Sportsmen Seek Constitutional Protection for Hunting
Four states—Arkansas, Arizona, South Carolina, and Tennessee—have right-to-hunt referendums on the ballot this year. Kentucky may follow. Such constitutional guarantees have already been passed in nine states: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Not all the legislation has been recent; Vermont passed their […]
Florida Bans Fox Pens
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has banned the use of enclosures in the hunting of fox or coyote with hounds. The decision, made at a commission meeting on Wednesday, September 1, made permanent the temporary ban instituted in February. The ban is the result of complaints concerning at least one pen owner’s non-compliance […]
Florida May Shut Down Training Pens
Foxhound training pens are used by many hunts around the country as a part of their puppy training program. The pens are also used by individuals who simply enjoy running their hounds. Foxes (or coyotes) are provided with refuges within the pen to allow them to escape hounds when pressed. There are rules that limit […]
Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Many States
Horse owners in Alabama and elsewhere have been advised to vaccinate against Eastern Equine Encephalitis. The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries says that six cases of EEE in horses have been found in the state and contiguous counties. Commissioner Ron Sparks said, “Heavy rainfall has made us extremely vulnerable to the spread of mosquito-borne […]
West Nile Virus Returns to California
So far this year, four horses have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in California: in Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Madera Counties. Each of the four horses was either unvaccinated or not vaccinated completely. State officials have renewed calls for all horse owners to vaccinate, warning that outbreaks of the virus are still a risk […]
British Government Confirms Free Vote in Parliament on Hunting Act
The coalition government in Britain has confirmed its intention to offer Parliament a chance to repeal the Hunting Act by a free vote. After an online petition on the Number 10 Downing Street website called for repeal, the government responded, “The Act has not been a demonstrable success. It is an unnecessary drain on police resources […]
LACS PLedges 1 Million to Defend Hunting Ban
The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) has announced plans to sell some of its land in Exmoor to raise funds for a £1 million campaign to defend the hunting ban. This is in response to the coalition government’s promise for a free vote in Parliament on the repeal of the Hunting Act. LACS would place […]
London Fox Killing Video a Hoax
The recent horrific incident of an actual fox attack on a pair of young twins in London spawned, according to Chris Atkins and Johnny Howorth, a media hysteria there disproportionate to the extent of the problem. According to Atkins, the reporting, including by the BBC, was irresponsible and misrepresentative, and the reports never stressed that […]
Three British Hunts Face Prosecution under the Ban
Three hunts face prosecution for incidents which occurred last season that allegedly violated the terms of the Hunting Act of 2004: the Fernie and Sinnington Foxhounds and the Quantock Staghounds. The trials, which are expected to take place this autumn, will be prosecuted based on surveillance evidence provided to prosecutors for the Crown by the League […]
Working Your Horse in the Heat of Summer
We’re all busy legging up our horses for the upcoming hunting season now. And the summer has been a scorcher. You’ve no doubt become hot and sweaty while exercising your horse, but did you know that horses are much faster than people to become debilitated by the heat? This weather calls for electrolytes.. The Summer […]