"Once bitten, gassed, poisoned or trapped, twice shy" I'm sure ole mate regrets this quote. Done properly, the dogs should be killed by the baits, traps, etc, first time & not educated to avoid them. Just another emotional piece of journalism aimed at the disconnect between those who live on the thin costal fringe & those in the country.
Fox drives are useful in some situations, but the landholdings are just too large to make them effective in many areas. Drives aren't practical for dogs. Skilled trapping IMO is the most effective way to deal with dogs, better even than baits, but very dependent on the trappers skill.
If baits are used they can be laid out or buried in such a fashion that there is very little taken by non target species, still, its not perfect though.
Being a hunter, I've always been opposed to 1080 & as long as animals like pigs are doing minimum damage, I try to consider them as part of the landscape (we will never eradicate them anyway, unless there is a very effective biological control developed) to be managed & provide hunting opportunities. However in the last several years pig dogging has become such a problem that Im not opposed to using 1080 now, not just in grain to kill the pigs, but also putting out baits targeting foxes & if a poacher, ignores the signs & his pig dogs eats one, its a shame for the dogs but what else can I do. I can manage the pigs using hunters, but I can't manage the pig doggers, so 1080 solves the problem, but at the cost to the honest hunters loosing the opportunity.
IMO there is currently an increase in the use of 1080 down here, not a decrease & I don't see any alternative or a decrease on the horizon.
Cheers Sharkey