I was interested to read that, since the Hunting Bill came into force, the number of participants appears to have increased, despite the fact that ripping live animals to pieces has now been replaced by the less exciting task of tracking a smelly rag.

I seem to recall that when the Bill was bravely introduced by Tricia Marwick, the hunting community, led by the Countryside Alliance, claimed that such a move would lead to mass unemployment among the hunting fraternity, hundreds of working dogs being destroyed, followed by the complete collapse of the entire rural economy.

Given that nothing of the kind has happened, wouldn't a bit of humility perhaps be in order from the Countryside Alliance?

Gavin Fleming, 517 Webster's Land, Grassmarket, Edinburgh.

Hunting with dogs may be banned but the twisted logic of the Countryside Alliance is still alive and well.

Your article on the Boxing Day hunts (December 27) reports that more people are attending now that they have changed to drag hunting. This would lead a logical person to conclude that people who were previously put off by the cruelty of a fox hunt are now able to participate. Not so, according to the Countryside Alliance, which claims that everyone who attends is, in fact, showing their support for this blood sport.

Jill Grieve then goes on to say that a lot of people have attended hunts since the ban to "see what the fuss is about". Forgive me if I've missed something but hasn't what the fuss was about - the chasing and killing of a live quarry - been banned? Surely many people are going along to watch the hounds and horses, safe in the knowledge that they are not going to see a terrified animal chased to exhaustion and torn to pieces.

Overturn the ban and numbers would go down again, but the Countryside Alliance wouldn't care since the blood would have been put back into their "sport".

I would like to watch a drag hunt but will never go near while the threat remains of automatically being counted as a supporter of something as uncivilised as hunting with dogs.

Sarah Bruce, 21a The Causeway, Edinburgh.