FROM PROTECT THE WILD AND SO IT GOES ON SUPPORTED BY NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more The Derwent Hunt’s Continued Trespass: Why Are Forestry England and Police Failing to Act? PROTECT THE WILD JUN 3 READ IN APP Despite the withdrawal of its hunting licence, repeated warnings, and ongoing police complaints, the Derwent Hunt continues to trespass across protected land in the North York Moors, exposing yet another failure by authorities to enforce wildlife crime. East Yorkshire Coast Sabs first exposed the Saltersgate Farmers Hunt and Derwent Hunt in 2022, following evidence of illegal activity on the North York Moors National Park Authority’s Levisham Estate, the only land actually owned by the Park Authority. That investigation led to the indefinite revocation of the hunt’s licence to operate on the estate, and the effective collapse of the Saltersgate Farmers Hunt. Yet the Derwent never went away. Demand Forestry England take action Repeated Trespass, Repeated Warnings In March 2024, the Derwent Hunt was again filmed trespassing on the Levisham Estate by East Yorkshire Coast Hunt Sabs. The National Park Authority reminded the hunt that it was not welcome and explicitly reserved the right to take further action should trespass happen again. Demand police action May be an image of text that says "North York Moors National Authority Your ref: Hind Chief Executive Date: 26 April 2024 Sarah Morley Secretary, Derwent Hunt td Westfields Farm Thorton Dale Pickering Y018 Dear Levisham Estate The North York Moors Nationall Park Authority recelved reports owner horse riders Levisham 2024. riders reports were the hounds eperiod land accessed were limited sasthe andowner aware theS permitted Estate anda reinstated. urrently placef present there intention Levisham Estate withdrawni concerns engage trail hunting this permission Continued... together landacape diechili EMPUOWER North York Moors regards Authority Yours ourssincerely the reserve @right further action ippropriate Estate. Brookfield Director Recreation and Wellbeing" It has. On 18 November 2025, the Derwent Hunt was once more caught illegally hunting and trespassing on National Park land. Local residents and Ryedale Hunt Saboteurs reported hounds loose in private gardens, with hounds heard in cry. Screenshots from the Levisham Bugle community WhatsApp group, now held by police, corroborate these reports. Police officers attended, but once again, despite evidence no formal CPN has been given by police. Demand Forestry England take action Footage above from Ryedale Hunt Sabs shows Derwent Huntsmen Arthur Irvine being questioned. Demand police action It appears that the National Park Authority is, at the very least, taking steps to address the Derwent Hunt’s actions, even as police enforcement continues to stall and Forestry England’s response remains notably passive. In correspondence seen by Protect the Wild, the Authority confirms it has “reasonable grounds to suspect” that the Derwent Hunt has trespassed on its land. This is a significant admission and directly contradicts any suggestion that these incidents are unclear or unsubstantiated. Following earlier warnings issued in April 2024, in which the Hunt was explicitly told that no activity was permitted on Authority land, the National Park Authority has now formally challenged the Derwent Hunt. It has requested: A full explanation of the events that took place in and around Levisham on 18 November Written confirmation that horses, riders, and hounds will not enter any part of the Levisham Estate again This demonstrates a willingness to engage directly with the Hunt and to put expectations clearly on record. The contrast with Forestry England is stark. Despite repeated complaints, documented breaches of its own suspension of trail hunting, and escalating concerns from local communities, Forestry England has yet to demonstrate the same level of proactive engagement. There has been no clear evidence of direct challenge, no visible escalation, and no indication of meaningful consequences for continued non-compliance. Instead, responsibility continues to be deferred, thresholds for action remain unreasonably high, and enforcement is effectively absent. But questions remain for all authorities involved. If there are reasonable grounds to suspect trespass, and if prior warnings have clearly been ignored, why has this not yet translated into stronger enforcement or legal action? And why, when one authority is willing to confront the issue directly, are others (Forestry England and North Yorkshire Police) still failing to act? Demand Forestry England take action A Pattern Across Protected Land Within days of the Levisham trespass: The Derwent Hunt was again filmed trespassing on Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Chafer Wood Nature Reserve on 15 November 2025 by the Helmsley Monitors, despite previous incidents and warnings. Complaints relating to Forestry England land, including Dalby Forest, remain active, following repeated breaches of Forestry England’s own suspension of trail hunting on its estate. Complaints brought by Ryedale Hunt Saboteurs were escalated to a Stage 3 complaint with Forestry England, prompting FE to issue letters to the Derwent and Staintondale hunts restating that hunting is suspended on FE land, while effectively admitting they would not take action, unless incidents amounted to “significant damage” to property. In doing so, Forestry England acknowledged that it has no meaningful enforcement mechanism and is unwilling to intervene even where wildlife disturbance and repeated trespass are evident. Wildlife crime, disturbance, loss, or harassment, it seems, does not meet that threshold. Demand police action Authorities Passing the Buck Of all landowners, Forestry England’s response has been consistent: refer matters to the police. Yet police action remains limited. Despite repeated trespass, evidence of active hunting, and growing community concern, enforcement has stalled. While the Derwent’s activities clearly meet the definition of persistent antisocial behaviour, there has been no Community Protection Notice, no meaningful restrictions, and no visible deterrent. This lack of action sits in stark contrast to approaches taken by neighbouring police forces. Lincolnshire Police and Humberside Police Rural Taskforces have previously issued Community Protection Notices to hunts, using existing powers to successfully curb repeated trespass and antisocial conduct. North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, by comparison, appears to lack either the will or the authority to take similar decisive action. If one police force can use available powers to address hunt-related antisocial behaviour, the question is unavoidable: why will another not? If any other group repeatedly entered protected land, released animals, and caused distress to residents, swift enforcement would follow. Hunts, once again, appear to be operating under a different standard. Demand police action A Hunt With Nowhere Left to Go The Derwent’s current huntsman, Arthur Irvine, is reportedly struggling to control hounds or avoid prohibited land. With former figures gone and traditional territories closed off, the hunt appears to be operating reactively, trespassing wherever it can. In one recent incident, Irvine reportedly attempted to report hunt saboteurs for harassment, only to be stopped by police due to vehicle defects and escorted back to kennels. Comedy, perhaps, but only if the stakes weren’t so serious. Demand Forestry England take action A Trail Hunting Myth Exposed, Again These incidents further dismantle the claim that trail hunting is controlled, lawful, or enforceable. When hunts repeatedly trespass, hounds roam out of control, and authorities admit they lack the power, or will, to intervene, the system has failed. The Derwent Hunt’s behaviour is not an anomaly. It is a case study. Demand police action Time for Action, Not Reviews Complaints are ongoing with: North Yorkshire Police Rural Taskforce Forestry England But reviews and correspondence do not protect wildlife, residents, or public land. Protect the Wild is calling on: North Yorkshire Police to take decisive enforcement action and issue a Community Protection Notice (CPN) to the Derwent Hunt, a measure that has already been successfully used against other hunts in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire to curb persistent trespass and antisocial behaviour. Forestry England must explain how a suspension or ban on hunting, without any meaningful enforcement, is supposed to protect wildlife, public land, or local communities. It must also commit to taking proactive action, engaging directly with the Hunt and setting clear consequences for breaches, in line with the more robust approach now being demonstrated by the National Park Authority. The Derwent Hunt was banned. It was warned. It was exposed. And yet, it continues. How many trespasses are enough? SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM HUNT SABOTEURS COVERT FOOTAGE UNCOVERS BLATENT CRIME — RELENTLESS KILLING

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter TWO WEEKS TO GO - COVERT FOOTAGE PROVES A STRONGER DETERRENT IS NEEDED With two weeks to go before the consultation into strengthening the Hunting Act ends, the HSA has obtained new footage which perfectly illustrates the need for a stronger deterrent to hunting wild mammals with dogs. Relentless Cruelty Covert cameras captured Grove & Rufford huntsman, Jacob Whalley, preparing for a cubbing meet with terrierman Ste Reynolds. The pair are seen leading two terriers around an active badger sett the day before a hunt meet. The 2025/26 season was Jacob Whalley’s first season as a huntsman, coming fresh from his position as whipper in at the Fitzwilliam Hunt. In July 2025, Whalley pleaded guilty to Hunting Act offences while at the Fitzwilliam. A newspaper article which covered the conviction listed his address at the time as the Grove & Rufford Hunt kennels, where he will have moved in May 2025. Clearly, this prosecution set a clear intention for the rest of the season. There are two weeks left to finish filling in the consultation, to strengthen the existing law and help to prevent and deter future hunting! Tools of the trade - hunt scum search for foxes using terriers, spades and netting. No more exemptions, no more excuses! You might be sick of hearing it - but why do terriers need to be present on a trail hunt? Well, exactly - they don't! While hunters might bleat about using terriers below ground for the ‘protection of gamebirds’, this is simply another ruse to continue carrying out one of the most important elements of a fox hunt - terrier work. Terrier work can be mentioned among the many other ‘exemptions’ as a form of conduct or legislative change needed to strengthen the Hunting Act in questions 11 and 12 of the consultation. You can read about other legal exemptions to the Hunting Act here https://www.huntsabs.org.uk/witness-the-end-of-hunting-removal-of-all-current-exemptions/ Terriers are commonly used in the hunting world to flush out foxes from their sites of refuge; be that a badger sett, fox earth, stick pile or anywhere else the unlucky fox may call home. Once a fox has been flushed, or the terriermen are satisfied with their search of an area, these refuge points will be blocked - just as we see Ste Reynolds doing in the footage, as he used a spade to fill in holes in a sett. This prevents the hunted fox from returning to safety during the hunt meet. Blocking badger setts with earth also puts any badgers who live in the sett at risk of suffocation while trying to free themselves. In the footage, Whalley can clearly be seen carrying nets, suggesting that the pair intend to capture any fox bolted by a terrier for release before the hounds. This in itself is also illegal, aside from the obvious depraved cruelty. Terrier work results in some of the most grim scenes in hunting. As captured on film at the Kimblewick, Avon Vale, the Coniston and many others. No escape - sett holes are callously filled in to prevent a fox escaping hounds. Unlucky foxes may be dug out to release to hounds. Taking the piss If any extra clues were needed as to the pair’s intent, Reynolds is heard asking Whalley for directions on which other holes to block. Whalley instructs Reynolds not to fill in any holes which are “rabbity” and therefore deemed too small for a fox to fit inside. As if by magic, covert cameras capture Whalley back in the woodland the day after he and Reynolds are filmed using terriers to search for foxes. This time, however, Whalley is dressed in full hunting regalia, blowing a hunting horn with a pack of hounds at his feet. Returning to the scene of the crime for… more crime! Perhaps unsurprisingly, in May 2026, just last month, Whalley and Reynolds entered not guilty pleas at Nottingham Magistrates Court for offences committed under the Badger Act 1992. We’ll leave you to imagine what they were up to in that instance. Sheffield Hunt Saboteurs reported multiple findings of blocked setts at Grove and Rufford meets in hit reports during last season. Some instances resulted in landowners receiving a knock on the door from their local bobby. Crocodile tears News of the ‘trail hunting ban’ had many in the hunting community crying false tears; much like the trails they have claimed to lay for twenty plus years these are put on for show in the hope that it won’t get more difficult to chase and kill animals with hounds. We must remember that the phrase ‘trail hunting ban’ is again a sham. Used to discredit the strengthening of the Hunting Act as pointless legislation which outlaws a harmless activity. Oh well, what a shame, never mind. The Grove & Rufford had a little whinge online, trying to defend the life Whalley had chosen since the tender age of sixteen. Whalley is one of many current hunt staff who in their early thirties. With the hunting ban passed in 2004, this puts them at the age of around ten when hunting was banned. In essence, these people were not old enough to enter into hunt service while it was legal and barely keep up the pretence of trail hunting. While this serves as yet another reminder to fill in the consultation, it also serves once again to show that boots on the ground will always be necessary - whatever blood sport we are tackling. Complete the Trail Hunting Consultation Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association! Support our vital work by becoming a member. Join The HSA Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2026 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

CAN YOU HELP PROTECT THE WILD CARRY ON WITH INVESTIGATIONS - A DONATION IS REQUESTED

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Will you help us keep going? PROTECT THE WILD JUN 1 READ IN APP We’re taking on industries, governments, and powerful interests with little more than determination and a small team. Yet in May alone, we aired an undercover investigation on ITV, reached millions of people online, featured on national television, secured wildlife victories, and continued putting pressure on those harming animals and nature. But the truth is that none of this is guaranteed to continue. Every investigation, campaign, report, and piece of journalism relies on people choosing to support our work. This month we’re aiming to raise £2,500 to help fund the next stage of our investigations, campaigning, and advocacy. Donate to Protect the Wild If you’re able to make a donation today, we’d be incredibly grateful. Together, we can keep exposing cruelty, challenging powerful interests, and fighting for wildlife. Thank you, Rob SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM PROTECT THE WILD - NO LEGAL KILLING FOR ANYMORE GUGA?

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more New polling shows huge surge in opposition to the Guga hunt. Something has shifted. And the numbers prove it. DEVON DOCHERTY JUN 1 READ IN APP The tides are well and truly shifting against the Guga hunt - the cruel annual killing of Gannet chicks off the North West coast of Scotland - and we have the stats to prove it. Our latest polling shows that 77% of Scottish people with a view want the Guga hunt to be banned. In December, that figure was 69%, showing a significant increase in opposition in just five months. Even when taking into consideration people who answered ‘Don’t know’, the results show an outright majority supporting an end to the Guga hunt. Over half of all Scots want this hunt stopped. Strip out the don't knows and it's three in four. However you cut these numbers, the Scottish public has delivered a clear verdict on the Guga hunt - and they want it to stop. Stop the Guga hunt Our poll, commissioned with market research group FindOutNow, was Scottish-representative - meaning it was carefully weighted to reflect the real make-up of Scotland's population across age, gender, region and other factors. This is as close to the genuine public view as polling gets. How many people had heard of the Guga hunt before? We also asked if participants had previously heard of the hunt before taking part in our survey. The results were: At first glance, 17% may not sound like a particularly high figure. But when you consider that this is representative of the Scottish population, it means that around 748,000 Scottish adults had heard of the Guga hunt before. For a practice that has quietly continued for centuries, largely hidden from public view, the fact that hundreds of thousands of Scots are now aware of it represents a significant breakthrough. In fact, I’d wager that if this question had been asked just a year ago, the figure would have been less than 1% awareness. A year ago, I had never even heard of the Guga hunt myself - and by that point I had spent six years involved in Scotland's animal protection movement. While there’s clearly still a huge amount of awareness-raising to do, these results suggest that the Guga hunt is no longer a niche issue known only to the perpetrators and a handful of NatureScot staff. It is becoming a matter of national public debate. Tell NatureScot - END THE GUGA HUNT What’s changed? We believe the surge in both opposition to and awareness of the Guga hunt has been driven largely by a huge increase in media coverage. Our election campaign, which saw Protect the Wild founder Rob stand as a candidate in Edinburgh Central went particularly viral, showing the value of bold and creative campaigning. It helped bring the issue to a national audience, generating huge coverage across major UK media outlets, including broadcasting on BBC, ITV and STV news. We also featured on a segment of Have I Got News For You, which has an average of around 4 million viewers. Other factors include our viral Guga hunt animations each reaching millions of people, our collaboration with actor Brian Cox, direct action by grassroots activists from Abolish the Guga hunt, and growing efforts from other organisations. Why did we only poll in Scotland? Scotland has its own parliament and decisions about the future of the Guga hunt will ultimately be made there. The people who make up that parliament are elected to represent, and are accountable to, the Scottish public. NatureScot, the body responsible for licensing the hunt, is answerable to that same parliament, and those same members of the Scottish public. That makes Scottish public opinion particularly important. One of the most common claims made by defenders of the hunt is that opposition comes primarily from outside Scotland. Whether fair or not, it is important that we can demonstrate that concern about the Guga hunt exists within Scotland itself, and that support for ending it is growing among the Scottish people. And that’s exactly what we’ve done with this new polling. But let me be clear - this doesn’t mean opinions from elsewhere aren’t important. Public pressure doesn’t stop at Scotland’s borders, and support from across the UK and around the world has been invaluable in helping shine a light on the Guga hunt. Tell NatureScot - End the Guga hunt So wherever you’re from, please keep engaging with this campaign. Every conversation, every email, every petition signature and every action helps expose a practice that has remained hidden from public view for far too long. Help protect wildlife every month If you’re reading this, chances are you’re already part of the movement. Whether you’ve shared our content, signed a petition, contacted a decision-maker or simply helped spread the word, thank you. But if we’re going to keep growing, winning campaigns and protecting wildlife, we need more than support - we need sustainable funding. That’s why monthly donations are so important. If you’re able to support us, even if that’s the price of a cup of coffee once a month - please do, it makes everything we do for wildlife possible. Donate to Protect the Wild As a special thank you to those who support our campaign to end the Guga hunt, we’ll send you a Gannet plush toy as a small, soft reminder of the birds you are helping to protect. Just donate via the button above, or by clicking this link. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM PROTECT THE WILD - THE HARD TRUTH ABOUT INDUSTRIAL GAME BIRD FARMING. VILE IT IS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more A pheasant’s organs were forced back inside her body. This is the vile reality of the shooting industry they want hidden. PROTECT THE WILD JUN 1 READ IN APP This is some of the most vile footage I have ever had to watch in my 11 years running Protect the Wild. Every time I replay it, I come away with immense anger and sadness. Not because this is an isolated accident. Not because one bird was suffering. But because this footage exposes the lie at the heart of the bird shooting industry. For years, the industry has told the public that it operates to the highest welfare standards. It claims its birds are cared for by trained professionals. It insists it can regulate itself. It tells politicians, journalists and the public that the welfare of the animals it breeds and shoots is a priority. Then our undercover investigator walked inside one of the UK’s largest “game” bird breeding facilities and recorded what actually happens. This wasn’t footage from some rogue backyard operation. This was recorded inside Heart of England, a company that breeds millions of pheasants and partridges for the shooting industry and proudly boasts on its website that its birds are produced “without shortcuts.” What our investigator witnessed was a hen pheasant suffering from a prolapse being left untreated for days. Days. Repeatedly reported. Repeatedly ignored. Become a Game Changer When somebody finally intervened, there was no veterinarian. No pain relief. No antiseptic. No proper medical treatment. Instead, an unqualified member of staff attempted to force the prolapsed tissue back inside the bird’s body using dirty equipment and the bird’s own soiled feathers before returning her to the cage. His assessment afterwards? “We’ll try it, see what happens.” Imagine that for a moment. Imagine being that bird. Your body has literally begun to fail under the strain of laying eggs. Internal tissue is protruding from your body. You are in pain. You are vulnerable. You need urgent veterinary treatment. Instead, you are subjected to this crude and unhygienic procedure before being thrown back into a cage to continue suffering. Become a Game Changer Why was this bird there? Why was she enduring this in the first place? Because she was part of a production line. Her purpose was to produce eggs. Those eggs would become chicks. Those chicks would be reared in their tens of millions. Then they would be released into the countryside only to be shot from the sky for entertainment. That is the reality. This bird’s suffering existed because somebody wanted more pheasants to shoot. The industry likes to talk about conservation. It likes to talk about rural traditions. It likes to talk about livelihoods and heritage. But strip away the marketing and this is what remains: animals treated as units of production. Breeding machines. Disposable commodities. Living creatures pushed to their limits because there is money to be made from the birds they produce. Perhaps what disgusts me most is not simply the suffering itself, but the casual attitude towards it. Our investigator recorded conversations about prolapses, birds dying from reproductive injuries and birds becoming egg-bound. The deaths and suffering were discussed not as tragedies to be prevented but as expected losses within a system designed to maximise production. “It just happens.” “It’s part of the game we’re in. It’s not nice, but... They’re like, **** me, I’ve laid too many eggs…” No. It doesn’t “just happen.” These injuries happen because humans have created an industrial system that pushes animals beyond what their bodies were ever meant to endure. And when suffering becomes so routine that people stop seeing it as suffering, something has gone badly wrong. The shooting industry has millions of pounds behind it. It has wealthy landowners. It has celebrity shooters. It has lobby groups, trade organisations and political influence. But they can’t run away from the truth. And the truth is contained in footage like this. The truth is contained in the testimony of undercover investigators who risk their jobs and safety to expose what happens behind closed doors. The truth is contained in the suffering of birds like this pheasant. That is why we launched our campaign to End Bird Shooting. That is why we are exposing the industry from hatchery to gun. And that is why we need your help. The other side has money. We have something far more powerful. We have you. We have the evidence. We have the truth. Most importantly, we are on the side of the animals. If this footage makes you as angry as it makes us, please become a Game Changer today. Become a Game Changer By becoming a monthly supporter, you’ll help fund more hard-hitting undercover investigations, expose cruelty hidden from public view, challenge industry propaganda and build the movement needed to end bird shooting in the UK once and for all. The industry is counting on nobody looking. Together, we can make sure the whole country sees exactly what is happening. And together, we can bring this cruel industry to an end. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM PLANTLIFE - LET THE GRASS AND MEADOWS BLOOM IN JUNE

Let's Let it Bloom View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop Hi John, May might be over, but the No Mow Movement is still well underway, and it's not too late join - welcome to Let it Bloom June! While May is a great time to start the Movement, letting your lawn grow through June can be great too - and every little space adds up to huge gains for nature. All you need to do is mow less and create space for nature to thrive. In return you lock up more carbon, help your garden deal with the heat and provide pollinators and other wildlife with a vital lifeline. Say no more, I'm ready to join Let it Bloom Your Way The No Mow Movement isn't about throwing away the mower altogether - it's about trying to replicate some of those lost meadows at home. How you choose to continue (or begin) the Movement is up to you: Hands celebrating Go Wild - go all in and let your lawn grow like a mini hay meadow through to the end of July. Flower Create a Mow-saic Mix - think short paths, flowering lawn patches and longer areas with taller wildflowers and grasses, variety is the spice of life! Green heart Beautiful borders - leave some space around your border to bloom and see what wildlife takes sanctuary in the tufts of grasses. Let's Let it Bloom With the hottest May temperature on record this year, there has never been a better time to help our wildlife. The benefits of less mowing are blooming brilliant! You'll boost biodiversity, provide safe and cooler spaces for insects and animals and protect your lawn from drought. So please do tell us and add your name to the No Mow Movement if you’re letting the grass grow - you’ll help us to keep track of the space that is being created for nature across the UK. We can't wait to welcome all the new No Mow Heroes! Thank you. Charley Adams, Plantlife Nature Editor Follow Plantlife on: Instagram Instagram Facebook Facebook YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn Website Website Copyright © Plantlife All rights reserved. Plantlife International is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity in England and Wales (1059559) & Scotland, (SC038951) Registered Company in England and Wales (3166339) Registered Office: Brewery House,36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1722 342730 enquiries@plantlife.org.uk www.plantlife.org.uk Plantlife respects your privacy. You can read more about how and why we use your personal data at www.plantlife.org.uk/privacy-notice Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS — FROM TRAIL HUNTING TO DRAG HUNTING?

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter From Trail Hunting to Drag Hunting: The Next Smokescreen? Trail hunting does not exist as a genuine activity; it exists only as a myth. It was invented after the hunting ban as a smokescreen for the continued hunting of wild mammals - exactly as campaigners warned it would be, and exactly as hunts themselves said they would do. The convicted Crawley and Horsham Fox hunt in 2023/24 - now a registered drag hunt as of 2025/26. Image Credit West Sussex Hunt Sabs In 2020, fifteen years after hunting was banned, the sport’s governing body held a series of Zoom calls during the Covid lockdowns which were later leaked to the Hunt Saboteurs Association and released on ITV News. The recordings exposed hunting’s leadership, coaching masters and huntsmen on how to circumvent the law and avoid prosecution. It was from these webinars that the now-infamous term “smokescreen” entered the public debate — used to describe trail hunting as a cover for continued illegal hunting. The leak marked a turning point. The beginning of the end of hunts operating with impunity while publicly insisting they were acting within the law. Twenty-one years later, the public has more than had enough, and finally a government was elected with a manifesto pledge to ban the fiction of trail hunting. But banning the myth alone does not deal with the underlying activity. How can you ban something that does not truly happen? What must be outlawed is the use of any smokescreen that enables the hunting of wild mammals to continue under another name. During the infamous leaked Hunting Office webinars, Richard Gurney who was master and huntsman of the Crawley & Horsham hunt, referred to laying trails as a 'Plan B' held in reserve for when sabs turn up. That means ensuring hunts cannot simply reinvent themselves through another supposedly “alternative” activity. And there is every reason to believe they already are. The most obvious replacement smokescreen is drag hunting. That is not speculation — it has effectively been admitted by the hunting lobby itself. As reported by the BBC News, Countryside Alliance representative Polly Portwin said that if trail hunting were banned, hunts would adapt: “We will find a way, we’ve had to find a way and we’re going to have to adapt”. So why is the government simultaneously saying it wants “alternative practices such as drag hunting and clean-boot hunting, which use non-animal scents, to continue to thrive”? “Thrive”? There are only seven registered drag hunting packs in the UK. The Drag Hunting Reality Berks & Bucks Draghounds — formerly kennelled with the Avon Vale Hunt and hunted by former Avon Vale huntsman Stuart Radbourne before the Avon Vale were exposed in multiple cases involving extreme cruelty to animals. Radbourne would slaughter foxes on Saturdays and hunt a drag on Sundays. He has since been seen riding as whipper-in for huntsman Andrew Van Oostrum despite multiple convictions relating to serious animal abuse. Cambridge University Draghounds describes itself as an “extra-mural study” for students, but openly presents itself as a training ground for future leaders of the hunting world, boasting a “long list” of former members who became masters of hounds. One example is Ronnie Wallace, associated with hunts including the Hawkstone Otterhounds, Exmoor Foxhounds, Ludlow, Cotswold and Heythrop hunts. Crawley & Horsham Draghounds switched from registration with the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) to the Masters of Draghounds & Bloodhounds Association ahead of the proposed ban. The fate of their fox hunting hounds remains unclear. The organisation has long been associated with “smokescreen” hunting practices. Former master and huntsman Richard Gurney was exposed in the Hunting Office webinars referring to trail laying as a “Plan B” to use when hunt saboteurs appeared. The Crawley & Horsham Hunt also has convictions for illegal hunting. In 2012, three members, including huntsman Andrew Phillis, were convicted on five counts of illegal hunting. In 2013, professional huntsman Nicholas Bycroft pleaded guilty to an offence under the Hunting Act. In 2021, two separate cases against then-huntsman William Bishop collapsed after CPS failures to disclose video evidence. Isle of Wight Hounds — another former BHSA-registered pack now making the switch before legislation changes. Jersey Draghounds Mid Surrey Farmers Draghounds Staff College Draghounds Drag Hunt huntsman Stuart Radbourne hunting the Drag hounds on a Sunday. And the same Stuart Radbourne digging out foxes on a Saturday. The Scent Contradiction Sabs have long documented what scents so-called ‘trail hunts’ claim to use, here are just a few from our reports; Staghounds Quantock Staghounds — aniseed (2018) Foxhounds Hampshire Hunt — Olbas Oil (2025/26) Royal Artillery Hunt — valerian root (2025/26) Portman Hunt — clove oil (2025/26) Wilton Hunt — aniseed (2023/24), then reportedly returned to fox scent in 2025/26 because alternatives “don’t really work as well” Harriers Holcombe Harriers — “cheap perfume” Beagles Bolebroke Beagles — aniseed New Forest Beagles — Olbas Oil (2017) Wilton Hunt offer sabs a sniff of their sock. Credit Wiltshire Hunt Sabs The original justification for trail hunting using fox scent after the Hunting Act was supposedly to “keep the dogs’ noses” trained while hunts campaigned for the repeal of the Act. Yet the extraordinary inconsistency in the scents now claimed — from aniseed and clove oil to cheap perfume and Olbas Oil — alongside admissions that animal-based scents work better, exposes a fundamental problem: they do not actually know what works best because hounds were never genuinely retrained away from live quarry. The example of the Wilton Hunt is particularly revealing. After publicly claiming to have switched to non-animal scent trails in 2023/24, it now reportedly admits that fox scent has been reintroduced because alternatives “don’t really work”. It cannot be acceptable for actual hunting to continue simply to preserve seven registered drag hunts — several of which have direct or deeply questionable links to convicted fox hunting activity and individuals associated with illegal hunting. A ban on trail hunting alone is not enough. The government must ensure that any new law covers all eventualities, closes every potential smokescreen, and removes the loopholes and exemptions that have allowed hunts to continue operating in practice while claiming compliance on paper. Nothing less will do. The government has launched a public consultation on Trail Hunting – this is our chance to stop cruel hunting for good. You can read the HSA’s guidance and take part in the consultation here. The deadline is 18th June 2026 – make sure your voice is heard. Take part in the Trail Hunting Consultation now: Have your say Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association! Support our vital work by becoming a member. Join The HSA Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2026 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe