THERE MUST’VE been a few huntsmen out there who contemplated replying in a positive way to anti-farming TV presenter, Chris Packham, offering himself up as human quarry, rather than ‘chase foxes’.

Apparently, he urged his local hunt, the New Forest Hounds, to switch to drag hunting which involves the dogs chasing a human runner or chasing a pre-laid scent.

Not sure whether the term drag hunting meant that he would be running about the New Forest in a dress, but in any case the huntsmen declined the offer.

On the other hand, chasing foxes is still officially banned, according to the statute books, and the huntsmen trail hunt.

All goosed out

MANY OF us over the festive period would feel the same way as a goose which was found comatose in a wildlife sanctuary.

The said goose, and a passing seagull, were rendered unconscious after eating a pile of drugs in pill form which had been left strewn across the grass at the sanctuary.

The goose and seagull were said to be responding to treatment, however some birds were reported as having eaten some pills before flying away – I bet they flew well!

Bag of neeps makes a packet

Aberdeen and Northern Mart’s head sheep auctioneer Colin Slessor has been in touch to let us know how chuffed he was with the auction he held at his recent 50th birthday pairty.

The charity auction was being held to commemorate 10 years from Colin’s cancer diagnosis, and each lot was sold by one of his auctioneering colleagues, and one rather special guest auctioneer was brought in too.

Gavin Ross of Ross Bros, was given the gavel and he got on with the job selling a bottle of whisky for £180 – impressive.

The other astonishing lot was a bag of turnips, donated by Ross Bros that made the princely sum of £160. That’s a helluva expensive bag of neeps, but all in a good cause.