By BBC News Online Scotland's Mark Coyle
The contentious issue of fox hunting has thrown into sharp relief the effect of devolution in the UK.
BBC Scotland's David Nisbet reports on the Duke's scathing comments
Responsibility for legislation in the areas of land use and the environment transferred from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament on 1 August.
A private member's Bill outlawing the use of dogs to kill foxes has already been drawn up by Mike Watson, Labour MSP for Glasgow Cathcart.
The bill proposes to ban hunting with dogs
Subject to the proposals receiving sufficient support and parliamentary time, the Bill could become law next spring.
Conservatives in the Scottish Parliament have stated their opposition to the Bill, saying that the impact on 14,000 jobs supported by hunting have not been thought through.
Scotland has nine mounted packs, four hill packs and 28 fox destruction clubs.
In the Borders, which is a big fox hunting area, the prospect of legislation has ignited a fierce debate. One of the intriguing questions revolves around the possibility of Scotland banning hunting with dogs before England.
What would happen if a hunt based in England strayed across the border onto Scottish soil?
Paper poll
The Borders' weekly newspaper, the Southern Reporter, has conducted a telephone poll in which 5,689 people said the Scottish Parliament should not pass the Bill. Only 406 were in favour.
Duke of Buccleuch: "Class warfare"
Alan Murray, Chairman of the Buccleuch Hunt and Director of the Scottish Countryside Alliance, said: "This demonstrates that country folk should be well listened to by the politicians."
The Duke of Buccleuch, Scotland's leading private landowner, has gone even further, arguing that the campaign to ban hunting with hounds was politically motivated and based on "class warfare".
"The cruelty claim, largely promoted by highly political animal rights extremists with big bank accounts, is a complete sham and aimed at brainwashing countless gullible urban-dwellers who lack first-hand experience of country life," he declared.
Claims 'rubbish'
But the Scottish Campaign Against Hunting with Dogs (SCAHD), which backs Mr Watson's bill, is equally trenchant in its views.
Spokesman Les Ward said: "The Duke of Buccleuch argues that the current debate is some sort of battle between town and country people. That is rubbish.
Protesters reject the Duke's argument
"This is a battle between the 75% of decent-minded Scottish people who want to see this cruel practice eradicated from our landscape and a tiny minority prepared to die in the ditch to defend what is effectively animal abuse."
Mr Watson is confident of his Bill becoming legislation. "Polls have shown - and having talked to individual MSPs - there is a very definite majority in favour of carrying through the ban," he said.
"Hunting doesn't have to end. It is the practice of tearing the quarry to pieces at the end of the hunt that I am seeking to end."
When it comes down to the wire, MSPs will be given a free vote, rather than being "whipped" into the party policy line.
What's next? Rat & roachg traps as cruel? How willing are the anti's to repay farmers for damage to crops & live stock caused by uncontrolled pest animal populations?
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Days Full Of Clays...
NWTF, DU, SCI
Fair chase? A humane kill? GLOBAL politics
