Caught Red Handed! Mendip Farmers Hunt Terrier Men Block Active Badger Sett

Covert cameras have caught the Mendip Farmers Hunt blocking an active badger sett just hours before hunt hounds rampage through the area.

Not only is tampering with a badger sett a crime in itself, it also shows a clear intention to illegally hunt foxes. Badger setts are blocked to prevent hunted foxes “going to ground” (seeking refuge underground) and prolong the chase. There is no need for sett blocking or earth stopping in a legal trail hunt.

The blocked sett was mere fields away from where the Mendip Farmers Hunt attended their traditional Christmas Eve meet in Litton. During the hunt, they spent nearly an hour sending hounds through the surrounding woodland – an area we have witnessed them chasing foxes on multiple occasions before, including the same meet exactly a year ago.

Later in the day, hounds marked to ground in a different badger sett that had not been blocked – indicating that they had hunted a fox to ground. Sabs removed hounds from the entrances and stayed at the sett to ensure the terrier men did not come back to dig the fox out.

The Mendip Farmers Hunt are serial sett blockers and have been caught on camera interfering with badger setts numerous times in the years that we have been sabbing them. We have never seen them attempt to lay scent trails and frequently catch them chasing foxes.

As hunts prepare for their celebratory Boxing Day meets, this footage shows yet more proof of the sham that so-called “trail hunting” truly is – a smokescreen for illegal fox hunting.

We invite members of the public to join our protest against the Mendip Farmers Hunt and their illegal fox hunting at their Boxing Day meet on Priddy Green. Event details here.

At their Boxing Day meet last year, we witnessed them illegally hunt this fox to ground in front of local MP Jacob Rees-Mogg’s wife and children.

Thanks to Mendip Hunt Sabs for this post.
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