Pest control

Foxes are considered vermin by the law of England and Wales and also in some other countries, and some farmers fear the loss of their smaller livestock,while others consider them an ally in controlling rabbits, voles, and other rodents, which eat crops.A key reason for dislike of the fox by pastoral farmers is their tendency to commit acts of surplus killing toward animals such as chickens, yet having killed many they eat only one.Some anti hunt campaigners maintain that provided it is not disturbed, the fox will remove all of the chickens it kills and conceal them in a safer place.

Opponents of fox hunting claim that the activity is not necessary for fox control, arguing that the fox is not a pest species and that hunting does not and cannot make a real difference to fox populations.They compare the number of foxes killed in the hunt to the many more killed on the roads. They also argue that wildlife management goals of the hunt can be met more effectively by other methods such as lamping dazzling a fox with a bright light, then shooting by a competent shooter using an appropriate weapon and load.