NEWS ROUNDUP FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS

View this email in your browser Hi, Hunt Saboteurs Association: February Round-up February may be the shortest month, but it wasn’t short of hunts being persistently sabbed, sabs using drones, illegal hunting, hunt violence and hunt trespass. The 18th of February marked the 20th anniversary of the Hunting Act coming into force and 20 years on sabs are still witnessing hounds hunting foxes to ground in badger setts, setts being blocked and terriermen going equipped. 🦊The BBC marked the anniversary with a special Countryfile report where a hunt sab, an MP, and Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman – National Police Lead for Hunting with Hounds – all agreed that illegal fox hunting was “widespread” under the current Act. During a sequence filmed at the Fitzwilliam Hunt, Fitzwilliam ‘steward’, Andy Alexander, severely embarrassed himself by getting in the faces of the BBC camera crew and demanding to know their names! The Fitzwilliam: knee-deep in cruelty. 🦊The Two Bridges Hunt Club meet is an annual gathering of the four Dartmoor hunts (the Mid Devon, South Devon, Dartmoor, and Spooners & West Dartmoor) that grotesquely commemorates the anniversary of the Hunting Act. This year it was sabbed by Devon County Hunt Saboteurs, Plymouth & West Devon Hunt Sabs, Mendip Hunt Sabs and South Devon Hunt Saboteurs. Sabs in action against the Two Bridges Hunt Club. 🦊Whilst Mendip Hunt Sabs were sabbing the Mendip Farmers Hunt, their drone filmed the hounds marking to ground at a badger sett. Terriermen soon arrived and covered the entrances with nets ready to dig the fox out. However, the arrival of a foot sab and continued presence of the drone stopped the dig out, and the terriermen eventually left on their quads. The Mendip drone also filmed the same hunt trespassing in the working, 240-acre Moon's Hill quarry. One worker who was present described the horror of seeing panicked hounds tumbling down rock faces towards the freezing water below. Another hound was seen running underneath working machinery, which was forced to stop. More hounds were nearly struck by oncoming traffic as they ran along vehicle tracks. 🦊Lake District Hunt Saboteurs also filmed hounds marking to ground at a badger sett with their drone. Melbreak Foxhounds huntsman Ed Liddle was filmed by the drone arriving at a badger sett where a fox had taken refuge. His hounds were marking to ground and digging at the sett, while Liddle stood by, texting on his phone. He left once he realised sabs were filming. A Liddle bit dodgy: Melbreak hounds at a badger sett. 🦊York Hunt Sabs also made use of their drone filming a prolonged pursuit of a fox by the Middleton Hunts hounds. They also came across a blocked badger sett later in the day. 🦊At the Chiddingfold Leconfield & Cowdray Hunt West Sussex Hunt Sabs came across a cage with the heads of several deer, some of which still had the flesh on them. Sabs also found several badger setts that had been blocked 🦊Devon County Hunt Saboteurs caught the Eggesford Hunt hounds marking a fox to ground at a badger sett for several minutes with huntsman Jason Marles sat on the edge of the woods congratulating them for doing so. Sabs arrived and moved the hounds on and prevented a possible dig out. 🦊Northants Hunt Saboteurs witnessed the Cottesmore Hunt terriermen being stopped and searched by police. Police seized two terriers, one without a microchip, and the contents of their quad bikes which included terrier locator collars, a captive-bolt gun and a pistol in its holster. Northants sabs were also on hand to stop the Cottesmore hounds marking to ground at a badger sett, calling hounds away from the entrance that the hounds had been digging at and that a fox had clearly escaped down. Tempers soon flared with a hunt member damaging a camera by crunching it with his hand and then throwing a punch at a sab. Police check Cottesmore terrier for injuries. 🦊Surrey Hunt Sabs had the tyres to their vehicle tampered with and the near side air cap removed completely. The sab drove some distance, completely unaware of the possible danger, sometimes at speed on the A roads, before stopping and realising that one front tyre was almost completely deflated. 🦊Hunt violence continued at the Blackmore & Sparkford Vale. A BSV thug has been given a 5-year ban on attending hunts and handed a Criminal Behaviour Order for assault and theft. More theft and assaults from the BSV happened this month after North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs helped two foxes to safety. A serious assault happened later that day with one sab being seriously injured and needing to be carried out of the ditch into a nearby vehicle. North Dorset Sabs also filmed the hunt rampage through some roadworks and the whipper-in trying to steal one of the workers shovels and then offering him out as the workers tried to prevent them from riding through the road works. At the Quantock Staghounds sabs witnessed the hounds chase a deer with a missing lower leg. At the Portman North Dorset Sabs filmed the hounds chasing a fox from Lakes Plantation at Hinton St Mary. More sab drone use saw the drone used to film the hounds as they continued through residents' gardens causing much upset and criminal damage as hounds crashed through a fence. The drone was also deployed at the Cattistock Hunt where it was used to film the hounds, who had hunted a fox over to some farm buildings, struggling to get out of a slurry pit. Bunch of thugs at the Quantock Staghounds. 🦊Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs filmed the Heythrop Hunt’s hounds invading a housing estate at Kennel Lane in Broadwell and trespassing through people’s gardens. At a North Cotswold Hunt meet at Springhill House several foxes were helped to safety by Three Counties who were still sabbing and stopping hounds in the pitch black. They then filmed the Ledbury Hunts hounds invade a furious resident's garden. 🦊Kernow Sabs, Monitors and Animal Rights Team witnessed the Four Burrows Hunt hunting a fox over a private runway and then later that day trespassing through private gardens. 🦊West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs held a community meeting to help the local community organise itself to take action against the persistent anti-social behaviour and trespass from the Warwickshire Hunt and to also to continue the fight against police corruption at Warwickshire Police with renewed calls for a public enquiry into the secret deal scandal with the Warwickshire Hunt. 🦊Police corruption certainly isn’t limited to Warwickshire Police. After Kent Police "ran out of time" to get legal proceedings started against a violent Kent Hounds supporter who assaulted three Kent Hunt Sabs sabs have discovered that the investigating officer PC Kattenhorn actually rides with the same hunt. No conflict of interest there then.... 🦊Sheffield Hunt Saboteurs had Humberside Police acting as private security for the Grove and Rufford Hunt pushing them away from following the hunt rather than stopping the illegal hunting. 🦊South Hampshire Hunt Saboteurs have had to release footage of a deer being mauled by the Hursley Hambledon Hunt in order to force Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary to investigate. 🦊Back to North Dorset Sabs who caught the North Devon Beagles hunting hares at Stoke Farm in Broadchalke, Wiltshire. They carried on hunting at first but had packed up by 1pm. This was the first day of a weeklong hare hunting festival in the South West. Lovely hare saved from the North Devon Beagles. 🦊SES – Suffolk & Essex Hunt Sabs along with North London Hunt Saboteurs hit the De Burgh & North Essex Bassets yet again. 🦊South Coast Hunt Sabs and West Kent Hunt Sabs sabbed the Downland Club an amalgamation of six older beagle packs. As sabs arrived, hounds were in full cry on a hare, so sabs used voice calls and scent-dulling sprays to intervene. 🦊Severn Vale Hunt Saboteurs, Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs, Bristol Hunt Saboteurs and Bath Hunt Saboteurs all joined up to hit the Royal Agriculture College Beagles at Chavenage House near Tetbury. After a four-hour standoff, the hound van left for the kennels and the team of sab groups headed over to the Severn Vales Beagles at Hystfield who packed up at the arrival of sabs. 🦊A joint meet of the Westerby Bassets and the Pipewell Foot Beagles in Thornby was ended by Northants Hunt Sabs and East Northants Hunt Saboteurs. Westerby Bassets pack up sharpish! 🦊It's not just packs of beagles and bassets being used to kill hares, Norfolk/Suffolk Hunt Saboteurs responded to reports of Hare Shoot happening near RAF Marham. 🦊Hares, Foxes and deer are not the only victims of oranised hunts. Plymouth & West Devon Hunt Sabs vehicle dash cam filmed a rider from the Eggesford Hunt charge recklessly from behind their vehicle, overtaking at high speed on the wrong side of the road. In a shocking display of disregard, he forced his poor horse into the path of their Land Rover. The potential consequences of such reckless behaviour - a collision between the horse and the two-ton vehicle - could have been catastrophic, even fatal. 🦊Less than three weeks since North London Hunt Saboteurs witnessed a hound used for illegal fox hunting being killed by a kick to the head from a horse from the Thurlow Hunt, another dog has been injured by the same hunt. North London sabs have the Thurlow covered. 🦊Whilst at the South Notts Hunt, Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs came across a very shaken lady at the entrance to Locko Park, northeast of Derby, who had hit a hound that had jumped out in front of her. When she explained what had happened to Masters, they first accused her of lying and then of being an anti before arrogantly riding off. 🦊Finally 34 years ago, on the 9th of February 1991, hunt saboteur Mike Hill was killed at a meet of the Cheshire Beagles. A member of Liverpool Hunt sabs has said “Mike would be proud of all the hunt sabs that have kept on fighting against animal cruelty. We knew it was going to be a long struggle and the price we have paid has been great. Mike should always be remembered for his gentle kindness, compassion and because he made the world around him a better place.” If you'd like to know more about what we do, support us, make a donation, or become a member of the HSA - please visit: www.huntsabs.org.uk Get involved! Find out how you can be part of our campaign to Strengthen The Hunting Act Take Action Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2025 Hunt Saboteurs Association. 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