I often read letters in the Western Daily Press from anti-hunt and cruelty campaigners, as well as people opposed to battery farmed chicken.

Despite living on Salisbury Plain's military training area for 20 years during the 1930s and 1950s, with no privately owned land, no agriculture, and therefore no fences, and no civilian police allowed (without permission), I have never seen a "hunt meeting or chase" (in the wrong place at the time, I expect).

If foxes need controlling – and farmers with cattle born in the open, plus free-range chicken farmers and anti-chicken battery people, apart from some domestic poultry keepers, seem to think they do – I am open to suggestions on how foxes can be controlled without cruelty.

The humane shooting of a fox needs three things – a static target, an excellent marksman and the correct weapon, never a shotgun or a .22 rifle. Wounding by shooting, like partial gassing causing lung damage, can cause long-term suffering.

Poison and live trapping is indiscriminate and can affect other wildlife and some pets. Live trapping also involves periods of stress before the animal is shot.

One possible non-cruel method would be contraception. I am sure that the anti-cruelty campaigners would be more than willing to lay the drug-laced bait every night in a foxes' habitation.

W Robinson Westbury Wiltshire