FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS

 

View this email in your browser Hi,  Batchelor Party As Northern Counties Mink Hounds Get Sabbed! Image: Staffordshire Hunt Sabs A barn full of old folks in bright waistcoats? A verge full of Sabs in their new black spring outfits? Mink hunt sabbing must be underway! Hunt Saboteurs from Sheffield, Manchester, Staffordshire, Hull and West Yorkshire found themselves at a familiar meet, Eastfield Farm in Arram. Where the highland cattle sit cooped up in the barn next to the table full of sandwiches and shortbread, laid out for a handful of would be midweek riverbank hunters. The Northern Counties Mink Hounds are having a little social, building up their energy for a long afternoon of terrorising the banks of the River Hull. Little did they know, jogging around the corner were two dozen jolly folks in black, prepped with radios and camcorders, ready to spoil their day, and save some lives. Sabs were in good spirits, it's been a while since fox hunting season ended up in the north of England, so a good rest, combined with a lazy start for a 1pm meet and the mood was high as friends gathered in sab vans for the first time in a while. Image: Sheffield Hunt Sabs Part way through the twenty minute standoff which ensued over the farm yard, sabs noticed a new, much younger, face among the large handful of Northern Counties followers. None other than ex Stour Valley and Eastern Counties Mink Hounds huntsman, James Batchelor, clearly looking for a break from kennel duties at the Ampleforth Beagles. It seems the Northern Counties may be trying to shake things up a little. When we arrived James was trying to ingratiate himself with NC support with two tins of shortbread! Best save them for the next meet eh, James? Arram is a familiar meet. Back in lockdown 'outdoor sports' were banned for a big part of the fox hunting season (the one-and-only time sabs will accept hunting as a sport). The ban was lifted just about when mink hunting season started in the spring, when covid rates dropped, and the weather warmed. Image: Sheffield Hunt Sabs Arram was one of the first meets we sabbed in recent years, if you can call filming oddballs in colourful trousers with well groomed mustaches eating sandwiches 'sabbing'. That meet was the start of a glorious summer, where sabs from across the north frequently descended on Northern Counties meets, and saw the hunt crumble, diminishing in numbers week by week. East Yorkshire Coast hit the Northern Counties at Arram again last season,and other groups have hit them there in previous years. Image: Sheffield Hunt Sabs Today there was a lucky new huntsman driving the old LDV houndvan to meet us in Arram. We think we've given him a suitable welcome, and a taste of the summer ahead of him. He packed up his tin of biscuits before even unloading his hounds, and drove off back to Helmsley; where the NC are kenneled with the Bilsdale Hunt - Thoroughly Sabbed. Images Sheffield Hunt Sabs The Northern Counties, named after the old Northern Counties Otter Hounds, moved to the Bilsdale Kennels from the Hurworth in summer 2023. They were previously kennelled with the York and Ainsty South and before that the Grove and Rufford. The locations of these kennels roughly outline the Hunt's country, though they have mostly been found in the North Yorkshire area. Technically, their northern boundary is the River Tees, if the Tynedale Mink hounds are still active! In previous years, they have been sabbed not far south of Darlington. Image: Sheffield Hunt Sabs If anyone has any news on the Northern Counties Mink Hounds, or any other hunts please do get in touch. Look out for packs of hounds on the riverbanks, and groups of old people looking like they are dressed up for a Harry Potter convention. Sabs are ready. This is the beginning of another summer of sabbing. You can support Staffordshire & Sheffield Sabs at ko-fi.com/staffssabs and www.paypal.me/sheffhuntsaboteurs 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 Copyright (C) 2024 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

FROM PROTECT THE WILD

 

Thank you for your continued support! As we look back on another month, I think it is fair to say that April was certainly a busy one! Together we: Released two powerful animations on the badger cull to support our calls for Labour to uphold their promise and end the slaughter of badgers if they get into power. So far these animations have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Surpassed £2,000/month in the Protecting the Wild equipment fundwhich will prove hugely effective in providing support for activists taking direction action to protect wildlife across the UK Provided a trap and camera for Wirral Fox Rescue that will go out in the field to help identify and treat foxes Sent 10,000 letters to Labour calling for them to keep their promise and end the badger cull. Gave a donation to North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs and Shropshire Wildlife Monitors to support their brilliant work on the frontline Helped ecologist Tom Langton crowdfund towards essential legal work to challenge the senseless badger cull and the recent consultation Published 24 articles covering everything from the importance of the upcoming PCC elections for wildlife and the BHSA’s desperate bid to save itself - racking up 1 million article views in the process We really are empowering people to protect British Wildlife! And we are so incredibly proud to say that all of the above is only made possible thanks to the support of our incredible community. We don’t have any big donors or govt funding of any kind. We rely solely on thousands of compassionate people all chipping in to make our work a reality. And we continue to go from strength to strength. If you can afford to do so please consider a small recurring donation of a few quid a month, it’ll help secure our future and ensure we can continue to fight hard to protect British Wildlife. Rob Pownall Founder, Protect the Wild Copyright © 2024 PROTECT THE WILD LTD, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: PROTECT THE WILD LTD 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden London, London WC2H 9JQ United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

FROM PROTECT THE WILD

 

	Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Here's another reason we need to vote in the PCC elections on 2nd May PROTECT THE WILD APR 28   READ IN APP   The Police and Crime Commissioner elections take place on 2 May, on the same day as people turn out to vote in the local elections. In North Yorkshire and South Yorkshire, the PCC responsibilities are being taken over by the new mayors. If you live in Yorkshire, this is your chance to vote for a mayor who will prioritise the welfare of wildlife. The role of PCC is “to be the voice of the people and hold the police to account”. The PCC will also appoint the Chief Constable of their local force and set the force's budget, among other duties. Protect the Wild recently outlined a number of PCC candidates that you should vote against if you're heading to the polling stations on 2 May. They are all Tory candidates, and they have links to the hunting and shooting industries. In North Yorkshire, the role of PCC includes the oversight of the Fire Service, too, so the role is called Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner(PFCC). The region's PFCC "sets the strategic direction of the service". The PFCC also "sets performance targets after listening to local people about their views of the police." And so the person with this key role has the power to ensure that the police force actually polices wildlife crimes, including illegal hunting and the shooting of birds of prey. And the PFCC has a duty to actually listen to the public. On her website Raptor Persecution UK, wildlife conservationist Dr Ruth Tingay has outlined tthe importance of the role. She says: "Given the persistent volume of raptor persecution incidents in North Yorkshire, going back many, many years, whoever gets this role can have a significant influence on how these crimes are policed (or not, as in this recent case of a poisoned red kite found dead on Swinton Estate – here)." Upgrade to paid Who to vote for Protect the Wild has spent much time telling you who not to vote for in the nation's PCC elections, such as Warwickshire's Philip Seccombe, with his extensive links to hunting; or Dorset's David Sidwick, infamous for his 'EagleGate' emails and meetings; or Cheshire's John Dwyer, who slammed his Labour opponent for commissionig a review of illegal fox hunting in the county. On Raptor Persecution UK, Tingay has analysed North Yorkshire's mayoral/PFCC candidates, and has singled out both the best and worst candidates for the job, if you care about the fate of birds of prey in England. She advises the public to back independent candidate Keith Tordoff, who she calls a "raptor champion". Tingay says: "[Tordoff] has supported previous campaigns in Nidderdale to catch the notorious raptor (and dog) poisoners on the region’s grouse moors – and has suffered the consequences when his shop was targeted and he also received death threats. Keith has pledged that if he is elected on 2nd May he intends to establish a steering group within the first 100 days to tackle these wildlife crimes and make sure that North Yorkshire Police are properly resourced to thoroughly investigate crime reports." Tingay has also analysed Tordoff's rival candidate, Liberal Democrat Councillor Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, who is a director of the Swinton Estate, notorious as a site of raptor persecution. Tingay states: "[Felicity Cunliffe-Lister's] husband, the Earl of Swinton Mark Cunliffe-Lister, is the current Chair of the Moorland Association (grouse moor owners’ lobby group) who had the brass neck to appear on Radio 4 last summer and say: “Clearly, any illegal [hen harrier] persecution is not happening” (unbelievable, but he did say it – see here)." Make your vote count As you can see, voting in North Yorkshire's mayoral/PFCC election has the potential to have a massive effect on raptor persecution in the region. And in the wider PCC elections across the country, turnout is usually very low, so wildlife defenders have the power to sway votes to candidates who actually care about wildlife. This is a chance to ensure that those with conflicts of interest, such as estate director Cunliffe-Lister, do not hold these powerful positions. A full list of all the candidates is available on the Who Can I Vote Forwebsite. Find out where your local polling station is by clicking here(don’t forget to take photo ID. Will you adopt me? Every year my life is under threat from the hunts who want to see me killed. Please adopt a fox with Protect the Wild and help protect me. You can do so from just £3 per month! Adopt a fox By adopting you will be: Funding equipment and fuel for activists on the frontline sabotaging and monitoring hunts. Pressuring and influencing decision makers to adopt our 'proper ban' on hunting through the Hunting of Mammals Bill Educating the public about the realities of fox hunting through hard-hitting animations, reports and surveys Producing daily news and opinion pieces to expose the actions of hunts across the UK   LIKE COMMENT RESTACK   © 2024 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ  Unsubscribe