On Saturday 01st of November the Portman Hunt held their opening meet at Manor Farm, Manston, and within ten minutes of leaving the meet hounds launched a savage attack on a deer.
Locals Against the BSV Hunt were in attendance and filmed the distressing attack on their drone. The convicted huntsman Shaun Marles did not attempt to stop hounds, instead he just rode away, leaving the deer to be subjected to a brutal attack. Marles is no stranger to hunting convictions as he was found guilty under Section 1 of the Hunting Act in 2013, after a fox that was hiding in a stack of bales was killed.
The Portman Hunt hounds are notorious for chasing deer, and only a few weeks ago chased one onto a road where she was hit by a car.
Saturday’s attack was shockingly violent as the pack of hounds descended on the deer who was fighting to escape, and when the pack began to disperse one hound was still holding onto the deer’s leg dragging her around. Unfortunately, the fate of this deer is unknown, however after such a brutal attack it is highly unlikely that she would have survived.
At the beginning of October, North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs released a video of The Portman Hunt hounds rioting on multiple deer. On the same day the hounds killed a small animal, believed to be a hare. Huntsman Marles dragged the hound into a hedge, where he presumably removed the dead animal then flung the hound from the hedge viciously whipping them.
The Portman Hunt are wreaking havoc and Shaun Marles clearly has no control over hounds. It was inevitable that an attack such as Saturday’s would happen with their recent rioting on deer. Hunts are causing chaos, distress and destruction within our Countryside and this most recent incident further proves why the Hunting Laws must be drastically improved.
Find out what you can do to help our campaign to strengthen the Hunting Act: www.huntsabs.org.uk/ge24-campaign/take-action
Full footage of the attack can be viewed here.
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