HSA News

Nearly 20 years after hunting was supposedly banned, up and down the country hunts continue to chase and kill fox, hare, mink, otter and deer for fun. With a General Election likely within the next 12 months and Labour suggesting that they will strengthen the Hunting Act, the Hunt Saboteurs Association is stepping up our campaign to make sure the hunting of wild animals with hounds is finally banned.

Chris Mardles, a former whipper-in at the Pytchley with Woodland Hunt in Northamptonshire, has today been sentenced to 18 months in jail. Earlier this year he plead guilty to a Section 20 wounding offence against a Northants Hunt Sab in 2020. Mardles will also spend 12 months on strict licence once his prison sentence is served.

Stuart Radbourne, Huntsman and Master of the now disbarred Avon Vale Hunt, was back in court last month to face more animal cruelty charges dating back to 2020. He pleaded guilty to the charges which were brought under Section 4 (1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

This weekend marks the traditional start of the hare hunting season. This activity – known as beagling – is the hunting of hares by packs of beagle hounds. There are also a few packs of basset hounds that hunt hares.

Self-proclaimed ‘superhunt’ the Kimblewick are currently without either huntsman or hounds.
The HSA has been told that their huntsman, Guy Fitzearle, has been sacked and taken the hounds to the Thurlow Hunt kennels in Suffolk.

On Tuesday October 3rd 2023, the new Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act became law. This replaces the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 and closes the loopholes which have allowed hunts to continue to brutally kill wildlife. It should – finally – see the end of hunting with dogs in Scotland.

Yesterday, the Warwickshire Hunt deliberately hunted and killed a fox during a ‘cubbing’ meet near Idlicote, Warks. Saboteurs from Three Counties and West Midlands were

Thugs from the Dorset-based Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt targeted two saboteurs’ houses in a cowardly evening raid last night (5th October). The thugs smashed up vehicles belonging to the activists, breaking windows and slashing tyres and even attempted to gain entry to the sabs’ houses.

On 18 March 2023, sabs from both Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch and Three Counties Hunt Sabs were out sabotaging the Cotswold Hunt in Miserden, Gloucestershire when the horrendous discovery of a vixen fox tied up in a bag, buried, and concealed in an artificial earth was made.

With the autumn ‘sport’ of cub hunting resuming recently the HSA became aware of a covert in Great Habton, North Yorkshire, known by locals as ‘Bone Wood’ due to the unusually large number of animal corpses scattered around the place.

Over the last week, sabs, moorland monitors and wildlife lovers in the South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire area have marked the end of the Ecclesfield Beagles.

The campaign to close the Cottesmore Hunt has now reached five seasons. That is five seasons of sabbing them on every Saturday and a hefty number of their midweek meets.