Tactics

From the 18th February 2005, hunting a wild animal in England and Wales should have effectively been banned as the UK Parliament passed a new law onto the statute books. The hunts said all along that they would either ignore it, blatantly break it or find ways around it to allow them to continue hunting as normal. This is what hunt saboteurs have seen in the wake of the bill being passed – hunts are continuing to actively hunt wild animals just as before.

The large numbers of police that used to appear at hunts ‘to preserve the peace’ no longer think breaking the law is an issue if it is done by someone on horseback dressed in red (as if they ever did). The majority of hunts take place on weekdays far away from the prying eyes of the public and so the hunts feel they can mock the law and as usual, have the arrogance and bloodlust to carry on regardless.

The tactics and articles below were formulated and written at a time when hunting was not unlawful. We continue to display them because they explain how hunts work and how they hunt. They are as valid now as they were before the ban. If hunts are continuing to hunt, we will employ these tactics to save the lives of animals and do the job the police seem incapable or uninterested in doing… HSA November 2005

HSA Tactics Book An introduction to the whys and wherefores of sabbing

Pre-meet tactics: Ways to sab the hunt before they even start

Horn Calls: Know thine enemy (External link to North West HSA website)

Traps & Snares: Dealing with traps and snares set for animals

Angling sabotage: Sabbing angling (courtesy of the Campaign for the Abolition of Angling)