August has arrived and with it, the start of the heinous Autumn Staghunting season, which is the trophy hunting portion of the stag hunters’ “sport”.
From August to November the hunters target mature rutting stags, royal stags or greater, in the prime of their lives, forcing them to now run for their lives but hampered by their impressive spreads of antlers and heavy body condition following their summer feeding. They are not well adapted to long chases and, with so many supporters’ eyes watching, there is nowhere for them to hide and recover.
North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs and Mendip Hunt Sabs, supported by Wildlife Guardian monitors, have already deployed this week to the opening meet of the Devon and Somerset Staghounds at Warren Farm, Simonsbath and have sadly reported that they have already killed. At this time of year, the hunt meet early as scenting conditions for the hounds deteriorate as the day heats up and they were already meeting by 7am. A stag was split from scores of terrorised hinds and their tiny calves – only recently born in June – at Three Combes Foot and was subsequently chased down by riders and hounds before being shot near Robbers Bridge by 9am and his body loaded onto the back of a pickup before they turned back to the meet.
Sabs tracked them back in an attempt to disrupt their barbaric ritual of the ‘carve-up’ of the stricken animal before handing out body part ‘trophies’ to the ghoulish followers. As the pickup arrived, it was swarmed by hunters and supporters alike eager for a look at the body and waiting for the grim spectacle to commence.
North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs reported:
“With sabs yards away on public land, they bottled it thankfully and swiftly headed off again, the poor stag’s head now covered with a bucket. No doubt some of them reconvened at the kennels to play with the body, but we were glad to rain on their parade and prevent the public ritual of the trophy carve-up.”
The staghound packs are notoriously difficult to sab given the nature of the heinous activity and terrain but sabs are increasingly making their presence felt and will continue to engage in face of such horrendous scenes. Expect us.
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