VAWM - Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management

02/11/2025

Letter: Life for the fox, brown hare and red deer of Exmoor has become considerably worse - for a variety of reasons - since the Hunting Act was introduced, research shows

A letter from Jim Barrington:

Published 31st Oct 2025, 06:00 GMT

The letter from Fiona Norris states that the refusal of the NI Assembly to ban hunting with hounds is shameful (NI ban on hunting with hounds long overdue, October 22), but she fails to mention one of the most pressing reasons why this has not come about.

Surely any sensible politician considering such a step, regardless of how they may feel about hunting, would look at the available evidence from elsewhere in the UK.

The only research into the effects of the Hunting Act in England and Wales and published in the book Rural Wrongs (Pye-Smith, 2023) shows that life for the fox, brown hare and red deer of Exmoor (the three main hunted species) has become considerably worse for a variety of reasons.

The findings of this study are briefly laid out in the document Broken Countryside, which can be found at: www.wearehunting.com

It is easy to call for simplistic measures, but as a former executive director of the League Against Cruel Sports, I am fully aware that such actions can have unintended consequences.

If those who oppose hunting with hound are genuine in their belief that wild animals should not suffer unnecessarily, surely such diligence is not too much to ask.

Jim Barrington, animal welfare advisor to the Countryside Alliance

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/letter-life-for-the-fox-brown-hare-and-red-deer-of-exmoor-has-become-considerably-worse-for-a-variety-of-reasons-since-the-hunting-act-was-introduced-research-shows-5382440

A letter from Jim Barrington:

02/11/2025

https://wearehunting.com/wp-content/uploads/rural_voices_final.pdfhttps://wearehunting.com/wp-content/uploads/rural_voices_final.pdf

10/10/2025

07/08/2025

🦊 Why fox hunting matters – insights from Sweden’s wildlife management
On August 1st, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) hunting season begins across Sweden, and many hunters are already actively calling foxes at dawn. But this is not just about tradition — it’s about biodiversity, public health, and ecological balance.
🔎 Here's why fox hunting is important:
🍼 A typical litter of fox cubs consumes around 1 ton of prey before they leave the parental territory.
🐦 A dense fox population puts significant pressure on small mammals and birds, including ground-nesting species, hares, and roe deer fawns.
🧫 Foxes are also vectors of serious diseases, such as sarcoptic mange, rabies, and Echinococcus multilocularis (a dangerous tapeworm that can affect humans).
🌿 Managing fox populations helps limit disease transmission and maintain a healthier balance within ecosystems.
📉 In Sweden, fox populations have fluctuated historically due to fur markets and disease outbreaks. Sarcoptic mange notably reduced their numbers in the 1970s — a disease still present today.
🎯 Through regulated hunting and monitoring, hunters play a vital role in predator control, wildlife health, and protecting biodiversity.
https://youtu.be/2x1IW5w6nyw
Svenska Jägareförbundet

Photo: Linda Dombrovska

06/08/2025

France has TB Free status - however there is some concern over occasional outbreaks, and they don't mess around.

"In order to avoid the creation of true disease reservoirs, ANSES (France's version of DEFRA) has recommended in areas where (TB) outbreaks are regularly detected on farms and in badgers, that the latter should be culled to a radius of one or even two kilometres. ''

There is also heightened badger surveillance and testing within a 5km zone.

Exactly what should have been done here in the West Country from the 1980's onwards, in other words. But no. Control of a notifiable zoonotic disease took second place behind appeasement of a pathetic bunch of 'badger lovers' - which has, of course, resulted in the deaths of thousands more badgers (and cattle) than would have been the case had our politicians of the time given them the good ignoring they so richly deserved.

Link to full paper in comments, with our thanks to a friend of the page for supplying it.

16/06/2025

🔴 Hunters and Herders: Creating new visions for the future of and in Europe

🐺 From November 2024 to December 2027, partners in 12 countries — led by Inland Norway University and supported by FACE — will bring expertise and grassroots perspectives to the project in shaping future coexistence strategies.

🤝 Now, through the EU-funded CoCo project , hunters will help shape a new vision for how people, , and wildlife can share landscapes in ways that support and rural livelihoods.

Read full article here 👉 https://www.face.eu/2025/06/hunters-and-herders-creating-new-visions-for-the-future-of-pastoralism-and-wildlife-in-europe/

Sabrina Dietz

08/05/2025

Countryside Alliance Ireland criticizes John Blair MLA’s proposed hunting ban, highlighting flaws in the consultation process, potential economic impacts, and the disregard for rural voices.

05/05/2025

📉 Predator Numbers and Ground-Nesting Bird Declines

A recent study revisited a predator control experiment in North Northumberland that had taken place in the early 2000s. It looked at what happened to ground-nesting birds when legal predator control stopped - and the results are sobering.

When Carrion Crows and Red Foxes were managed, ground-nesting birds saw their breeding success triple. Numbers of species like Curlew, Snipe, and Red Grouse increased during the control period.

But ten years after predator control ended, Carrion Crow numbers rose by 78% and fox presence more than doubled - up by 127%. During that same period, Red Grouse numbers fell by 71%, Golden Plover by 81%, and Snipe by 76%. Black Grouse and Grey Partridge disappeared entirely from the study plots. These changes happened despite the habitat itself staying broadly the same.

These declines aren’t isolated. They reflect wider national trends in the UK, where generalist predators have increased sharply in the absence of apex predators and traditional land management.

The study concludes that ongoing predator control - alongside longer-term changes to make habitats less favourable to predators - may be necessary to protect vulnerable moorland birds.

Takeaway: Without effective predator management, key moorland bird species - including those valued by rural communities - are likely to continue declining, regardless of habitat quality.

20/04/2025

https://vawm.org.uk/resources/position-statement-on-hunting-with-dogs-april-2025/

The VAWM has revised its position statement on hunting with dogs, to bring it up to date. The new version takes account of the latest research

08/03/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18reDgXKjM/?mibextid=wwXIfr

27/02/2025

Dr Nick Fox’s book ‘Hunting Ethics’, has now been launched.
The book has over 320 pages, 143 photographs, 34 figures, over 1100 references and belongs on everyone's book shelf.

‘A brave, extraordinary and important book that confronts the most difficult discussions about hunting head on’
Chris Packham CBE, Wildlife Presenter.

26/02/2025

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/hunting-child-taught-resilience-courage-191037952.html

There are few things that can generate the same “He’s been! He’s been!” squeals of enthusiasm as a stocking full of presents at the end of the bed on Christmas morning. But, in our house, there was one thing: the arrival of the meet card – essentially, the hunt’s fixture list.