Cub hunting, leveret hunting and stag hunting all started during August, while mink hunting has continued over the summer, meaning sab groups have been working hard, whilst tackling hot and dry weather conditions. The HSA as a collective has also been busy exposing blood sports; as well as working in the field to save lives we have continued to share regular articles and social media content.
August kicked off with sabs being assaulted by members of the Cottesmore Hunt who were attending a scheduled “fun ride”. Sabs were driven at by speeding vehicles and one attendee physically assaulted a sab, attempting to strangle them and break a camera.
The Cottesmore Hunt continued to crumble under the pressure as they turned up to a scheduled hound exercise event with no hounds and then failed to turn up at all to another “fun” ride. Furthermore, on the 24th of August whipper in Max Logan appeared at Leicester Magistrates court and entered a not guilty plea for four charges of hunting a wild mammal with dogs. This upcoming season will be a telling one for this hunt who have been kept under scrutiny by Northants Hunt Sabs.
For the second time the Puckeridge and Essex Hunt have been issued a Community Protection Warning (CPW), following on from months of evidence of anti-social behaviour gathered by East Herts Sabs. Huntsman Rhys Matcham was also charged with illegal hunting and his court appearance was scheduled for the 4th of August, however the case was discontinued as Matcham evades justice once again.
It’s not only the Puckeridge who are in trouble with the law. Will Bryer, Mitch Prosser and Anthony Tuck of the Duke of Beaufort Hunt entered not guilty pleas at Bristol Magistrate’s Court on the 5th of August. These charges are in relation to the killing of a fox on the 20th of December 2025 on the Duke’s Badminton Estate.
Sheffield Hunt sabs reported that Joshua Taylor, a hunt master at the Grove and Rufford Hunt has been charged with assault by beating and criminal damage after he attacked one of their sabs. This charge is in addition to those hanging over the Grove for huntsman Jacob Whalley and terrier man Ste Reynolds for interfering with an active badger sett.
Continuing on with charges, West Midlands Hunt Sabs reported that ex hunt master and director Olivia Forsyth and hunt member Harry Sawyer have both been charged with Wilful Obstruction of the Highway.
On the 12th of August sabs descended on the Yorkshire Dales National Park for the ‘glorious twelfth’. Despite the best efforts of North Yorkshire police who began scribbling out dispersal orders, sabs succeeded in their mission and stopped the Coverdale shoot from blasting birds out of the sky.
In conjunction with this, throughout August, the HSA launched a series of articles exposing the shooting industry and the extent of the damage this blood sport is doing to the environment. Wiltshire Hunt sabs shared horrific scenes at the Stockton shoot estate where there is an industrial size operation consisting of a bonfire full of dead charred birds breaching animal by-product regulations.
On more than one occasion sabs sent the Dove Valley mink and otter hounds packing as they were caught hunting, equipped with telescopic poles and a T-bar. This kind of equipment is used for dislodging mink or otter from places of refuge such as trees or other vegetation. The small group of miscreants soon packed up at the site of sabs as they are without a smokescreen for their illegal activity.
Despite a Bluetongue outbreak raging through cattle and sheep in the south west the Quantock Staghounds were caught on Monday the 10th of August attempting to hunt a stag with eight hounds, despite the law stating only two hounds can be used to flush a stag at one time. The stag hunt packs continue to blatantly exploit the loopholes within the law to terrorise stags in the south west.
On the 20th of August sabs reported that the Quantock Staghounds had been out again tormenting a beautiful stag for four hours. He thankfully managed to evade capture but this highlighted the lasting effects a chase like this can have on wildlife. However, the devastating impacts of hunting are not exclusive to animals, children exposed to this violence are also being forced into this criminal world.
On the 22nd of August, The Mirror reported on disturbing drone footage that shows children – including a baby – being encouraged to look at a stag’s bloody corpse, raising welfare issues as the government continues to be lobbied into keeping their promise to tighten up hunting laws.
Cub hunting has begun in many areas of the country as the Cattistock Hunt, Kent Hounds and Warwickshire Hunt, to name a few, have all been caught illegally hunting by sabs.
To kick off their season the Cotswold Hunt returned to the scene of a crime that occurred in March 2023, when sabs from Cirencester Hunt Watch and Three Counties Hunt Sabs made a horrifying discovery while sabbing the hunt on the Miserden Estate. A lactating vixen had been tied up in a bag and buried alive in an artificial earth. After the exposure of this Nicholas Wills, the landowner, prohibited the hunt from using the land, but now they’re back. Maybe they think enough time has passed for this sickening crime to be forgotten, but sabs never forget.
The HSA has continued to expose the Stowe Beagles, releasing the full footage that led to the recent conviction of their Kennel Huntsman Philip Kennedy, for killing a hare in November 2025. Once again this raises serious safeguarding issues as pupils at the school are taught this illegal activity essentially as a PE lesson. Over the coming months we will continue to campaign for action to be taken not only for the welfare of wildlife but for that of young people being indoctrinated into this world of crime.
Finally, the HSA were able to provide bodycams to all of our affiliated groups to assist them in their campaigns for the upcoming season. This was only possible due to your support, and this equipment will play a vital role for sabs moving forwards.
As hunting continues to happen all over the country sabs will be out in the field saving lives and exposing blood sports. The coming months will only further validate the need for a full ban on hunting with hounds. You can support the work of the HSA and our affiliated groups by becoming a member, as a thank you, you will automatically receive a subscription to our HOWL magazine which features exclusive group news and articles.
You can also report any information you have about a hunt, in complete confidence, on the HSA tip off line 07443148426.
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