VAWM - Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management

02/01/2026

🔬 New science confirms hunting’s role in conservation
A new peer-reviewed study published in Nature Sustainability (2025) analysed global use and trade data for terrestrial mammal species and found a clear pattern:
species subject to regulated sport hunting are more likely to have stable or increasing populations and less likely to be listed as threatened than species that are not sport hunted.
Importantly, the study also found that species hunted for food were not more likely to have declining populations or higher threat status compared to non-hunted species. This challenges common assumptions and highlights the importance of how wildlife is managed, not just whether it is used.
📌 What this means
The authors conclude that sport hunting, when regulated and science-based, can be associated with a more favourable conservation status of mammal species and can form part of sustainable wildlife management frameworks.
For Europe, these findings strongly resonate with existing hunting models built on:
• strict legal frameworks
• population monitoring and reporting
• adaptive management
• long-term stewardship by hunters
🟢 Key message
This research reinforces a growing body of scientific evidence showing that well-regulated hunting is compatible with, and can support, conservation objectives when embedded in robust governance and ecological knowledge.
📄 Study:
Sport hunting associated with favourable conservation status of mammals
Jacob E. Hill, Kenneth F. Kellner & Jerrold L. Belant
Nature Sustainability (2025)
Science matters. Evidence matters. Sustainable use matters.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01714-6

02/01/2026

30/12/2025

Many are eloquently expressing what the changes to the Animal Welfare strategy will mean to them and the effect it will have.

These are the words of someone who cares deeply about hounds and way of life.

“It begins when most of the world is asleep.
With frost on the ground, breath in the air and the low, familiar sound of hounds greeting the day.

Early mornings that blur into late nights.
Hands that know every face, every habit, every heartbeat.
A deep admiration for animals bred to work and a responsibility to their welfare that never switches off - not on Sundays, not on Christmas, not when it’s cold, wet, or hard.

These hounds are not symbols of class.
They are living beings we know individually.
We watch them age, we worry over them, we celebrate their strength and mourn their passing.
Their welfare is not part of 'sport' it's our daily duty.

This life brings rural communities together in ways that are invisible from the outside.
Farmers, landowners, kennel staff, neighbours - people who understand that showing up matters.
That looking after one anothers welfare is as important as looking after the land itself.

Trail hunting is part of this life. Lawful, regulated, and rooted in daily work, not the cruelty it is so often reduced to in a headline.

But there is a darker side.

The loneliness, the weight of abuse from people who have never stood where we stand.
Never felt the silence of responsibility.
Never loved an animal, nature or the land that depends on you entirely, yet feel entitled to judge from a click bate headline.

This way of life was not chosen, it was learned.
Passed down from generation to generation, through watching, through doing, through respect for animals, land, and hard work.

It carries history and tradition in its hands.

I don’t expect everyone to understand.

But recognise, that behind today’s headlines are real families, real hounds, and lives built quietly and carefully, long before they became something to argue over.”

Thank you Jodie C

17/12/2025

🇮🇪 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝘆𝘁𝗵.

As debate continues around the proposed hunting ban, it’s important that discussion is grounded in 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻 (𝗨𝗖𝗗) 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗜𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁:

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘅. €𝟴𝟭𝟲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 to the Irish economy
• 𝗜𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝟭𝟰,𝟬𝟱𝟳 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀
• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 €𝟮𝟯𝟭.𝟰 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻
• 𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝟰𝟳,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 are involved directly and indirectly

Within this framework, 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆.

The report further shows that within the 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿:
• €𝟭𝟬𝟯 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 in annual expenditure is recorded
• 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 €𝟯𝟮 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 of this expenditure is directly attributable to hunting

That €𝟯𝟮 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 represents 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴-𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 — including horses, services, participation and rural spend.

However, the report also makes clear that 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺.

While recognised as a 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿, hunting activity is also absorbed across other areas of the sport horse economy, including 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗹𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀, and 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁-𝘁𝗼-𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁, which are organised and run by hunt clubs.

As a result, 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀.

🇪🇺 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁

Research supported by 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗘 (𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗨) and presented to the European Parliament shows that across Europe:

• 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 €𝟭𝟴𝟬 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆
• €𝟵𝟲.𝟯 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 is direct annual expenditure by participants
• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟭.𝟭 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀

Ireland is part of this wider European rural economy, where hunting is recognised as a 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗿 to employment and regional development.

🏹 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱?

Hunting with hounds is represented nationally by the 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 (𝗛𝗔𝗜), which comprises 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀:

• Irish Masters of Foxhounds Association
• Irish Foot Harriers Association
• Irish Masters of Harriers Association
• Irish Masters of Beagles Association
• Irish Masters of Mink Hounds Association
• Ward Union Staghounds

HAI has stated that 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝟯𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗱𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 reflecting a broad rural participation base.

⚠️ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

Hunting is:
• 𝗔 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿
• 𝗔 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗹𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆
• 𝗔 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

Removing it removes 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 that supports rural Ireland.

𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.

📖 References 📖

Drennan, M. and McCoy, S. (2017) Economic Impact of the Irish Sport Horse Industry. Dublin: University College Dublin and Horse Sport Ireland.

FACE – Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU (2008) Hunting in Ireland: Socio-Economic and Cultural Profile. Brussels: FACE.

FACE – Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU (2025) The Economic and Social Contribution of Hunting and Sport Shooting in Europe. Brussels: FACE. Presentation to the European Parliament.

Horse Sport Ireland (2017) Irish Sport Horse Industry: Facts, Figures and Employment. Naas: Horse Sport Ireland.

Hunting Association of Ireland (HAI) (n.d.) Structure, Constituent Bodies and Participation in Hunting with Hounds in Ireland

Irish Masters of Foxhounds Association (IMFHA) (n.d.) Registered Foxhound Packs in Ireland.

16/12/2025

Another excellent post North Kerry Harriers 👏🏻

𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛𝗦 𝘃𝘀 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 ⬇️
𝗕𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗝𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗘 — 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦

There’s a lot of hearsay online about hunting.
Very little of it reflects what actually happens on the ground👇

❌ 𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛: 𝗙𝗼𝘅𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘅𝗲𝘀
✅ 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁

Ireland has no natural predators for foxes.
Without population management, high fox densities lead to:

• Disease (especially mange)
• Starvation
• Road fatalities
• Increased pressure on endangered wildlife

Responsible fox control is about reducing suffering and maintaining ecological balance — not hatred.

📊Ecological research and national biodiversity records confirm the red fox is one of Ireland’s most widespread and abundant mammals, with an estimated population of 150,000–200,000 (NPWS; Hayden & Harrington).

❌ 𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛: 𝗙𝗼𝘅𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
✅ 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀

Hounds follow scent — not a fox they can see.

Very often:
• The scent is lost
• The fox escapes unseen
• If hounds enter land without permission, they are immediately withdrawn

❌ 𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛: 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗹
✅ 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝘅 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Hunting with hounds is the only fox-control method that mirrors natural predator behaviour — selective, natural, and self-regulating.

𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝘅𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗸, 𝗶𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱.

Healthy foxes are most likely to escape — exactly as they would in a natural ecosystem with predators.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘅 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻, 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀.
Veterinary evidence shows loss of sensibility occurs within seconds.

This is why the 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 recognises it as one of the most humane control methods available.

❌ 𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛: 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺
✅ 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹, 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹

🧥Wool hunt coats:
• Naturally waterproof and wind-resistant
• Retain warmth even when wet
• Durable and safer around horses and hedges

👔𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 (𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿):
• Traditionally used as emergency bandages for horse or rider injuries

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀:
• Improves visibility across farmland
• Allows hunt staff to be identified quickly
• Helps landowners recognise the hunt at a distance

This isn’t fashion — it’s practicality and safety.

❌ 𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛: 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗴𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁
✅ 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

• Every meet is planned around landowner permission.
• Farmers guide us. Livestock is respected.
• If permission is refused or withdrawn — we do not go there.

❌ 𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛: 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱
✅ 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹

• Operate under constitutions and codes of conduct
• Are insured
• Are accountable to landowners and governing bodies
• Function in daylight, in full public view

This is organised, transparent countryside management — not reckless or secret activity.

❌ 𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛: 𝗙𝗼𝘅𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲
✅ 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲

Our members include:
👩‍🌾 Farmers
👨‍🔧 Tradespeople
🛒 Shop workers
👩‍🎓 Students
👨‍🚒 Public-sector workers

We are local people who work hard, care deeply about animals, and value rural life.

❌ 𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛: 𝗙𝗼𝘅𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵, 𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰, 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗿𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲
✅ 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱, 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲

Hunting with hounds has existed in Ireland since at least the 17th–18th centuries, evolving to suit Irish land, farming systems and rural communities.

Modern Irish hunting is community-based, working rural, voluntary and local — not colonial, and not elite.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲.
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀.

15/12/2025

Thank you The Irish Field for publishing this - a reminder to anyone who hasn’t contacted their TDs to do it before Wednesday!

The Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management offers their position on the science and welfare evidence in favour of hunting with dogs

11/12/2025

Excellent post North Kerry Harriers 👏🏻

🇮🇪 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 — 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍’𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎𝐋𝐃

There’s a lot of emotion online about hunting.
But here are the facts backed by Irish and European wildlife research — and they completely change the conversation.

☘️ 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐱 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 — 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

Ireland eliminated wolves, lynx and bears long ago. With no predators left, fox numbers rise beyond what the land can support.

As a result, foxes now live at unnaturally high densities, confirmed by NPWS & DAFM.

High-density fox populations mean:
✔ More disease (especially mange)
✔ Starvation and slow death
✔ More roadkill
✔ More pressure on endangered wildlife

𝑫𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 “𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆” 𝒇𝒐𝒙𝒆𝒔 — 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈.

🐶 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝 &
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬:

Hunting with hounds is the only fox-control method that 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫, natural and selective.

𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤, 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝.

Healthy foxes are the most likely to escape — just as they are designed to, as they would from wolves in a natural ecosystem.

This means:
✔ The weakest foxes (mange, injury, illness) are removed quickly
✔ Prevents slow deaths from infection, exposure or starvation
✔ Disease spread is reduced
✔ Strong, healthy foxes remain
✔ The overall population stays fitter and healthier

No other method — can guarantee this natural selective effect. This is wildlife management at its most natural.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐱 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧, 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬
𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬.

No suffering.
No lingering wounds.
Nothing like starvation, poisoning, snares or untreated disease.

This is why VAWM - Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management consider it one of the most humane control methods available

🦊 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞: 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 ‘𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬’

This is the uncomfortable truth:

❌ 𝐈𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 — 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬
• Shooting
• Emergency culls when bird populations collapse

Meanwhile:
✅ 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲.

🔄 A ban simply shifts control from selective, natural predation to other alternatives

🌿 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 🐤

NPWS, Teagasc and BirdWatch Ireland all identify predation as the #1 cause of breeding failure in: curlew, lapwing, snipe, hen harrier and other endangered ground-nesting birds.

When predator pressure is reduced, results are dramatic:
📈 Areas with management such as predator control and fencing saw curlew fledging increase 221% in a single season.

Predator management isn’t optional — it’s essential for saving these species.

This is what real conservation looks like.

🌍 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨
UCD-led research found 74% of Europe’s ground-nesting birds are declining, and predator pressure is a major factor.
Across Europe, conservation bodies and governments work with hunters to protect vulnerable species.

Many countries still regulate hunting with hounds because:
✔ It is selective
✔ It benefits wider ecosystems
✔ It mirrors natural predator behaviour

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 (𝐔𝐊), 𝐟𝐨𝐱 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 — it simply switched to alternative, less selective methods.

🐄 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐫𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝
• Supports rural businesses
• Retains hedgerows and habitats
• Monitors wildlife disease
• Connects communities and generations
• Operates under strict regulation and welfare oversight

This is a functioning rural ecosystem — social, economic and ecological.

🔥 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓 🔥

𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐞 — 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲-𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬.

𝐈𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐞 — 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬.

If you care about wildlife welfare, you should care about doing what actually works. Not basing opinions on uninformed emotions, or click bait, rage materials. 📢

𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬
BirdWatch Ireland (2019–2023) Breeding Bird Survey Reports. BirdWatch Ireland, Wicklow.
BirdWatch Ireland (2021) Curlew & Wader Conservation Status Summary. BirdWatch Ireland, Wicklow.
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2019) Wildlife Unit Annual Ecology Summary. DAFM, Dublin.
Environmental Protection Agency (2020) State of the Environment Report: Biodiversity and Habitat Fragmentation. EPA, Wexford.
FACE – Federation for Hunting and Conservation Europe (2020) Biodiversity, Rural Communities and Hunting: Policy Position. FACE, Brussels.
FACE – Federation for Hunting and Conservation Europe (2021) The Socio-Economic Contribution of Hunting in the EU. FACE, Brussels.
FACE – Federation for Hunting and Conservation Europe (2022) Hunting for Conservation: Overview of 430+ Hunter-Led Conservation Projects Across Europe. FACE, Brussels.
McCarthy, T. (2022) The Role of Predation and Habitat Fragmentation in Irish Upland Ecosystems. PhD thesis, University College Cork.
McMahon, B., Bolger, T., Irwin, S. & Sweeney, O. (2020) ‘Generalist predators and biodiversity decline in fragmented European landscapes’, Journal of Applied Ecology, 57(4), pp. 743–756.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (2018) Conservation Evidence Review: Ground-Nesting Birds. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Dublin.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (2019) Curlew Task Force Report. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Dublin.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (2021) Red List for Birds of Ireland. NPWS, Dublin.
National Parks and Wildlife Service & Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2017–2023) Curlew Conservation Programme: Annual Reports. NPWS/DAFM, Dublin.
National Parks and Wildlife Service & Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2017–2022) Hen Harrier Programme: Ecology and Conservation Reports. NPWS/DAFM, Dublin.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (2019) Wildlife Disease Surveillance Reports. NPWS, Dublin.
Teagasc & National Parks and Wildlife Service (2020) Agri-Ecology Report: Causes of Wader Breeding Failure. Teagasc, Carlow.
UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science (2020) Carnivore Ecology & Predator–Prey Dynamics: Field Notes. University College Dublin.
Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management (2011) Understanding Life in the Wild. VAWM, London.
Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management(2018) Hunting, Wildlife Management and the Moral Issue. VAWM, London.
Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management (2020) The Natural Chase. VAWM, London.
Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management (2025) Position Statement on Hunting with Dogs. VAWM, London.

10/12/2025

🦊 5 Facts About Foxes – Nature’s Adaptable Survivors
Foxes are one of Europe’s most successful wild predators — intelligent, adaptable and present in almost every landscape. But alongside their ecological role, they also carry important challenges for wildlife management and public health. Here are five key facts:
1️⃣ Foxes are extreme survivors
They thrive in forests, farmland and even cities. Their ability to adapt to human-altered landscapes makes them one of the most widespread predators in Europe.
2️⃣ A single fox family can expand rapidly
With high reproductive capacity and few natural enemies in many regions, local populations can grow quickly without active management.
3️⃣ Foxes are key carriers of serious diseases
They play a major role in spreading rabies, sarcoptic mange, echinococcosis (fox tapeworm) and other zoonotic diseases that threaten wildlife, livestock, pets and even humans.
4️⃣ They strongly impact ground-nesting species
Fox predation is a major pressure on vulnerable species such as ground-nesting birds, hares and amphibians — especially in fragmented agricultural landscapes.
5️⃣ Hunting is a vital management tool
Regulated fox hunting helps control disease spread, balance ecosystems and protect vulnerable species, while supporting biodiversity and animal welfare at the population level.
✅ Sustainable hunting is not about removing predators — it is about keeping nature in balance where natural regulation alone is no longer sufficient.
Photo: Linda Dombrovska

09/12/2025

Thank you Fingal Harriers Hunt for sharing this

The VAWM objectives are to promote the management of British wildlife, by methods which are advantageous for animal welfare, to protect: biodiversity and...

03/12/2025

Thank you to the North Kerry Harriers for preparing this excellent summary

🚨 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓:— 𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄, 𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐅𝐀𝐑𝐄 & 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒 🚨

There is a major national conversation happening right now about fox hunting, it’s management and hunting with hounds.
But most people only ever hear opinions, strong feelings, or short clips taken out of context.

What often gets forgotten is this:
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 - 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐕𝐀𝐖𝐌) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

✅ Over 𝟏𝟓𝟎 𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐬 across Ireland & the U.K
✅ Specialists in wildlife, behaviour, and welfare
✅ Drawing on decades of research, case studies, and field data

These vets have published evidence explaining:

🔹 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬
🔹 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠
🔹 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
🔹 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 & 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞
🔹 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞

This isn’t about tradition.
This isn’t about sides.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬, 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠.

Everyone — whether urban, rural, supportive, unsure or neutral — deserves access to the full picture.

📢 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐃𝐎
🟡 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
🟡 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
🟡 𝐀𝐬𝐤 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 & 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

The goal is simple:
𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 — 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

📚 𝐕𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄
Published by the 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐕𝐀𝐖𝐌) — a professional body of veterinary surgeons.

🔗 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞:
https://vawm.org.uk/about-us/

1️⃣ 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐎𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬
https://vawm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/A-Veterinary-Opinion-on-Hunting-with-Hounds-September-2017.pdf

2️⃣ 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐨𝐠𝐬 - 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 & 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞
https://vawm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/VAWM-Position-statement-on-hunting-with-dogs-April-2025.pdf

3️⃣ 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞
https://vawm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/NaturalChaseBooklet11-07.pdf

4️⃣ 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞
https://vawm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Hunting-Wildlife-Moral-Issue-March-2018.pdf

5️⃣ 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝
https://vawm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Understanding-Life-in-the-Wild-VAWM.pdf

6️⃣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞
https://vawm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/The-Facts-of-Rural-Life-Book-by-Charlie-Pye-Smith.pdf

💬 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃
This topic affects people, animals and welfare decisions — so the least we can do is ensure the conversation is grounded in truth, science and compassion.

If you believe evidence should guide public understanding:

👇 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄
👇 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓
👇 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐆 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒

Together, we can keep the conversation informed, balanced and respectful — and make sure accurate scientific information is part of the discussion.

01/12/2025