in simplest terms 'yes' I am an animal lover in every sense of the word from childhood I've always been rescuing and repairing something feathered or furry but a few years ago I took a long hard look what I eat and how the countryside is managed - unbalanced due to human intervention and made an effort to learn more about the countryside, the balance that has to be struck and the food I eat.

I now beat regularly each season, have learnt to skin a deer although i need alot of practise still and am in totaly agreement with hunting because of the balance that it strikes both to keep numbers down and to give them a breeding season, new legal rules i don't in all honesty think have benefitted us or the animals in our care far too many are injured rather than killed outright and youngsters left without parents which is a real shame.

For all the public fuss about hunting and most was sheep following rather than well informed opinion the hunt at least gave these animals some protection.