On Monday 16th March hunt sabs filmed the brutal five and half hour pursuit of a young stag by the Quantocks Stag Hounds. The footage – originally reported in The Times – shows exactly how cynical hunters run rings around the flawed 2004 Hunting Act.
The haunting image below shows what the ordeal did to that young animal: his eyes bulging in terror, blood pouring from his nose, his broken body slicked with sweat and torn by cuts and gashes.
As is usual in stag hunting, the hunt spent the morning trying to isolate a victim from the herd. But eventually – and despite the best efforts of brave hunt sabs – a single young stag was separated and mercilessly chased by hounds, hunters and the usual gang of jeering thugs on quad bikes.
After many gruelling hours the poor stag – who was by now barely able to walk – was cornered against a wire fence as laughing gunmen arrived to finally to kill him.
The Quantocks Stag Hounds use a “pick and mix” approach in an effort to cover their hunting. One minute they will claim that “trails were laid earlier”, the next that they are conducting “research and observation” or – most cynically of all – that they are “rescuing a wild animal”. It would be funny if were not so depraved.
But now, after twenty long years, we have an opportunity to end this cruelty. The government has finally launched its public consultation on banning trail hunting and tightening other aspects of the Hunting Act. The HSA has produced advice on how you can quickly and easily complete a strong consultation response – please do this today!
A Mendip sab who was on the scene commented:
Although we often witness kills by the stag hunts, this one was particularly difficult. We had first seen the young stag at noon when he was isolated by the hunt and the chase began. He must have been extremely fit to keep running for five and a half hours. As he ran, he was tracked by our sabs, positioned across hills, up to moment he was shot. It was heartbreaking to look into his eyes when he was trapped, with the hunt closing in for the kill. This blatent sadism needs to be stopped.
Please support Mendip Hunt Sabs and North Dorset Hunt Sabs in their campaign against stag hunting.
The government has launched a public consultation on Trail Hunting – this is our chance to stop cruel hunting for good. You can read the HSA’s guidance and take part in the consultation here. The deadline is 18th June 2026 – make sure your voice is heard.
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