Hunt sabs witnessed horrifying scenes last Saturday 11th November as out-of-control hounds from the Puckeridge & Essex Hunt attacked a fallow deer.
The sabs had located the hunt – which is meant to be operating under a Community Protection Notice – surrounding a wood just west of Furneaux Pelham. The hounds suddenly went into cry and began pursuing a fallow deer, chasing the terrified animal north across a field towards Oaken Spring.
Sabs rushed in repeatedly shouting ‘Leave it!’ in an effort to call the hounds off. However, the lead hound caught up with the deer getting hold of her by the back leg, as others caught up and mobbed the poor animal.
Eventually, two hunt riders arrived, with one cracking his whip to raise the hounds’ heads. The deer escaped into the wood with hounds following closely. Another member of hunt staff was already in Oaken Spring on foot and started rating the hounds as they entered in after the deer. We later discovered she had been in the vicinity of a number of holes and therefore can only assume she was waiting to deflect something with a bushy tail from taking refuge in these holes and not expecting it to be a fallow deer!
Sabs were unable to locate the deer in Oaken Spring but did observe a fallow deer with a front limp after the incident. Police were called and attended swiftly, and footage of the incident has been submitted.
East Herts Hunt Sabs commented:
“We know it would have been a very different ending for the deer had we have not been there with our good friends East Northants Hunt Saboteurs and a member of Herts Wildlife Monitors.”
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