Shooting hunt dogs

[terrysgirl33]

While those problems are indeed annoying I don't think I could recommend to anyone to fire a warning shot at people. I cannot imagine the farmer thought he was in any danger from the hunt and actions like that could lead to prosecution. Suing the hunt for the damage caused would be the legal option to take.

So, it's OK to kill sheep and destroy crops, but heaven forfend that you kill the dog that caused the damage, or warned the trespassers? This is a genuine question, not intended as a wind up. I have seen sheep killed because they huddled together in fear of a dog, and the sheep in the middle suffocated, not to mention the loss of the lambs, why are their lives much less valuable than the lives of the dogs?

Hunts around the country seem to vary WIDELY in terms of the people who are involved and their attitudes. This particular hunt seems to have the attitude that they have a G*d given right to ride over the land, and conversely seem to have no understanding of farming or the countryside?? I mentioned in a previous post that a crop had been ruined by the hunt going through it, other hunts ride around the edge of the field and that completely avoids that problem (dogs going through a field aren't going to damage a crop in all fairness).

AFAIK, it's up to the hunt to get permission from the land owners before entering on a hunt, not up to the landowner to 'protect' his/her land, but some hunts don't seem to understand that!

Edited to add, I realise this does not answer the legal question at all, sorry! The farmer in question was not taken to court about discharging the shotgun, but it was a long time ago (20+ years). The advice to warn the master of hounds to remove the dogs, and give him 15 minutes to do so seems good (if he can't remove them, then they are obviously not under control), though that depends on how the livestock is reacting.