I had not intended to write about our fox so soon, until I realised that in some areas the fox hunting cubing season has started. Cubing happens early mornings usually in the middle of August before the fox hunting season starts late August to the beginning of September.
Cubing is the training of young hounds for fox hunting. What is hunted is in the name, fox cubs that are no more than six months old, just like those that you can see on our webcams and our photographs. They have no experience in life let alone being chased by a pack of killer hounds, who are learning the smells of the fox, the chasing and the killing, it is said that it is educating new hound to the pack. If they are not up to being fox hounds they to have a gruesome end. They are shot. When the young hounds catch a cub it is cruel and not a pleasant sight. They are ripped to shreds, their screams are pitiful that can never be forgotten. Fox hunting is evil, but if you thought it could never be worse, think again, cubing is far worse, so savage that it is rarely spoken about outside the hunting fraternity and not widely known about. It is illegal as is fox hunting, and has been so since 2005., Although you wouldn’t think so by the way it is completely ignored by those hunting.
The hunts tell that they are clearing fox vermin, that kill sheep and chickens. There is no argument about that fox, if they get the opportunity will kill chickens. Over the years we have lost quite a few to the fox but it has always been our fault for not putting up more protection. We keep a radio to deter the fox from going in the area that our chickens, turkey and other fowl scratch about. Last year we lost a chicken to a fox. The batteries on the radio had gone flat.
As for taking lambs we have never lost a lamb to a fox. My experience has been completely different and witnessed by those watching our webcams. Many a time we have witnessed lambs in the process of being born, with a fox walking in the middle of our small flock just feet away. Never did we witness the flock panicking and taking flight or have ever seen in the 25 years we have here a fox attack our sheep