Does Foxhunting play a significant part in controlling foxes? Around Shoots Gamekeepers shoot some 150,000 foxes a year; because, when uncontrolled,  they kill large numbers of young birds.Therefore, the fox population where shooting predominates is very low and hunting does, indeed, play only  a minor role in controlling foxes.  Around Farms Foxhounds account for some 18,000 foxes a year; because, when foxes are  not controlled, they kill farmer's possessions where every loss is significant  to the farmer. Unlike Gamekeepers, relatively few farmers would claim to be expert at shooting foxes. Inexpert shooting always runs risks of a slow painfull death. It is not always possible for the farmer to know  that he has wounded. Neither can the farmer always own a suitable dog to guarantee catching a wounded fox. Many types of wound leave a fox able  to run at its normal speed for a substantial time, but will cause the  animal to die later from the wound. Very many farmers acknowledge the  problems of shooting foxes themselves and have no access to a professional shot. Therefore, they prefer the Hunt to control the foxes in their locality.  Near motorways, busy main roads and urban areas motor vehicles wound and kill a very large number of foxes. But the majority  of farms and shoots are sufficiently far from these hazards for them to  have little effect on the number of foxes which concern farmers and gamekeepers.    Over the last 200 years ( barring interruptions for wars) the highly selective cull by Foxhunting has maintained the fox population around farms in Hunting  Countries at a virtually constant level just acceptable to the farmers  concerned.