SIR — In response to the report 'Park fears effects of hunting ban' (Free Press July 5), I'd like to say that South West Deer Protection will be seeing DEFRA minister Alun Michael later this month for further consultation, and thus will be able to put a more balanced argument to him regarding deer conservation, management and welfare than Exmoor National Park Committee has been able to.
They clearly are heavily influenced by those on their committee who support staghunting, and sadly looked only for justification to continue this bloodsport.
Had they been thorough in their research they would have found evidence to dispel many of the hunts 'myths' they have included in their document. It's obvious they haven't even looked at the Burns Report.
A copy of our first and second submission to Alun Michael MP will shortly be on our website http://www.swdeerprotection.org.uk">www.swdeerprotection.org.uk.
Before reading the park submission we had included in ours the issue of denial and/or the indifference to the suffering of deer during the hunting process, which has been repeatedly proven by several scientific studies, the Bateson Report in 1997 being the first.
It was therefore no surprise to us that a group of people can be so 'desensitised', and perhaps 'addicted' to their bloodsport, that they find it relevant to compare causing animals to suffer with the game of football.
I can assure the park that their inclusion of this analogy has shocked many people, but that said, I'm sure it will only serve to help draw this issue to the logical conclusion, that is is only through Government legislation that we will see an end to this barbaric practice once and for all.
Miss Arminel Scott,
Secretary,
South West Deer Protection.