They're back !!

[SlugLobber]

As far as hunting with dogs goes, it applies to more than two 'hounds', so a single person out with one dog is perfectly legal, as long as the dog isn't set upon a restricted species or one that is out of season. So, it's not illegal for your dog to catch a rabbit or squirrel (classed as pests by some). It is however a grey area regarding pheasants/other specifically raised game, as they are the property of the gamekeeper and his employer, although they do stray onto common land and other people's property, hence the greyness!! Even one dog catching, say, a fox (unlikely as a singlet!) would not be classed as hunting, as it's accepted that it's a natural behaviour, provided there is no evidence to show that the dog was encouraged/set upon the animal.

Beware if you walk more than two dogs alone, though. If your dogs caught a fox or deer, then this WOULD be classed as Hunting with Hounds and falls outside the legal remit.

That dog above looks more interested in the sofa, though!

[sewer rat]

Well, the pheasants have finally decided my 5 acres is where the wanna shake their tailfeathers - and Charlie (my pup) is over the moon - score is now Charlie 5, Pheasants 0.

[SlugLobber]

lol! I remember my springer coming out of the bushes with a pheasant, cleanly caught and killed. I imagine the poor thing had a heart attack and croaked it that way. I was sooo pleased he gave it to me, though. I stripped it and divided it into three meals for him, plus the entrails for the cats (they were all on raw food diets). OH at the time not very impressed (it was butchered in the kitchen), but the dog and cats certainly approved. I can also state with certainty that a pheasant's full tum looks like a bouquet garni or bag of pesto!!

[HayleyB]

We had a canny Chinese pheasant sitting in the apple tree last night sqwarking its head off it was massive, one of the biggest I've seen for a while. Dogs couldn't get to it and to shut it up I went outside until it did a flyer.