Wales is holding a public consultation on licensing parts of the shooting industry
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is asking the public for its thoughts on new regulation for releasing pheasants, partridges and other ‘non-native’ birds killed by the shooting industry. At present, there are regulations around the release of birds inside Wales’ sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs). However, beyond those areas, there is almost no regulatory oversight. […]
Fernie Hunt: Magistrates find huntsman not guilty of illegal fox hunting
Leicester magistrates found a huntsman of the Fernie Hunt not guilty of illegally hunting a fox. The verdict came after the prosecution was unable to prove intent. BBC News reported that magistrates in Leicester found William Hanson not guilty on 28 March. Hanson is huntsman for the Fernie Hunt. He was charged in June 2022 […]
Northern Ireland crisps boss loves hunting foxes
UPDATED 26/03/23: This article originally contained an image of packaging from the Republic of Ireland-based Tayto, a separate and unconnected brand. The image is replaced with a photo of Tayto castle, home of the northern Irish company. The boss of world-renowned northern Irish crisp producer Tayto is a “devoted” foxhunter. And local hunt saboteurs have […]
Dunston Harriers: Magistrates find three members not guilty of illegally hunting a hare
Great Yarmouth magistrates found three people connected with the Dunston Harriers not guilty of illegal hunting. Geoffrey Block, Josh Worthing-Hayes and Lewis Ryland each faced a Section 1 charge of illegal hunting. The charges date back to 18 January 2022, when a hunt monitor from Norfolk and Suffolk Against Live Quarry Hunting filmed the Dunston […]
Vale of White Horse Hunt: fox hunting case dropped due to police and CPS errors
Swindon magistrates dismissed the case against Duncan and Verity Drewett due to a series of apparent errors by Wiltshire Police and Wessex Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Two people associated with the Vale of White Horse Hunt were due to have a trial at Swindon Magistrates’ court on 20 March. The case related to footage obtained […]
Join protests against a shooting estate where snares have trapped dogs
National Anti-Snaring Campaign (NASC) is launching a series of protests to highlight the ubiquity of snaring on a West Sussex shooting estate. NASC announced that it is planning to hold a series of protests at Arundel Castle, West Sussex, beginning on 1 April. The group will hold further protests on 7, 15, 22 and 28 […]
A second illegal snare has been found wrapped around a badger near Colchester
A dead badger was found, “almost garrotted”, laying in a ditch near Colchester. It was a grim sight found by members of a local badger group. But it wasn’t the time first time that the group had visited the area due to reports of an illegally snared badger. North East Essex Badger Group said it […]
Ban hunting to tackle badger baiting says USPCA
The Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) launched a report on badger baiting in Northern Ireland. And as part of the strategy to end the cruel pastime, it’s reinforcing calls for a ban on hunting with hounds in the country. The USPCA launched Badger Baiting in Northern Ireland on 7 March […]
Snared badger disappears leaving only pool of blood
Essex Police are investigating after blood was found by a snare. A member of the public reported finding a badger trapped in the device. But by the time police arrived, the creature had gone. As local paper the Daily Gazette reported, the incident occurred on 25 February and involved a dog-walker finding a badger struggling […]
SOUTH DORSET HUNT: Judge overturns conviction for hunting a fox
A Bournemouth Crown Court judge has just overturned a conviction against huntsman Mark Pearson. The South Dorset Hunt’s master-huntsman was originally convicted of illegal hunting in October 2022. It resulted from an incident in which the South Dorset Hunt’s hounds killed two foxes near Bere Regis, Dorset, on 13 November 2021. Hunt saboteur group Weymouth […]
Ministry of Defence Police issue warning to Royal Artillery Hunt after deer chase
Ministry of Defence Police issued an official warning to two members of Royal Artillery Hunt. It comes after monitors captured footage of hounds chasing deer across Salisbury Plain. However, the video also raises questions about why stronger action wasn’t taken. Ministry of Defence (MOD) Police issued an official warning to Charles Carter, huntsman for the […]
National Trust bans grouse shooting from a Peak District estate
The National Trust has announced it’s banning grouse shooting from 1,600 acres of its land in the Peak District. And it comes after the charity voiced concerns over the shooting industry’s “management techniques”. On 3 March, Sheffield paper The Star reported that the National Trust had chosen not to renew its relationship with the shooting […]
New review shows pheasants are still riddled with lead despite industry promises
A new study reveals that the shooting industry has done almost nothing to reduce lead in shotgun pellets. The finding comes half-way through an industry pledge to voluntarily reduce lead by 2025. The Conservation Evidence Journal published a review on 27 February led by Rhys Green of the Environmental Research Institute and Cambridge University. The […]
Are men with dogs persecuting foxes in east London?
On Boxing Day morning 2022, Karen pulled up in Coldharbour Lane car park, Rainham, overlooking the River Thames. She was visiting hear parents nearby at the time. As she walked through the car park, though, she felt something was off. A white Ford van was also parked up, the person next to it apparently letting […]
Hunt master caught on camera ‘thrashing’ a hound with his whip
Mendip Hunt Saboteurs published video that showing a hunt master that “thrashed” a hound with a whip. And it’s a cruel reminder of how much care and respect some hunts show the animals they’re supposed to care for and respect. The group said the master in question was George Pullen, a master of the Mendip […]
Stark images of a snared badger highlight the need to ban snares now
A badger was found caught in a snare on the outskirts of a town in Northamptonshire. And images of the creature reveal just how cruel the devices are. On 3 February, Northamptonshire Badger Group said on Facebook that it had spent five hours searching for an injured badger “through fields, brambles and thick hedges”. The […]
Police are investigating the Wynnstay Hunt for interfering with a badger sett
North Wales Police are investigating two men for interfering with a badger sett. And video shows the suspects running away the moment they’re caught. Footage released by the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) on 17 February shows two men escaping on a quad bike after they were confronted by sabs. The 27-second video shows the cameraperson […]
Hunt thugs allegedly hospitalised a disabled man
An ambulance was called to help a man that said he was attacked by two men on a quad bike. The incident during a meet of the Worcestershire Hunt. Worcester News reported on 16 February that Mark Saddler was taken to hospital after he claimed that he was attacked by two men. The newspaper quoted […]
Police arrest two more in connection with Avon Vale Hunt video
Police have arrested two more people in connection with the Avon Vale Hunt video. Wiltshire Police said that it had arrested two people on suspicion of wildlife offences on 14 February. It said the man and woman, both 25, were suspected of “hunting a wild mammal with dogs, interfering with badger setts and causing unnecessary […]
Police chief commends hunt saboteurs, saying illegal hunting is ‘prolific’
The Times reported on 11 February that senior police officer Matt Longman has described illegal hunting as “prolific”. Longman is a commander of Plymouth Police and, more relevantly, National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for “Fox Hunting Crime”. The newspaper went on to report that Longman wants: “police forces to work with the “volunteers” who […]
Northern Ireland: Foxhunting legal but cracking under direct action
While there are laws against hunting with hounds across most of the UK, there is one place where the sport continues legally: Northern Ireland. However, it is also home to an active hunt saboteur group, and they’ve shared good news in recent months. On 29 November 2022, the Hunt Saboteurs Association announced that the Killultagh […]
BREAKING: Three members of the Avon Vale Hunt arrested
Wiltshire Police have arrested three men from the Avon Vale Hunt on the morning of 10 February following footage of the hunt involved in the dig out of two foxes. ITV News reporter Rupert Evelyn said on Twitter that Wiltshire Police arrested three men on 10 February following publication of footage appearing to show an […]
GOOD NEWS: Avon Vale Hunt bites the bullet
Following publication of video showing members of the Avon Vale Hunt digging out a fox, hunting’s governing body has ‘permanently expelled’ its key members. On 8 February, the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) and ITV News published mobile phone footage showing several members of the Avon Vale Hunt involved in the dig out of two foxes. […]
Avon Vale Hunt laughing as two foxes ‘dug out’ and hunted
Footage purportedly showing terriermen involved in digging out a fox was published by the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) and ITV News on 8 February. The video shows three men leaning into a freshly dug hole in a field, with one man pulling a terrier out. The video pans around to show hunt masters, staff and […]
Lewis Hamilton-fronting car company sponsoring fundraisers for hunts
Car manufacturer INEOS Automotive is sponsoring point-to-point horse races to show its support for the “countryside community”. The catch? They are organised by and raise money for criminal hunting. INEOS Automotive started its partnership with the Point-to-Point Authority in November 2021. The promotional material at the time said the car manufacturer was sponsoring the Mixed […]
HUNT HAVOC: Sab drone records moment hound almost hit on road
Surrey Hunt Sabs shared video filmed by a drone of hounds chasing what the group said was a fox. And it highlights why groups including Protect the Wild say the Hunting Act needs a recklessness clause. On 4 February, Surrey Hunt Sabs shared footage filmed earlier that day by its drone. It showed hounds running […]
York: Fox fatally injured in illegal snare
The RSPCA is appealing for information following the discovery of a fox caught in a snare in York. And it’s a grim reminder that these “awful” devices are everywhere. A number of news reports said the young fox was discovered in a hedgerow near Rye Walk, in the north-west of the city. Following his discovery, […]
VICTORY: Fife Foxhounds fold after 267 years
Some hunt supporters have said the Fife Foxhounds are planning to fold following the recent passage of Scotland’s new anti-hunting bill. However, the link may not be as direct as it first appears. On 29 January, a person by the name of Leslie Bain posted to Facebook that the “Fife Foxhounds are disbanding”. Bain attributed […]
Badgers face daily persecution recently blocked setts show
Police in two counties are appealing for information following the discovery of blocked badger setts. And it’s a reminder that one of Britain’s most iconic mammals continues facing daily persecution. On 23rd January, news reports came out of blocked badger setts found in both Lincolnshire and Worcestershire. LincolnshireLive said that police had launched a public […]
BREAKING: Wales one step closer to ban on snare use
The Welsh Senedd just announced it is carrying forwards a plan to prohibit the use of snares. On 27 January, the Welsh Senedd’s Economic, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee published its Stage 1 Report on its upcoming Agricultural Bill. The 116-page document covers many subjects related to the future of agricultural legislation in the nation. […]
What is revealed in responses to the North Wales Police hunting review
Reactions to the review of North Wales Police’s handling of the Hunting Act are unsurprisingly polarised, and they were from the outset. In August 2022, just after the surveys were first made public, the Countryside Alliance quickly announced that they were “deeply flawed” and that “the hunting community” would not participate. As a result, as […]
Review into policing of hunts in North Wales finds focus on ‘public disorder’
A recently published review reveals the complexities of policing the Hunting Act in North Wales. And it shows that it’s high time for new legislation. On 12 January, Glyndwr University’s Social Inclusion Research Institute (Cyfiawnder) published a long-awaited review into policing of the Hunting Act in North Wales. As Protect the Wild previously covered, the […]
RSPCA and police raid properties across England connected with hunting and terrierwork
Police ‘raided’ properties across England in conjunction with the RSPCA, ITV News reported. And all of the houses raided were connected to hunts and terriermen. The majority of arrests took place in Kent. Officers arrested four men in an “operation looking into alleged animal welfare and wildlife offences”, KentLive reported on 20 January. The raids […]
GOOD NEWS: Airedale Beagles pack folds
Another hunt has folded. It wasn’t regularly monitored or sabbed. But it’s nonetheless a sign that the writing is on the wall for the hunting industry. On 19 January, the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) shared news that the Airedale Beagles are finishing as a hunt. The hunt, based near Keighley in West Yorkshire, were one […]
Whipper-in convicted of kidnapping fellow hunt member’s sheep
Northamptonshire Police said on 17 January that courts had found Hartley Crouch guilty of theft after stealing and killing a sheep. The incident occurred on 13 March 2022. Crouch was, at the time, a whipper-in for the Pytchley with Woodland Hunt. The police stated that Crouch had taken the sheep from another member of the […]
BREAKING: Shocking footage shows fox mauled by hounds in Kent
Video from hunt saboteurs in Kent shows hounds killing a fox. The group that captured the incident says it once again shows the lie of so-called ‘trail hunting’ and the reality of illegal fox hunting. West Kent Hunt Sabs posted an image of a dead fox to Facebook on 14 January. The group said that […]
Basil the rhea went missing for days after he was spooked by hunting hounds
Hounds spooked a rhea in Northamptonshire as they hunted nearby. The bird was missing for days. But his owner just announced that he’s now back home. Sophie Wills initially posted on 11 January that her “beloved Basil” went missing around 1.30pm that day. She said he was “last seen being chased by a hound/hounds”. Basil […]
Resident says an Essex hunt killed a fox on Ministry of Defence land after hearing ‘unmistakeable’ screeching
A resident near Colchester has reported that a fox ‘screeched’ as hounds killed them. The incident occurred during a meet of the Essex and Suffolk Hunt. And the whole thing took place on Ministry of Defence land. Local paper the Daily Standard reported that a resident of Berechurch, near Colchester in Essex, heard “screeching” on […]
Prince Harry’s new book talks about the most ‘loathesome’ tradition in bloodsports
Celebrity magazine OK! reported on 10 January that in his autobiography Spare, Prince Harry recounts his experience of ‘blooding’. According to the celebrity magazine, the book describes Harry stalking then murdering a stag in the grounds of Balmoral. He was about 15 at the time. The prince’s stalking guide, Sandy, then bled the stag from […]
A badger rescue story shows why snares must be outlawed immediately
A young badger was trapped for days and left struggling to escape from an illegal snare in Scotland. Images show a worker from a local animal hospice rescuing the creature. And now the woman that rescued her wants an end to the practice of snaring altogether. Scottish paper the Daily Record reported on 5 January […]
Responding to reports of illegal hunting, Essex Police found blocked setts and a rider carrying a knife
On 31 December 2022, Essex Rural, Wildlife and Heritage Crime Team tweeted about reports of illegal hunting near Abridge. It said that blocked badger setts were found, as well as a rider carrying a lock knife. Protect the Wild contacted Essex Police, which said: We received a call at 1.30pm on Friday 30 December reporting […]
Labour wants to eliminate the ‘trail hunting’ loophole if it gets into government
Labour says it will tighten the Hunting Act when it comes into government. The statement came after the party’s shadow minister for the armed forces said that he wants hunting “consigned to the history books”. On Boxing Day 2022, the Labour Party said it will “close the loopholes” that exist in the Hunting Act. Huffington […]
‘Royal loophole’ could protect hunts from Scotland’s new anti-hunting laws
Hunts on royal land are protected by a loophole in the new Scottish anti-hunting bill, the Scottish Greens claim. And it’s a result of a special exclusion written into the power-sharing agreement underpinning the current government. Scotland’s Hunting With Dogs Bill was introduced for parliamentary debate in February 2022. Although the nation already has a […]
A new housing development is the final nail in the coffin of a once prestigious hunt
A developer has applied to build a 50-house estate on the Leicestershire-Warwickshire border. If permitted, it will usurp land previously owned by the Atherstone Hunt. And the news marks an epilogue to one of the most successful hunt saboteur campaigns in recent history. The Leicester Mercury reported on 24 December that Hollins Strategic Land LLP […]
Bodycam video shows the moment a quad bike hits a hunt saboteur on Boxing Day
Hunt saboteurs say one of their members was hit by a quad bike on Boxing Day. It happened during a meet of the Eggesford Hunt. And the incident left him needing x-rays. Devon County Hunt Saboteurs (DCHS) said on 26 December that “tempers began to flare” during the Eggesford Hunt’s Boxing Day meet. This annual […]
Ten reasons why 2022 was a remarkable and historic year
As we reach the end of 2022, it’s a good time to look back on how far the movement against hunting has come in just 12 months. This list looks at some of the most high profile moments from the past year and is ordered chronologically. Many more moments that are no less important have […]
One ‘kind’ message led a pub to take a stand against hunting
A Powys pub has chosen not to support hunting. The pub said the decision came after it had received a “kind and non-abusive” message. And it’s the latest in a string of decisions that increasingly isolate the hunting industry. The Raven Inn based in Welshpool, Powys, said on 19 December that it “will not be […]
Two brothers were jailed after using a spade to ‘bludgeon’ a badger
A magistrate has handed two brothers jail terms for badger baiting. Both denied their criminal activities even as they were convicted. But details of the incident revealed a scene of abject horror. The trial, brought by the RSPCA, was originally held on 16 November. Evidence presented that day revealed that brothers Dale and Michael Rickerby […]
Police ‘ASBO’ the Warwickshire Hunt for causing road chaos
Warwickshire Police has slapped the Warwickshire Hunt with an ‘ASBO’. It means the hunt is required to tell the police whenever it crosses a public road. And the local hunt saboteur group has welcomed the move. On 14 December, Warwickshire Rural Crime Team announced it had issued a Community Protection Notice (CPN) to the Warwickshire […]
Somerset County Council using emergency powers to help hunt parades
Somerset County Council (SCC) will use powers meant for emergency roadworks to help Boxing Day hunt parades go ahead this year. The revelation broke on 14 December after Action Against Foxhunting (AAF) met with SCC’s highways officer. AAF told Protect the Wild that the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt, Cotley Harriers and Seavington Foxhounds will […]
The Scottish government’s advisory group just came out strongly for a snare ban
Snares are cruel and indiscriminate, raising “significant welfare concerns”, an advisory board to the Scottish government has just announced. As a result, the board is recommending a blanket snare ban in Scotland. On 9 December, the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) published its position paper on using snares to trap wildlife. The evaluation was based […]
Widllife coaliation warns the government is in danger of exterminating ‘iconic’ UK species through post-Brexit deregulations
A coalition of wildlife and environmental interest groups is calling on the government to “prevent gaps in the law” that could lead to disaster for animal and plant species throughout the UK. It comes as the UK takes part in the UN’s conference on biodiversity, COP15. And the coalition draws attention to the EU leaving […]
