Pro-hunting propaganda programmingHECTOR GOES HUNTING

Disgust at Hector'spro-hunt propaganda

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports has complained to RTE over its "Hector GoesHunting" programme which presented hunt propaganda as fact and denied anti-huntingcampaigners an opportunity to highlight the ugly reality of chasing and killing wildlife withpacks of dogs.

There was a complete lack of balance in the 28th January 2013 programme which RTE had

shockingly billed as revolving around Hector in "the really rather beautiful world of hunting and

shooting".

The foxhunters were allowed free rein to put forward their case which Hector accepted complete-

ly. When assured by a hunter that "it's highly unlikely that a healthy fox ever gets caught by the

hounds", Hector responded by saying "I didn't know that and I don't think the normal people out

there know that". He later repeated this claim as a fact saying that "on most days the hunt goes

out, they don't [kill a fox]"

The reality is that the aim of hunting is to chase and kill foxes and those caught are torn apart by

the pack of hounds. The hunters claim that hounds only attack sick and injured foxes (as if that

somehow makes the horrific attack less terrible) but the truth is that hunters prefer the healthy

foxes that can be pushed for hours and so provide them with a long chase. When these exhaust-

ed foxes can run no more, they are mauled and disembowelled by the hounds.

In the case of beagling (in which the Irish Hare is hunted) similar claims were made on the pro-

gramme, i.e. that no hares are killed. In one scene, Hector goes along with what the hunters are

saying about the hounds merely following the scent and agreeing that "they never catch the hare,

do they?". The facts are that, like in foxhunting, hares are indeed caught by the hounds are when

they are caught, they are literally torn apart.

Also, what was not mentioned at all during Hector's programme was the use of the so-called ter-

riermen, integral to the hunt, who are on hand to dig down to the fox when it takes refuge by going

to ground. The terriers are used to flush out the fox, resulting in horrible injuries to both fox and

terrier.

ICABS is disappointed that RTE allowed this biased programme to be broadcast and denied anti-

hunting campaigners a voice to counter the claims made by hunters. Instead, viewers were pre-

sented with a propaganda-filled version of hunting, far removed from the blood-soaked reality.

Irish Council Against Blood Sports statement29th January 2013

The Hector has become the hunted. Fury at bloodsport showThe Irish Sun, 30th January 2013

Hyper RTE host Hector O hEochagain is in hot water with animal lovers over his latestshow.

The Animal Rights Action Network said it was “disgusted and sickened” with the red-mopped pre-

senter after he went chasing foxes in Hector Goes Hunting.

And Hector got both barrels from the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, who accused him of giv-

ing viewers “a propaganda-filled version of hunting, far removed from the blood-soaked reality”.

Monday night’s RTE1 programme saw Navan’s finest swap his microphone for a gun as he joined

pheasant shooters.

And Hector was later hanging with the hounds on Limerick’s Scarteen Hunt.

Vowing to lodge a complaint over the show, ARAN chief John Carmody demanded that the 2fm

DJ should be made to keep hunting until he saw hounds tear a fox apart.

Last night Hector admitted hunting was a contentious issue, adding: “As you’ll have seen in the

show, I was terrified for the fox and was glad he got away in the end.

“You can’t please all of the people all of the time — I’ve had positive and negative feedback but

I’m glad the series has opened up a debate.”

A spokeswoman for RTE added: “Hector was allowed unrestricted access to film the hunts, how-

ever no animals were killed during filming. If they were that would have been included.”

“a propaganda-filled versionof hunting, far removed fromthe blood-soaked reality”

Irish Sun: Viewer furyat Hector programme

RTÉ is obliged under Section 39 (1) of theBroadcasting Act 2009 to ensure that:

"the broadcast treatment of current affairs, includ-

ing matters which are either of public controversy

or the subject of current public debate, is fair to all

interests concerned and that the broadcast matter

is presented in an objective and impartial manner

and without any expression of his or her own

views, except that should it prove impracticable in

relation to a single broadcast to apply this para-

graph, two or more related broadcasts may be

considered as a whole, if the broadcasts are trans-

mitted within a reasonable period of each other."

In the programme, Hector accepted the claims of hunters that 99 per cent of foxes getaway and that healthy foxes are never caught and killed.

The reality is that the aim of hunting is to chase and kill foxes and those caught are torn apart

by the pack of hounds.

The hounds are introduced to the taste of fox blood during the cubhunting season. During the

main hunting season, they are brought out to follow the scent of foxes and to catch, attack

and kill them.

Hunters claim that hounds only attack sick and injured foxes (as if that somehow makes the

horrific attack less terrible) but the truth is that hunters prefer the "healthy foxes" that can be

pushed for hours and so provide them with a long chase. When these exhausted foxes can

run no more, they are mauled and disembowelled by the hounds.

Not even mentioned on Hector Goes Hunting is the sadistic cruelty of digging out and terrier-

work. When pursued foxes try to escape underground, the hunt terriermen are called in. They

send a terrier down the hole to attack and corner the fox while they dig the clay away from

above. Both animals are then pulled out and the frightened and injured fox is killed. Horrific

footage of this can be seen on the "Videos" page at www.banbloodsports.com

The ugly truth aboutfoxhunting in Ireland

A Farmers' Journal hunting report told of how 16 mounted followers of the Westmeath hunt, along

with 29 hounds, found a fox that was caught and "chopped." Later on, another fox was "overhauled

before he managed to put any distance between himself and them." Both "chopped" and "over-

hauled," in hunting terminology, mean that the fox was caught by the hounds and brutally killed.

A fox being chased by a pack of hunt hounds was forced to swim across a canal twice in a desper-

ate bid to try and save its life. "The fox and the pack swam across the canal and continued along

the banks to the Mullingar/Ballynacargy Road...the fox, with four and a half couple (9 hounds) in

pursuit, swam the canal again before retracing their steps back to Newman's Bog."

"[Each pack of hounds] must be serious fox-catchers...the fox had to work very hard to keep ahead

of the hounds...Eventually they pushed hard enough to force [the fox] to make good his escape and

he was away across open country. After a fine hunt, hounds were rewarded [i.e. the fox was killed]."

"The problem for both Irish and British hunting people is that their sport, no matter how traditional or

how highly eulogised by its supporters, is a minority sport with the damning spectre of cruelty hang-

ing over it. This is the key issue. Is hunting cruel? The answer, of course, is that it is. How can such

cruelty be justified? The answer is that it cannot." Nicholas O'Hare, hunting columnist, Irish Field.

Some of the many victims of foxhunting in Ireland

THE HECTOR VERSION OF FOXHUNTING

THE HORRIFIC REALITY OF FOXHUNTINGA pack of foxhounds tearing an exhausted fox apart at the end of a hunt

A pack of foxhounds eating nuts before going out for a "game of tag"

"Why don't you call [foxhunting] chasing? It's

like a game of tag - 'you're on now'. It's

chasing. It's a chase. It is a chase." Hector

"If hounds had killed a fox,we would have filmed that"

"Weve gone out with the beagles andnot only did we not catch a hare, wedidnt even see a hare. But you know

what, I'm still loving it." Hector

HECTOR claimed on the programme thathis crew were allowed to point the cameraat anything and that if an animal had beenkilled, they would have filmed it.Coincidentally, and unsurprisingly, no ani-mals were filmed being killed - not duringthe bird shoot, not during the hare huntand not during the foxhunt. There were noscenes of dogs anywhere near their quar-ry.

During the segment focusing on bird shoot-

ing, no birds were filmed being shot. Viewers

were told by Hector that "as good as Paddy

[the shooter] is at this, we got nothing." The

showing the end of a hunt could have been

presented but the programme makers chose

not to.

Instead, we had Hector accepting and

repeating the hunters' claims that it's unusual

for a pack of hunting hounds to actually catch

and kill anything.

He presented their claims as fact, stating at

the end of the programme that "on most days

the hunt goes out, they don't [kill foxes]. When

told by a hunter that "it's highly unlikely that a

healthy fox ever gets caught by the hounds",

Hector embraced the claim, exclaiming that "I

didn't know that and I don't think the normal

people would know that." Similarly, when told

that "99 per cent [of foxes] will get away",

Hector's response was simply "Okay."

absence of

birds at the

location the

shooter chose

to bring Hector

was explained

away as fol-

lows: "They did

tell us that traipsing around with a camera

crew, complete with a sound man smelling of

hound piss, was as good a way as any of

making sure that all wildlife in a 2-mile radius

fecked off for the day somewhere else."

Effectively an admission that the pro-

gramme's approach meant that there was

very little likelihood of the camera catching

any birds being shot and killed.

Similarly, during the hare hunting segment,

Hector made no serious attempt to be there

when the hounds may have caught up with a

hare. He said to camera: "Off they all went

after the dogs and, with the weather closing in

on us in a serious manner, and while we were

carrying cameras, climbing fences, jumping

ditches, we just couldnt keep up." The free-

dom to film a kill, even if to be believed, is

meaningless if Hector and his crew were not

with the hunters throughout the day and pres-

ent when a kill may have taken place.

During the foxhunt, viewers were shown

brief footage of a fox running across a field

and over a hill. Predictably, this fox had no

pack bearing down on him.

With cameras present from the national

broadcaster, and a waiting audience of over

400,000, it was highly unlikely that the hunters

would have allowed a situation to develop in

which the hounds were closing in on a fox or

hare. Hunts typically don't want the public to

see the horrific end of a hunt and it was never

going to hap-

pen on Hector

Goes Hunting.

In the inter-

ests of some

semblance of

balance, lib-

rary footage

The fox will "play around withhounds" and "get a laugh at them"

Hector: "Why don't you call [foxhunting]

chasing? It's like a game of tag - 'you're

on now'. It's chasing. It's a chase. It is a

chase." Hunter: "It is a chase. But the

aim of those hounds is to catch that fox."

Hector: "A part of me was terrified that

the fox would be caught and killed. At the

same time, a part of me was thrilled at

the sight of all this [the fox apparently

running for its life]."

Hector: "I set out to find out as much as

I could about hunting and I know I

haven't covered every aspect...but I

more than satisfied my own initial curios-

ity and I had a blast doing it...the folks I

met on this little adventure were ordinary

decent men and women."

Hector: "If the hounds had killed a fox, we would have filmed that too. but on the day we were

there with them, they didnt. And on most

days the hunt goes out, they don't."

Hunter: "You should hear some great

cry in the covert if there's a fox in there.

He'll break when he needs to break.

He'll bring us wherever he wants to go.

The further he gets in front of them, the

better his chance of getting away. And

they do. 99 per cent will get away."

Hector: "Okay."

Hector: "If I had the magic power to just

go 'right - get rid of all this controversy,

get rid of the whole lot', would I wave my

magic wand and do it? No, I'm going to

leave it. It's another man's sport."

Quotes from the programme

Hunter: When the fox gets up in the morning, heknows [if] it's a good scenting day, is it not. When

it's not a good scenting day, he knows it instinctive-ly and he'll jink around, play around with houndsand mess them about. He'll get a laugh at them."

"There's something pretty cool about this." Hector

THE PUBLIC REACTIONTo hear of someone so prominent in the Irish media being so incredibly brainwashed intothinking that it's okay to chase these animals across the country for miles, torturing, stress-ing it out is disgusting. I will be submitting an official complaint, as will many of my peersto complaints@rte.ie. This is not sport, this is animal cruelty. Milca

Saddened, sickened, Hector, with the programme on RTE last night. Those poor animals. How

could you? Shame on you!! Denise

There was no mention in the programme of the practice of digging out foxes that go toground - an especially cruel activity, nor any attempt to interview even one person who heldan opposing view of bloodsports. His stock answer to any piece of nonsense from thehunters was "I never knew that"! A complete travesty. John

Hunting defenceless animals is not a sport and could not be described as 'rather beautiful' by any

decent human. I was sickened by the show and wonder will Hector and RTE give as much air time

to anti-hunt views in the coming weeks? Oscar Wilde put it so aptly - "the unspeakable chasing the

uneatable"! El

So Hector. If you have a pet would you feel a mite unhappy if it was torn limb from limb byanother, larger animal? Yes? The difference between the two is what exactly? Rod

Disgusted. Shame on you and shame on RTE. As a licence payer and a lover of animals I am real-

ly annoyed over this. Is that what it's funding now. Lowest form of "entertainment " yet. Glenda

Absolutely disgusted by the 'Hector goes Hunting' programme last night. Always thoughtyou were a decent bloke, but this was unacceptable. Hunting animals is not fun, it's notsport and it should be banned, not shown on prime time TV. Disgusted! Maureen

Hector...was so disgusted with your programme last night and also with RTE for allowing this to be

shown...It was an OUTRAGE!! Watching and urging them on to hunt down a lone fox to be torn

apart by dogs with an army of ruthless people is no fun!!! I was glad the fox got away, one of the

lucky ones. Why can't they just go out and about on their horses and dogs without hunting down

innocent animals. It's a crying shame to say you supported this. Iris

Hector what are you at???? Saddened and sickened by your programme on hunting. Grace

Shame on you Hector for endorsing this sickening, evil that some deluded and deranged people

call a sport. Paul

Disgusted that you would take part in and

promote such disgusting behaviour. Nicola

Hector, you're not helping yourself leaving or saying comments like that about hunting. I amtotally and utterly disappointed in you…they kill the hurt foxes, what kind of fools do youthink we are? Seriously!!! We all know the hunters like the long chase, so shall we say thefox is running for his life, and when he is caught being dragged out and killed. Roisin

Just because not everyone who takes part in hunting doesn't want to harm animals doesn't make

it any more acceptable that this kind of thing is still happening. Shame, shame, shame. Fiona

What In the name of God does it matter if the fox gets away 99% (which I'm sure it doesn't) of the

time. Why do you feel you people have the right to terrorise a living creature just for the sake of

your entertainment. Just leave them alone. It's the 21st century. Stop acting like cavemen and not

to forget about them other foxes who don't get away. We didn't see much being discussed about

that. Very biased. I've lost a lot of respect for you Hector. Martin

I personally think its disgusting how you promote fox hunting in such a way that's it'salmost a good or great thing to boast about. News Flash! It's not. We're in 2013 not cave-man days. Grow some compassion, please. Jessica

Disgraceful. That's the end of me watching anything or listening to anything where Hector is

involved. Can't believe you actually made that programme in the first place? Blood sports are just

wrong, wrong, wrong. Shame on you Hector and RTE! Marian

Oh and look after your animals better if you don't want the foxes to get them, I have henswho have never been killed by foxes because I take care of them properly. Richard

Anxiously awaiting Hector Goes Hunting....I hope you show hunting in its TRUE light and not a

romantic notion of innocently trotting through the countryside. I hope you show how (in my area

anyway), how 30/40 horse riders, 20 jeeps, 50 hounds prey upon one fox. They block our boreen,

they surround my home...and I hope you show how sporty they really are, when the fox goes to

ground...how the jeeps go in on the land and dig him out. Oh and when they are finished and the

siege around my home ends they always ALWAYS leave hounds behind...and yet these dogs are

supposedly under control...so here's hoping you show real hunting. Carmel

It's despicable. You lot get kicks out of hunting an innocent animal. Sick. How would youlike it if you lot were hunted in front of a crowd of people? You wouldnt! Alex

Just in case you forget the REAL outcome for these animals, not the airy fairy side of hunting RTE

portrayed, it was biased towards hunting and so far from the truth of this bloodsport. They couldn't

show the truth, have to keep the wealthy happy, I suppose! Julieann

Hunting animals for sport is no fun Hector, what a disgrace that show was! Awful! Cecile

Supporting hunting and the unnecessary killing of poorhares and foxes? I am ashamed and will be writing to

RTE to complain. An absolute OUTRAGE. Sarah

How about showing the fox's side for a change? Notso proud of that, are you? Why don't you just leavethe animals alone to get on with their lives? Jessica

I have to recoil at many of the comments above but if I have understood it correctly, especially the

one which labels hunting as 'another mans' sport' made by one woman above, what an insult to the

opposite sex. And what a bleak and narrow definition of manhood you have, that you think engag-

ing in cowardly bloodsports has anything to do with masculinity. Also, the tradition comments are

laughable. I'm fond of tradition but it is not a valid excuse for anything. Tradition is often employed

as a last ditch excuse to protect the interests of a few and to avoid progress for many. Aisling

Shame on you all. It's a barbaric so-called sport that should be banned. There is nothingsporty about scaring the life out of a poor defenceless fox even if the dogs don't catchhim/her, the fright alone can kill. There's no need for it. Emma

A day involved in murder, terror and bloodshed is a day to remember for all the right reasons with

down to earth country people? God help me. Richard

It's running the other direction from the hounds indicating it wants to get away, i.e. scaredand terrified. Like you would be if a group of 50 thugs were chasing you. Common sense.Seriously, are you people this stupid! Martin

I was very disappointed to find this on TV tonight! How can we still allow this cruel activity to hap-

pen and why is RTE glorifying fox hunting? It is clearly nothing to be proud of and I am appalled

that we weren't shown both sides of the story. Aurora

Totally revolted by your one-sided, pro-animal cruelty programme this evening. Disgustedthat you would condone obviously cruel and sick behaviour towards animals; the lack ofany attempt to show balance by having an anti-bloodsports view included in the programmeis incredibly biased and unfair. You should be ashamed of yourself. Well done on alienatingall those who wish to see a ban on fox hunting, etc. Grainne

Hector: Am i going to see a kill. Am i going to see blood? Hunter: I dont think you are. If by

chance the hounds come across a fox that's injured, it's killed 'bang' like that and they move on.

It's highly unlikely that a healthy fox ever gets caught by the hounds.

Hector: I didn't know that and I don't think the normal people would know that.

Hunter: You should hear some great cry in the covert if there's a fox in there. He'll break when

he needs to break. He'll bring us wherever he wants to go. The further he gets in front of them,

the better his chance of getting away. And they do. 99 per cent will get away. Hector: Okay.

Hare hunting on foot with packs of dogs is a low profile blood sport, with enthusiastsclaiming that what they do is "harmless", but hares do die horrendous deaths bybeing ripped apart by packs of dogs, after being terrorised and chased to exhaustion.

Hares are targetted by beagle packs and harrier packs (which also hunt foxes). Hares are

faster than the hounds, but the hounds are bred for stamina and can usually outrun their

quarry. When they catch up with the unfortunate hare, they move in and kill as a pack, tear-

ing the live hare apart.

A Dublin motorist who witnessed a hare kill described the sickening scene as follows: "A

hare came running down the road. I didn't realise what was happening for a moment until a

pack of hounds appeared from round the corner.

"I got out of the car to try and do something but the hounds had caught up with the hare and

totally demolished it. All that was left was a tiny piece of fur blowing in the breeze."

A report on the Westmeath Beagles in Hounds magazine revealed that having taken an

"hour to shift her (the hare) out towards the rushy field at the foot of the medieval

church...she succumbed to the pack," gaining the hunters their "first notch on the kennel

door" for the season.

Another report from a hunting newspaper outlined how a visiting English beagle pack to the

Curragh Foot Beagles "caught their first Irish hare...after a fast and furious hunt of 20 min-

utes, and were awarded a magnum of champagne by the Irish Masters of Beagles

Association."

Despite the hare being a "protected" species in Ireland, no licence is required to hunt hares

during the open season which runs from September up to the end of February.

The disturbing realityof beagling in Ireland

Hector: "They nevercatch the hare, do they?"

Hector: The intended quarry -

the wild Irish Hare...Does this

culminate in the kill of a hare.

Hunter: Not at all...that's what

the hounds want to do.

Hector: But they never catch

the hare, do they?

Hunter: Not at all.

"Beagling is abolutely mental. A huge enthusiasticpack of small dogs followedby an equally enthusiasticpack of people. This is basically like going for along walk in the countrywith a designated startingand finishing point." Hector

Hector meets and shakeshands enthusiastically witha beagle pack hare hunter

Hector follows the huntersand hounds after beingassured that if a hare isspotted, it will be gone bythe time the hounds getthere!

What a joke: Hector laughs with a hunter who earlier,claimed - without challenge - that a fox will "playaround with hounds" and "get a laugh at them".

A fox running for its life during "Hector GoesHunting". The programme expected viewers

to believe that 99% of foxes escape.

WHAT YOU CAN DOLodge a complaint with RTE about describing the world of hunting as "really rather beautiful"and presenting a propaganda-filled programme about bloodsports. Urge them to do a follow-up investigative documentary to show viewers the reality of hare and fox hunting.

Email: complaints@rte.ie Tel: 01 208 3111

Leave a comment on Hector's Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/breakfastwithhector

and email him a comment at hector@rte.ie

Appeal to the Minister for Agriculture to remove an exemption forfoxhunting from the new Animal Welfare Bill.

Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney,

Department of Agriculture, Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

Email: minister@agriculture.gov.ie

CC: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie,eamon.gilmore@oireachtas.ie

Tel: 01-607 2884 or LoCall 1890-200510.

Contact all your local TDs now and urge them to support a ban on foxhunting.

Email TDs quickly and easily from www.contact.ie/contact Find out the names and contact details of

your TDs by clicking on "Politicians" at www.banbloodsports.com

Join the Irish Council Against Blood Sports campaign and help us secure a ban on foxhunting, hare

hunting and all forms of hunting with packs of hounds. Visit www.banbloodsports.com for information

or follow us on Twitter @banbloodsports and on Facebook - facebook.com/banbloodsports Email

"Subscribe" to info@banbloodsports.com to receive our monthly Animal Voice e-newsletter.

Witness the cruelty of bloodsports in Ireland at www.youtube.com/icabs