MANNEQUINS AND GAS GUN ON GROUSE MORE IN A NATIONAL PARK
RaptorPersecutionUK
Yesterday I blogged about the recent appearance of a mannequin (a sort of scarecrow) that had been placed on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park where a pair of hen harriers had been seen nest prospecting in April (see here). Today, another blog reader has provided information about another eight mannequins (at […]
Here is the latest news from the HSA.
The 2023 mink hunt sabbing season is now underway after the Three Counties Mink Hunt were caught hunting on the River Teme near Worcester.
The hunt were located on a SSSI – a Site of Special Scientific Interest – following a search of known meets by sabs from Severn Vale, Three Counties, Herefordshire, and Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch.
With sabs approaching the hunt from all sides, the huntsman gathered his pack and headed back to the meet, but not before the angry landowner had thrown his weight around, tried to steal cameras, and even driven at sabs in his Kawasaki buggy!
Terrier work is an integral part of illegal mink hunting, so sabs were unsurprised to see men with spades and terriers present. The Three Counties Mink Hunt are therefore ignoring the recent edict from the BHSA – their own governing body – that terriers should no longer be taken on hunts.
With just twelve hunting extremists present, this pack have clearly fallen on hard times. They were formed in 1977 from hounds donated by Border Counties Otterhounds and the Culmstock Otterhounds and were once well supported. As recently as 2019 they could muster up to forty supporters – but, as with so many hunts, those days are over.
HSA spokesperson commented, “Following the colder than usual spring, we believe minkhound packs around the country have only recently started their season. Now that they are underway, sab groups across the country will be making them a priority. If you are hunting mink or otters on the riverbank our message is clear – expect us.”
CHRIS PACKHAM WINS HIGH COURT DEFAMATION TRIAL & IS AWARDED NINETY THOUSAND POUNDS IN DAMAGES
Press release from Chris Packham's solicitors at Leigh Day (25th May 2023): Chris Packham wins High Court defamation trial and is awarded £90,000 in damages The High Court has today ruled in favour of environmental campaigner and naturalist Chris Packham CBE in his defamation case brought against Dominic Wightman, editor of Country Squire Magazine, and […]
Here is the latest news from the HSA.
As with other forms of hunting, stag hunting also contains exemptions to the law, and loopholes which allows this barbaric bloodsport to continue under the ‘smokescreen’ of a lawful activity.
The 2004 Hunting Act bans hunting of wild mammals with a pack of hounds, but the exemption is two hounds can be used to flush the chosen quarry to be shot by gun. That might sound black and white to the average normal person, however to the types who choose to participate in such activities it’s seen as a loophole to bend the law so they can get as much enjoyment and excitement to fill their bloodlust as possible.
Whilst more often than not during the last season two hounds were being seen to be used, on occasion more hounds were witnessed chasing stags. On one occasion after having very little success with two hounds, sabs caught the hunt illegally pursuing a stag with three hounds. On another occasion when the hunt thought they were out of sight it was reported six hounds were being used. Another ‘terribly good wheeze’ to rinse the law for all it’s worth, is something known as ‘relaying’, rather that just having the two hounds, the hunt will have more hounds with them to swap over once the first hounds start to tire.
The definition of the term ‘to flush’, is for example to send the two hounds into the woods or cover, and use them to spook(flush) the stag out into the open to be shot by a waiting marksman. This most certainly is not what is happening. The hunt will search for a herd of deer, with the supporters driving around the area calling in when deer are spotted.
Once a herd of deer is located the hunt will attempt to isolate the chosen stag from the rest of the herd. The stag is now being hunted, not being flushed as the law states. The chase can go on for hours, one report from the season reported witnessing a stag being chased for 15km, and this is a common occurrence. The chosen stag will be hunted until he finally drops to the ground from exhaustion, this causes the stag unimaginable amounts of stress both mentally and physically.
The stag hunts attract some of the most unsavoury characters in society. The supporters and followers play a vital role in what is undoubtedly illegal hunting. The support are often violent and once the fox and hare hunts have finished for the season are joined by their members. Incidents this past season included the usual threats and attempts at intimidation, assaults and criminal damage to sab vehicles.
Dear Right to Roamers,
Did you hear the great news? In last Thursday's parliamentary debate on access to nature, Labour confirmed they would introduce a Right to Roam Act for England if elected - and said that their policy was for a Scottish-style right of responsible access.
We will introduce a Right to Roam Act, a new law allowing national parks to adopt the right to wild camp, as well as expanding public access to woodlands and waterways... Like in Scotland, Labour’s approach will be that our right to roam will offer access to high-quality green and blue spaces for the rest of Britain. We will replace the default of exclusion with a default of access".
This is a great step forward - and everyone who's been involved in this movement over the past few years should feel justifiably proud. Huge thanks to all of you - to everyone who contacted their MPs ahead of this debate; and to anyone who's come on mass trespasses, set up local groups or signed our petitions.
But we're far from complacent. We're not naive - we know that pledges can be broken and there's a long way still to go to turn promises into law. We also know that now is when the real fight begins: that as a new Right to Roam Act begins to look like a possibility, its opponents will start to mobilise against it.
FROM PROTECT THE WILD - BANNING SNARES
Wales is set to become the first UK nation to ban snares after a third reading of the Agriculture Bill was heard in the Welsh Senedd last week. It looks to be a tremendous victory for wildlife and a long time coming!
Back in 2020 our friends at HIT investigated the use of snares in Pembrokeshire by David Sneade (pictured below). And what they found was sickening.
A legal loophole allowed Sneade to snare foxes, kill them and sell their pelts despite fur farms being banned in Britain. He then went on to sell the fur to dealers in Sweden and the US. It was HIT's investigation that exposed this sick operation to the public and put much needed attention on the use of cruel snares.
In one video which we won't share, he uses multiple brutal blows on a still-breathing fox, before crushing the animal to death with his foot. Fur trappers snare and bludgeon animals rather than shooting them so their pelts are not spoilt by bullet wounds and blood.
Up until now, setting snares in the UK is LEGAL as long as the devices aren't designed to kill. But the new bill which looks set to be passed in Wales could hopefully pave the way for much needed change.
This is why we will always support undercover investigations
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Investigations like this one are so important. They create conversations, get people thinking, and they put pressure on decision makers to make change happen. Covered by The Independent, Daily Mail and BBC News, the issue of snares was finally given the spotlight and ever since the campaign has only grown stronger to ban the use of these cruel devices for good. And it is a great example of why we will always support undercover investigations. They are one of the most effective ways of uncovering what is really going on in the British countryside and the media are always more likely to cover these stories. It is also a telling indication of the fight we have on our hands when it comes to ending all wildlife persecution. It is going to be a long one that's for sure. And change doesn't happen overnight. But whilst it can be difficult to stay optimistic we must remember that we are on the right side of history. The evidence is there for all to see. We just need to keep pushing and one day we will see the end of snares and all forms of wildlife persecution. |
If you like what we do and would like to make a donation which will be used across our range of work, then please consider donating through PayPal, bank transfer or a cheque in the post - see details here. Thank you for all your donations.
That's it for now. We couldn't do any of this without you.
Thank you,
The utter barbarity of stag hunting has been laid bare in heart-breaking drone footage captured by Mendip Hunt Saboteurs.
This is believed to be the first time a drone – supplemented by handheld camera footage – has caught an entire hunt on camera. Thanks to the presence of hunt saboteurs, the stag survived his ordeal.
Mendip sabs report, “Sabs recorded the prolonged chase of a healthy stag by the Devon & Somerset Stag Hounds on Tuesday 25th April, using both our drone and handheld cameras on the ground.
This action was part of the campaign against stag hunting that saw our sab group join with others to hit the three remaining stag hunts for the first season in many years. The meet of the DSSH followed a series of hunts in which we witnessed numerous kills, including the shocking incident where a stag was hunted to exhaustion then shot and killed in front of a Devon County sab who was in the line of fire.
The shocking drone footage was captured after the DSSH met at Hunniwins Farm near North Molton, Exmoor. It was a hot, sunny day that drew a large field and copious vehicle support clogging up the narrow lanes. From the meet, the hunt headed to the moors and covered a lot of ground very quickly as they searched for their stag over Barcombe Down, North Molton Ridge and Twitchen Ridge, then returned to Soakey Moor where we had seen them the previous Saturday.
The hunted stag was spotted at about 2pm by Sab Team 1 (Three Counties) who were positioned on the lane by the northeast corner of Anstey Money Common. Another stag had already been witnessed fleeing from the hunt across the lane but was not pursued. The hunted stag was seen shortly after, running back and forth next to the road. He was turned away by hunt support on the road and ran southwards back up the small combe towards the huntsman and hounds.
This is where the chase was first picked up by the drone. The stag had joined a herd of about five deer that were running through gorse with hounds close behind. Hunt support and followers were spread out over the common and on the nearby bridleway looking down into the combe. Had this been legal hunting using the “flushing to guns” exemption, there would have been ample opportunity for gunmen to quickly shoot the stag once he had broken cover. However, this did not happen, and once the stag ran from the gorse he was subjected to a prolonged ordeal being chased over open ground for many miles.
When the stag was separated from the herd, the hounds first pursued the main herd instead of their intended quarry. As they were brought back onto his scent, a red-coated hunt rider chased the stag further south across the common until he crossed a hedge into open farmland. The desperate stag then continued running into Venford Moor and further east into East Anstey Common as the hunt raced to catch up. The stag came into view of Sab Team 2 (Mendip, 3Cs & CIHW) and shortly after, the hunt were seen following his line over Venford Moor.
Vehicle supporters followed on the road and made an almighty noise as the hunted stag tried to cross near Five Cross Ways, beeping their horns and shouting to scare him back as the pursuing hounds struggled to pass through a hedge. This caused him to double back into East Anstey Common, where hunt and hounds continued to chase him. Still, no attempt was made to shoot the stag which should have been done at the earliest opportunity had the hunt been legally flushing to guns.
As the stag approached the road further to the west, hunt support again made huge amounts of noise to try to turn him. However, this time they were unsuccessful and he managed to cross northwards into the Barle Valley as witnessed by Sab Team 2. Hounds followed in cry on his line as he fled towards the river. The location he was running towards was where a stag was shot in front of a Devon County sab a few days before. With the resulting fallout from that incident and sabs close by and watching, the hunt decided to leave the valley and the hunted stag escaped. The presence of sabs and their cameras therefore undoubtedly saved his life.
We continued to monitor the hunt as they searched the moors for another stag to chase, and although we saW them chasing a hind and worrying a flock of sheep with lambs, we are fairly confident that they did not kill later in the day. This was an extremely satisfying result for us given the amount of killing we had witnessed in the previous days and weeks.
Although stag hunting has now paused for the summer, the momentum is building and we will be ready to hit them again in the autumn”
Please consider helping us out as we switch our focus to other forms of hunting over the summer. You can donate to our fuel and equipment fund at www.PayPal.me/MendipHuntSabs or buy us a virtual coffee at www.ko-fi.com/MendipHuntSabs. Thank you.
Watch The Video
I dislike intensely getting an identification wrong but we did at Lo Monte on 18th May.
We were fortunate to get onto two small birds, very close by, in the reeds outside the hide. They were moving about amongst the foliage preening, changing position and perching again. We watched them for about twenty minutes before they flew to a different patch of reeds. We thought they were Blackcaps - Curruca Capirotada but they were not, we have been advised.
The most commonest resident warbler is the Sardinian - Curruca Cabecinegra and we should have thought of this species first. But we didn’t. They are another common bird that is always good to see but not a bird that will make it is easy for one to locate and photograph. We had the pleasure of watching them and with the Nikon P900 they were photographed.
Bryan of birdingcostablanca gave us the correct identification and on his own site you will see some genuine photographs of his own sightings and all the information will be right.
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New post] 94 hen harriers confirmed ‘missing’ or illegally killed in UK since 2018, most of them on or close to grouse moors
Further to the news from the RSPB earlier this month that 20 hen harriers had ‘disappeared’ on English grouse moors between April 2022 and April 2023 (see here), leading to my updated tally of illegally killed/missing hen harriers since 2018 (n = 92), I’ve since realised that I forgot to add one of the brood-meddled hen […]
RSPB REPEATS CALL FOR A MORATORIUM ON GAME BIRD & DUCK RELEASES TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC SPREAD OF AVIAN FLU.
Last August the RSPB called for an immediate moratorium on the release of birds for shooting, such as pheasants, partridges and ducks, due to the risk of them spreading highly pathogenic avian flu to wild bird populations (see here). DEFRA chose to ignore the call. Now the RSPB is repeating the call, this time to […]
The worst season in years - help us end this madness
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The last fox hunting 'season' was horrendous. The very fact there is a 'season' in itself is bad enough. And whether it is the realisation that they're on their last legs or the ongoing reality that the ban on hunting isn't good enough, the hunts stopped lower than ever before in 2022/23. |
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And that's just a snippet. This is the state of the British countryside in 2023. But it is important to remember that these scenes are being exposed like never before. Major landowners are turning against hunts and are so is the vast majority of the public. And trust me when I say we are closer than ever before to ending the vile pastime of fox hunting for good. If you've not seen already, we have launched our campaign for a proper ban on hunting. A ban that will end all hunting with hounds for good. The best and most effective way to help us continue our work to end this madness is to adopt a fox with us or give a small donation. We're building a movement of thousands of supporters all bound together by the common aim of ending fox hunting. Please consider donating from just a few pounds a month - the cost of a cup of coffee. |
NOT ENOUGH RIGHT TO ROAM
Dear Right to Roamers,
We've just produced a startling new analysis of how unequal access to nature is in England - and we need your help to get MPs listening.
We analysed the government's official maps showing where the public has a right to roam, and calculated the area of accessible land within each parliamentary constituency in England.
This shows that the public's right to roam is currently spread very unequally - there are 92 constituencies in England with no right to roam at all!
The Guardian reported on these shocking new stats over the weekend - and if you want the full details, the whole dataset is online here so you can look up where your constituency ranks against the others.
This Thursday 18th May, MPs will take part in a parliamentary debate on access to nature - and we want them to call for a new Right to Roam Act in England to address this inequality.
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But we need your help to get them listening - so please email your MP ahead of this Thursday's debate and send them our new two-page briefing, which you can download here.
You can find your MP's email in our dataset or look it up online here.
Our briefing makes the case for why England should follow Scotland's lead in legislating for a right of responsible access over the majority of land and water - with sensible exceptions like private gardens and land where crops are growing, and seasonal restrictions for sensitive nature sites. A new Right to Roam Act should be backed by a fresh Outdoor Access Code setting out the responsibilities of both the public and landowners.
We hope that MPs will use Thursday's debate to make clear their support for a greater Right to Roam in England - so anything you can do to encourage your MP to attend and speak armed with the facts is very helpful.
Thanks and all the best, Guy & the Right to Roam campaign team x
Facebook: right2roam |
From Raptor Persecution UK
Press release from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), 10th May 2023. INCONSISTENT LAWS & FUNDING PUTS UK WILDLIFE IN DANGER Illegal wildlife crime such as fox hunting, badger baiting and hare coursing is going on under the radar in the UK, according to new research. Wild animals face horrific acts of cruelty by […]
Read the whole post
Book Review
Title. The Great Silence
Author. Doug Johnstone
Publisher. Orenda Books
“Grim locations that can ease the pain and find the truth and it’s fun”
After a ‘grim’ few days I decided I wanted to read something cheerful. I have read Doug Johnstone’s Skelf stories before and know they will take me to a good place. If you have an inkling of the subject matter you may wonder at my state of mind. I can explain.
The Skelf family have been in business for a century or so. They are undertakers where all the family are involved although they have recently invited Archie in to do the embalming. He’s good at it. A kind of expert they say! So in the context of their trade they deal with the dead, make them pleasant to look at, offer condolences, support and practical advice to the bereaved. They also arrange the service which can take place at the grave side. They can do everything.
The family all have their histories and stories to tell which can be read in the two previous books, A Dark Matter and The Big Chill. The Skelf women work together, support each other and the strength of the family love is always around.
They are also private investigators after all one would need suspense, intrigue and dramas outside of the funeral parlor. The jobs they take on are all of that and the consequences are extreme. There is a surprise even when taking Einstein, Dorothy’s little dog, into parkland for a walk. Everything is not what it seems.
The narration is split between Dorothy, the grandmother and matriarch of the family, Jenny her daughter, and Hannah, Jenny’s daughter. Each one has chapters to unfold their separate traumas and investigations. That’s both simple and an excellent way of breaking up the narrative. I like it that way.
The facets in this book come to their various conclusions including one issue that could be final or not? I found it an enjoyable, entertaining read; it made me laugh out loud and I now know about Cotard’s Syndrome!
Here is the latest news from the HSA.
The huntsman of the Fitzwilliam Hunt, Shaun Parish, pleaded guilty to illegally hunting a fox at Peterborough Magistrates Court this morning.
The offence took place near the Cambridgeshire village of Barnack in March last year, during which a fox was dug out from their underground hiding place and flushed out to the hunt’s pack of hounds. Unfortunately for the Fitzwilliam, however, saboteurs were present and recorded the whole incident.
A trial was scheduled for today, but instead Parish chose to plead guilty half an hour beforehand and was subsequently fined £421.
Peterborough Hunt Saboteurs and Beds and Bucks Hunt Saboteurs released a joint statement, saying,
We are obviously hugely pleased with this outcome. The strength of evidence supplied in this case meant that the Fitzwilliam had no defence to offer. The Fitzwilliam are fast becoming one of the most convicted hunts in the country and it’s clear to everybody that they are simply a criminal gang”.
A HSA spokesperson commented,
“Today provides yet further evidence that fox hunts are nothing more than rural organised crime gangs. Police investigations are currently ongoing around numerous other hunts and the evidence that fox hunting is rife not only in Cambridgeshire but throughout the UK is now totally irrefutable.
Well done to our Peterborough and Beds & Bucks groups for keeping the pressure on this criminal hunt and saving the lives of many foxes targeted by it.”
What many of us knew about the deaths of Hen Harriers
Press release from RSPB: ILLEGAL KILLING IS MAJOR CAUSE OF DEATH IN HEN HARRIERS Illegal killing is the main cause of death in Hen Harriers over one year of age and a major cause of deaths in birds under one year according to a new paper, published in the journal Biological Conservation, and led by […]
Read more of this post - On Raptor Persecution UK
Four thrillers have been published so far with Hunting Time being the last. The Goodbye Man and The Never Game have preceded The Final Twist.
The Shaw family history lies within the books and as the stories unfold we learn more about it. Colter Shaw is the youngest, Russell is an older brother, and Dorion is the sister. There is intrigue and mystery surrounding the absent older brother and that leaves us with Colter as our main man.
He is a reward seeker in the sense of tracking people who have walked away, become lost, or are the victims of kidnapping. He does it for money but he displays values and high ethics. He is the good guy in an otherwise dirty business.
So far his investigations have taken him into ‘the cult world’ and through the ‘gaming world’ where nothing is as it seems. At the same time as he is seeking to find an individual he is drawn into dangerous situations where people intend to stop him.
The Final Twist, set in west coast America, is where his search to find the truth places him in extreme danger. They are ‘the big players’ who wish to subvert to gain control and power. And, in doing so, we learn much more of what the family are involved in.
I’ve made this book seem a simple read but there are so many happenings that will take the reader easily elsewhere for a chapter or three. Twists and turns abound and the story lines are on going. It is continuous and in this third book Russell, the elder son, suddenly appears. He can handle himself as well. But what next? We now know in the final chapter both sons are together in the company of their mother. But what do they hope to achieve? So there it is with Hunting Times still to read.
I suggest you read them in the order they were published as there are clear and obvious links running through.
10,000 back campaign for proper hunting ban
It's now been a couple of weeks since we launched our campaign for a proper ban on hunting.
Our new law would end all hunting with hounds. It would make the sham that is 'trail hunting' illegal. And it would leave nothing up to interpretation.
Over 10,000 of you have now signed our petition which means over 10,000 individual emails have now been sent to Defra asking them to take action to end all hunting with hounds for good.
If you haven't already you can sign our petition here.
CHRIS PACKHAM’S LIBEL TRIAL CONTINUES INTO SECOND WEEK
Chris Packham will return to the High Court today as his libel trial continues into its second week. Chris is taking libel action against three individuals associated with Country Squire Magazine, who are accused of writing defamatory material about him, notably accusations of dishonesty and fraud in relation to the rescue of a number of […]
NATURAL ENGLAND HOSTS DINNER FOR GROUSE SHOOTING INDUSTRY REPS. AFTER SWINTON ESTATE VISIT.
Several months ago I blogged about Natural England's senior management team having a lovely day out on the notorious Swinton Estate in North Yorkshire on 14th February 2023, as indicated by Tweets from Natural England's Chief Exec Marian Spain and Chair, Tony Juniper (see here). When I say Swinton Estate is 'notorious', I'm referring to […]
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