhem somewhere else.

We're all struggling to earn a living yet these people seem to be able to tear around the countryside 2, 3 and four days per week, with little or no regard for anything or anyone in their path.
Enough!”

“Dear Lucy

That leads me to only two possible conclusions.

1. The trail was deliberately laid across the private land.

or

2. The dogs were out of control.

In either case the hunt is culpable and should answer to the magistrates.”

“well stephen owens, perhaps you should try laying some landmines during the hunt, preferably with some web cams trained on them. that should spruce up the news a bit !”

“If the hunt was drag hunting, that is to say chasing a pre laid trail, rather than a fox - which is illegal, why would the trail be laid across someones land who objects to the hounds? It was clearly another example of illegal hunting which goes on day in day out throughout our county.

This news comes only 2 days after Richard Down was convicted of illegal hunting for then second time at Taunton Magistrates Court. Shows how little regard these people have for life, people and the law.”

“If the leaders/masters of the hunt did not know their dogs went on this land then clearly they were not in control of them which is illegal.

I would suggest the farmer gets the police to prosecute them and let us know how he gets on.

Alternatively, if the police do not take action, herd your cows over the masters land - they could hardly complain.”

“Bloody hell - it's a warzone out there!

Solutions so far:

Shoot the dog (Gribbo)
Chase the fox mano-a-mano (Ian)
Shoot the fox (Pauls GGandad)
Shoot everything (Pauls GGandad)

I'm staying well away from Dunkeswell just in case the farmer takes this advice to heart.”

“One of my great grandfathers was reputed to have shot the hunted fox and threatened to shoot any thing else that came on to his land. Gg father was one of the lucky ones who was a farm owner and not a tenant farmer who had to touch his forelock every time the hunting, shooting squire came passed and allow the local hunt to trample over the farmed land.”

“Don't you mean mano-a-foxo Iain?”

“If a neighbours dog got in your back garden and worried your childs pet guinea pig, or worried swans near The Quay in Exeter, serious thoughts would be given to disciplining the owners, up to the point of having the animals put down. The same should happen to these herded, un-necessary, pack animals. If these landed gentry want to hunt foxes, then they should get their un-excercised fat behinds off the horse and try chasing one mano - a - mano;
Who do you think would win, and also cause less damage to the environment?”