FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS ASSOCIATION HIGHLIGHTING THE CRUELTY OF STAG HUNTING

View this email in your browser Hi, Stag Hunting: The Shame Of The West Country The West Country is a popular holiday destination, known for its rolling hills and charming villages. But for some visitors the idyllic scenery can be shattered by an unexpected and brutal spectacle: a stag hunt. What begins as a peaceful countryside scene can quickly turn into a nightmare, with hundreds of 4x4 vehicles appearing, quad bikes and motor bikes tearing across the land, and hounds and riders on horseback giving chase to a single terrified deer. This cruel tradition continues to this day, and we need your help to end it. All of this lot to chase one scared animal What is Stag Hunting? Stag hunters aim to chase a herd of deer, gradually isolating a single stag (or deer, depending on the season) to be hunted. The entire herd can be pursued for over an hour before being broken into smaller groups, until the stag is finally forced away from the protection of his family. Once singled out, he is relentlessly pursued across miles of difficult terrain, while supporters on quad bikes, motorbikes, and in cars track his movements, relaying his position to the hunt and blocking any chance of escape. Quad bikes harass the stag, sometimes even driving into him to slow him down, allowing the hunt to catch up. Both quad bikes and motorbikes are also commonly used to block stags from reaching the safety of land where hunting is banned. The chase can last from a couple of hours to several hours; hunts have been reported to last as long as seven hours. Stag-hunting quad rider churns up the land. The terrified and exhausted stag is chased using a relay of two hounds, which are continually replaced with fresh hounds, until he reaches the point of collapse. Throughout the chase, he may lie down multiple times, unable to continue in the heat of the day. In a final desperate attempt to find safety, he may try to hide and cool down, often in a river or stream. The terrified stag tries to hide from the gunman. Image Bath Hunt Sabs This horrific footage shows a terrified stag being shot while attempting to escape the hunt, as sabs tried to save him. The hunt's gunman will dismount and shoot the exhausted stag, carving up his lifeless body, handing out body parts as gruesome trophies to the hunters. Hinds are often pregnant and accompanied by young calves when hunted. As with stag hunting, the goal is to separate her from the herd. Once isolated, she is relentlessly pursued until exhaustion forces her to collapse. Her calves are unable to keep up and may eventually be left behind. In hind hunting, it is more common for the vulnerable hind to be attacked by the hounds before being shot by the hunt's gunman. Who does it? Hunt staff Stag hunts are structured in much the same way as a fox hunt; with hunt masters, huntsman and whippers–in. However, stag hunts include one or two members of the hunt riding with shotguns and the ‘harbourer’, whose job it is to select a suitable stag to be hunted. Mounted field The mounted field followers can number somewhere in the region of 80 to 100 riders or more. Hunt followers/supporters There can be hundreds of car supporters, plus participating quad bikes and motorbikes. They play a vital role by relaying the position of the hunted deer, making noise to scare them and using their vehicles to turn them away from safety. The Packs There are three stag hunting packs in the UK who hunt Red deer, all based in the south-west. These are the Devon & Somerset Staghounds and the Quantock Staghounds, both based in Somerset, and the Tiverton Staghounds in Devon. All three are members of the Masters of Deerhounds Association (MDHA). There are two Buckhound packs that hunt Roe deer: the Cheldon Buckhounds (who violently attacked and hospitalised sabs in 2016) and the Exe Valley Buckhounds, both based in Devon. In the 1990s, Buckhound packs were expelled from the MDHA following a series of highly publicised heinous acts. One of the most horrific incidents involved a Cheldon Buckhounds hunter slashing the throat of a fleeing deer, who had become trapped on a wire fence. He then sat on the struggling deer for 15 minutes as she slowly died, an act captured on video by a hunt monitor. When do they do it? Red Deer Hunting of red deer happens in three phases, based on their sex and age, between early August to the end of April. Mature stags are hunted from early August until the end of October, the hinds (female deer) are then hunted from November until 31st March, while young ‘Spring’ stags are hunted from the beginning of March until the end of April. However juvenile stags can also be hunted, as this video from Mendip Hunt Sabs shows. Terrified and exhausted. Spring stags escape from the Devon & Somerset Staghounds. Image © North Dorset Hunt Sabs Roe Deer Roe deer are hunted by Buckhound packs from the beginning of September through to the end of April/May. But isn’t hunting deer with hounds banned? Yes, the Hunting Act (2004) prohibits the hunting of certain species of wild mammals, including deer, being deliberately hunted with hounds. However the stag hunts are using an exemption in the weak Hunting Act which they claim provides them with a loophole: Observation and study of a wild mammal, using not more than two dogs and no dog below ground. The ‘research and observation’ exemption of the Hunting Act 2004 can only legally be used if the following vague conditions are fulfilled: 1. Purpose: the hunting is undertaken for the purpose of or in connection with the observation or study of the wild mammal. 2. Two Dogs: the hunting does not involve the use of more than two dogs. 3. Above Ground: the hunting does not involve the use of a dog below ground. 4. Land permission: the hunting takes place on land which belongs to the hunter or which he has been given permission to use by the person to whom it belongs. 5. Dogs under control: each dog used in the hunt is kept under sufficiently close control to ensure that it does not injure the wild mammal. Quantock Stag Hounds in a relay vehicle With deer and stags being hunted in much the same way as before the ban, it’s clear that no genuine research or observation is taking place. The only difference between pre-ban hunting and now is the use of two hounds in a relay, the hunt replacing them with fresh hounds when they get tired to prolong the chase. Sabs have even caught hunts ignoring this restriction, witnessing additional hounds being hastily loaded into the relay vehicle when they arrived. Quad bikes and motorbikes are also pursuing deer despite it being illegal to use a vehicle to chase deer. The effects on deer Deer experience intense fear and panic when chased by hounds, and the trauma of being separated from their herd only adds to their distress. As herd animals, deer depend on the safety and comfort of their group. When hunted over long distances and through unfamiliar terrain, they become disoriented and confused, which increases their stress. The practice of hunting deer with hounds has been widely criticised for the suffering it inflicts. In a report commissioned by the National Trust in 1997, Professor Bateson concluded that: “Hunted deer experience high levels of stress and exhibit significant physiological effects. He stated that (red) deer are ill suited to lengthy chases as they do not naturally range over large areas, they cannot sweat, and their muscles are dominated by a type of fibre called type IIB which is specialised for bursts of activity rather than endurance.” Sabs keep the pressure on the Quantock Staghounds How you can help! Join our campaign to urge MPs to close the loopholes that enable illegal hunting with hounds. We want to eliminate all loopholes and exemptions in the existing Hunting Act that allow animals to be hunted and killed, and to strengthen enforcement and sentencing powers to create a real deterrent. 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. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. 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