HSA News

The Hunt Saboteurs Association has received leaked images and conversations from a closed Facebook group showing that there has been an outbreak of an unknown infectious disease across the Grove & Rufford hunt hounds.

On Saturday, 22nd March, a vet closely associated with the hunt reached out for advice from others in the hunting community after an outbreak of a ‘sudden onset respiratory disease’ had resulted in the death of five hounds and a prediction that there could be another 10-20 deaths in the next 24 hours as, at that point, over 50% of the pack of 70 were showing signs of infection. The poor dogs suffered horrendous symptoms starting with a worsening cough, progressing to blood pouring from nose and mouths, congested lungs, sky high temperatures and rapid heart rates.

A hunt thug left Leicester Magistrates Court yesterday with a two year restraining order, following a prolonged campaign of violence and intimidation against hunt sabs.

Andrew Kean, was facing two charges of assault by beating, and one charge of common assault, while his sidekick, Barrington Nurse-Phillips, was facing two charges of common assault.

The charges related to incidents at the opening meet of the Cottesmore Hunt at Knossington, Leicestershire, in October 2024, while both men were acting as so-called ‘hunt stewards.’

Last year, we published two articles looking at the year-round management of artificial earths by fox hunts to ensure they have plenty of foxes to hunt in certain locations come the start of the season.

We’ve exposed numerous incidents involving this barbaric practice over the years and recently our videos of their use have featured in exposes on national news channels. There can be no better evidence that fox hunting continues unabated across Britain since the 2005 act banning hunting with hounds came into force. The smokescreen of ‘Trail Hunting’ is well and truly dispersed on the winds of artificial earth usage. Despite this, many hunts terriermen continue to construct and maintain them. As the main fox hunting season is now at an end but vegetation is yet to fully obscure artificial earths then what better time to remind ourselves what to look out for when enjoying time in the countryside over the coming months.

Last Tuesday, a young stag was killed by the Quantock Stag Hounds after a prolonged chase. Much of the hunt took place in land owned by Forestry England, despite the fact that FE have banned stag hunting on their land since 1998, when the Bateson Report unequivocally proved the immense suffering that hunted deer endure.

“We were ambushed near the Keri peninsula, by the side of the road. We’d been spotted leaving the mountain. There were around fifteen guys in masks and balaclavas. They were immediately aggressive, grabbing phones, cameras, and backpacks. One of the team had his nose broken, another escaped by rolling off a cliff edge to the road below while being pelted with rocks. After they’d stolen our stuff, they drove off, threatening us not to return if we valued our lives” – Emma, wildlife protection volunteer.

SpyCop stands for office, sabs fight back!

Voters in next week’s  Peterborough local elections have (at least) one unusual choice at the ballot box. Despite repeated public exposure and damning evidence of sexual misconduct, undercover spycop and one time infiltratror of the Hunt Saboteurs Association, Andy Coles is running for councillor.

Last summer, the HSA was contacted on several occasions by members of the public who had the misfortune to encounter mink hunters while out enjoying the countryside. With this in mind, the HSA has produced the following guide to this little-known form of hunting.
What Is Mink Hunting? 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.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association is pleased to be able to confirm that the Sussex- based Wealden Minkhounds have disbanded.

West Sussex Hunt Sabs reported last season that the Wealden Mink Hounds had vacated their kennel area at the Chiddingfold Hunt, and thanks to our sources within the hunting world, we can confirm that the pack have gone under.

The wide scale persecution of badgers by hunts is revealed in new data seen by the Hunt Saboteurs Association.

Of the 3,405 incidents reported in the National Wildlife Crime Unit’s ‘Badger Related Incident Analysis Summary,’ over half (56.9%) relate to interference with badger setts, with the largest proportion of these incidents, around 270 (or 13.9%), attributed to hunts.

A further 11.3% of sett interference incidents are described as the blocking of setts, a practice routinely carried out by hunt terriermen ahead of a hunting day.

On the 4th of December 2023 the BSV hunted and killed a fox at Pelsham Farm near Buckhorn Weston. Foot sabs had gone around ahead of them and positioned at Nyland knowing that foxes often ran that way. Sadly that day floods prevented the fox from escaping the farm and sabs half a mile away could hear the terrible commotion going on as they hunted the fox. As well as hounds in cry, we could hear hollers as the fox was spotted, shouting to head the fox and then finally the dreaded horn call signalling the kill.

A summary of events over the last month. March saw the fox and hare hunting season coming to an end for many hunts across the country. Many of our groups faced violence and witnessed kills right up till the final meets. Unfortunately the spring hunting of stags is in full swing and some groups have headed south to help sab this abhorrence and the mink hunters are now preparing to wage war on the wildlife inhabiting our streams and rivers.

Oliver Dale, huntsman and Master of the North Cotswold Hunt, has been charged with three instances of illegal hunting under the Hunting Act by Gloucestershire Police. The alleged offences took place at various locations on three dates; the first took place during a cubbing meet on 12 Oct 2024, then at the Opening Meet on 02 Nov 2024, the third incident occurred just a fortnight later on 16th Nov 2024. The first incident resulted in a fox being killed, with some of the body parts of the victim being retrieved by police, and in the later two incidents the fate of the animals are unknown.

Sam Staniland, ex-huntsman of the Essex & Suffolk and Meynell & South Staffs Hunts, was sentenced on 10th April at Norwich magistrates court following his conviction on six charges of animal cruelty. Despite what judge Matthew Bone described as “depraved” and “frankly sadistic behaviour”, Staniland escaped the prison time he so richly deserved.

The West Country is a popular holiday destination, known for its rolling hills and charming villages. But for some visitors the idyllic scenery can be shattered by an unexpected and brutal spectacle: a stag hunt.