Even those who do not feel greatly the loss of the hunt's social activities consider that it would have a detrimental effect on community in general. A number feel it would mean the end of an important living, cultural tradition. It is clear that, especially in isolated communities, hunting acts as a significant cohesive force. For another group the hunt itself seems divisive, intrusive and disruptive. Landowners and gamekeepers consider it necessary to manage fox populations in view of the damage to farming and game management.
Methods involving guns probably account for the greater part of foxes killed.
In upland areas there are fewer alternatives to the use of dogs. There are about 630,000 brown hares in England and Wales. About 1,650 are killed by packs. Hare hunting and coursing are essentially carried out for recreational purposes and have a small direct impact on numbers. There are an estimated 18,000 mink in England and Wales.