Hare Hunters Tied Up In Notts!

…and begin a long walk of shame…

Nottingham Hunt Sabs successfully disrupted a rare meet of the East Lincolnshire Bassets near Revesby on Saturday.

Sabs catch up with the hunt…
Sabs catch up with the hunt…

When sabs arrived on the scene they could hear the characteristic deep cry of basset hounds in cry – chasing a hare – to the north.

As sabs raced inland to catch up, panicked hunt supporters got on the phone to the huntsman who then took the hounds to the nearest road.

This ‘walk of shame’ is standard procedure for hare hunters who have been advised by their governing body to pack up soon as sabs turn up. This advice follows several disastrous occasions where basset and beagle hunts have pretended to ‘trail hunt’ in front of sabs, only for their hounds to ignore the fake trail and tear after hares!

…and begin a long walk of shame…
…and begin a long walk of shame…

While the basset’s short legs mean they are slower than beagles in their pursuit of hares, their killing ability should not be underestimated. Their unrivalled sense of smell means they rarely lose the scent and so can wear the hunted hare down over time.

…before they finally headed home.
…before they finally headed home.

As with other forms of hunting, the basset packs have gone into steep decline in recent years. Twenty years ago, there were around a dozen of these hunts across the country; today that number has halved.

Only a few months ago, the Leadon Vale Bassets folded after sustained sab pressure, while lack of support has recently finished off other packs including the Albany & West Lodge and the Barony Bassets.

The East Lincs Bassets were one of two hunts sabbed on Saturday by Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs. You can donate to this hard-working group here.

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