Last Saturday, multiple sab groups shut down a meet of the Derbyshire-based Dove Valley Mink Hounds, marking the first action this year against the summer hunters.
The hunt initially snuck out early but returned to kennels when they spotted sabs. They later dashed out again, but with multiple drones, vehicles and foot teams checking known meets, it wasn’t long before the pack was located by Ramsley Brook near King’s Newton. With sabs closing in from all sides, the hunters quickly packed up and once again headed back to their kennels.
Mink hunting is an illegal summer bloodsport that involves hunting and killing mink with packs of hounds. Some mink hunts actively target otters and all of these summer hunts cause substantial disturbance to the fragile riverside environment. At its height in the 1980s, there were over twenty of these packs operating across the country, with about half a dozen surviving into the present day.
As with all forms of hunting, the hunters come up with truly ridiculous excuses to provide a smokescreen for their activities: trail hunting (through water?), hunting a previously unknown species of water rabbit, and even the ‘Research and Observation’ loophole used by the stag hunts.
That said, the Dove Valley Mink Hounds makes little effort to hide their criminality. Whenever they are out, their supporters are seen carrying a gruesome collection of spades, digging bars and, famously, a huge, telescopic pole that they use to knock hunted mink out of trees.
As part of the HSA’s proposed reform of the Hunting Act, we are demanding much stiffer penalties for the likes of the Dove Valley Mink Hounds. You can help make this happen by completing the government’s consultation here.
Mink hunts are among the most secretive of all hunts. Their small number, large hunting countries and increasingly tight-knit circles make them particularly hard to track down, which is why the HSA is asking for help from you, our supporters!
As the season gets underway, we are appealing for information on these illegal groups: where and when they will be meeting, gossip overhead in the pub, personnel involved and so on. No piece of information is too small to be of interest, and we treat all sources with 100% confidentiality.
If you suspect you hear or see one of these hunts meeting or in progress, (eg. a collection of suspicious vehicles like those pictured above or hear a hunting horn and hounds on a river), then let Hunt Sabs know ASAP!
Please contact our tip-off line on 07443 148 426 at the earliest opportunity.
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.
Take part in the Trail Hunting Consultation now:
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