A pack of dogs is more effective at flushing red foxes to guns than a pair

Abstract

ABSTRACTLegislation passed in Scotland in 2002 and England and Wales in 2004 banned the hunting of wild mammals with domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), with specific exemptions that allow red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) to be driven out (“flushed”) from areas of terrain (“coverts”) to be shot as a means of pest control. In England and Wales, there is a limit of 2 dogs; whereas, in Scotland, there is no limit. The difference in the number of dogs allowed may have important implications for the efficacy of fox population control where they are considered to be a pest and potentially for the welfare of foxes being flushed. We addressed these questions by using a pack and a pair of dogs (foxhounds) to flush foxes to waiting guns from the same 80 coverts (in Scotland, from early Dec 2012 to late Mar 2013) in a balanced randomized crossover design, comparing the number of foxes flushed, time taken to flush them, and duration of active pursuit by dogs. Data were analyzed using regression models, with hunting method (pack vs. pair) and potential confounding environmental, operational, and terrain factors as independent variables. Models were compared using Akaike's Information Criteria (AICc) and parameter estimates were obtained from the best fitting (ΔAICc <4.0) models using AICc weighted model‐averaging. When we used a pair of dogs as compared with a pack, 56% fewer foxes were flushed. Whereas when we used a pack, the time to the first fox being flushed was 2.94 times less than with a pair and the time from start of active pursuit to the first fox being flushed was 5.05 times less. These findings provide support to the contentions that the use of a pair rather than a pack of dogs a) is considerably less effective in flushing foxes to guns, and b) imposes a longer duration of pursuit on foxes. © 2018 The Authors. Wildlife Society Bulletin published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Wildlife Society.