Artificial fox breeding den found at Cheshire hunt meet

On 2nd November, half an hour before the opening meet of the Cheshire Foxhounds at Oxheys, near Tarporley, local members of the League Against Cruel Sports discovered an artificial fox earth nearby at which there was evidence of foxes being fed on chicken and sheep carcases.

The artificial earth, with 10 inch diameter pipes as entrances, was found within Philo Gorse Wood where at 9.30pm the previous night, League members had spotted a vehicle owned by a member of the hunt, the entrances to the earth had been blocked with pieces of slate – presumably by the Hunt’s earth-stopper. It is normal practice for hunt servants to block-up fox earths and badger setts the night before the hunt to ensure that hunted foxes give the hounds a long chase rather than underground refuge.

Artificial fox earths are widely used by hunts all over England to encourage foxes to set up home and breed in hunting territories. As an extra encouragement to foxes to remain close to the artificial dens, it is not uncommon for hunters to feed foxes by dumping casualty livestock nearby – despite the fact that leaving a sheep carcase unburied is an offence under the Dogs Act 1906. A report has been sent to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food about this apparent breach of the law.

A spokesperson for the League’s Cheshire & Shropshire Support Group said, “Fox hunters justify their persecution of foxes by claiming that foxes are pests and that hunting is necessary to protect farming interests. And yet many Hunts build artificial breeding earths and even feed foxes in order to ensure there are plenty to hunt. The hypocrisy of the foxhunting fraternity is staggering.”

Published in Wildlife Guardian, Issue 27, Winter 1994