Double Trouble For The Mink Hunters

Hunt saboteurs were out in force last weekend, stepping up the campaign against the illegal summer bloodsport of mink hunting.

In the Midlands, multiple sab groups were out bright and early scouring river systems hunted by the Dove Valley Mink Hounds. With so many groups on patrol, it wasn’t long before the hunt was found at Tollgate Business Centre near Rugeley.

Hounds were already out hunting the River Blithe, followed by the usual motley collection of supporters and terriermen. The Dove Valley’s Big Red Pole – fast becoming an internet celebrity in its own right – was also very much to the fore. This extendable, telescopic device is used to dislodge any mink that have sought refuge in trees and is clear evidence of the hunt’s routine intention to break the law.

With sabs everywhere, the hunt wisely packed up and were escorted in convoy back to their Coleorton kennels.

Meanwhile, off-duty sabs from Two Counties and Weymouth Animal Rights were sunning themselves at an anti-hunt picnic event, when word came through that the elusive Courtenay Tracy Mink Hounds had been spotted in the vicinity of Cale Bridge near Marnhull. Tofu quiches had to be abandoned mid-bite, as sabs scrambled to gather their equipment and get into the area. Sure enough, Tony Smart and friends – whose exploits we covered last week – were found hunting a stretch of their finest country, just by Common Lane sewage works.

Towering Tony attempted to block access to footpaths, while his daughter Chrissie raged and frothed against the sab drone that was monitoring proceedings overhead. But their efforts came to nothing and, before long, the grumbling hunters were sloping back to their vehicles and heading home.

There are at least six of these mink hunts still in existence. Some of them deliberately target otters and all of them cause disturbance and damage to sensitive riparian environments throughout the summer – they need to be stopped.

The HSA welcomes information on mink hunting from whatever side of the hunting debate you are on.

Please contact our Tip Off Line in confidence here: 07443 148 426.