© 2025 Hunt Saboteurs Association
A summary of events over the last month – it’s been a busy and intense start to the year for all our groups across the country.
2025 began with the Eggesford Hunt trespassing and killing a roe deer on New Year’s day. The first Saturday of January saw them killing again as Devon County Hunt Saboteurs witnessed them killing a fox near Eggesford.
That same day, Herefordshire Hunt Sabs were assaulted, had a quad bike driven at them and had their equipment stolen after stopping foxes being hunted at a joint meet of the Cotswold Vale Farmers and the Croome & West Warwickshire.
A Beaufort Hunt member was arrested for assaulting and pulling the hair of a member of Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs, whilst a former Beaufort huntsman fled from the police after also being involved in the assault. Another Beaufort member and friend of King Charles, Simon Tomlinson, was issued with a Section 59 warning (Police Reform Act 2002) by Gloucestershire Police for driving his ATV at hunts sabs on a public footpath on the 21st December. Davina Sturgis, daughter in law of former Conservative Wiltshire Council Cllr Toby Sturgis and the wife of the Beaufort Hunts’ Field Master Rupert Sturgis, has been given a Community Resolution by Wiltshire Police in respect of a Hate Crime which she committed in October 2024 against a hunt sab.
The Mendip Farmers Hunt chased an exhausted fox into a villager’s garden in Upper Godney with one hound entering the house, causing damage.
After coming across a blocked badger sett at the Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt, North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs along with Mendip Hunt Sabs witnessed them invading a garden and trying to force their way under a shed in Limington. Days later the same hunt was once again chasing foxes around people’s gardens this time in Kington Magna. The huntsman deliberately rode into a North Dorset Sab breaking her toe. The sab had to leave and have her rapidly swelling foot x-rayed. Days later, the huntsman approached the same sab he had ridden into and stamped on her injured foot.
In the East Midlands a member of Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs was pushed to the ground by a South Notts Hunt landowner who then attempted to steal the sab’s equipment. Luckily, the sab had all equipment tied to them in anticipation of such violent attacks.
After witnessing a fox being hunted Northants Hunt Saboteurs were confronted by an angry farmer who threatened to shoot a sab for walking on a public right of way.
West Midlands Hunt Saboteur’s two year campaign to expose corrupt policing in Warwickshire finally resulted in the secret deal made between Warwickshire Hunt and Warwickshire Police being made public. The deal included Warwickshire Police agreeing to give the hunt a heads up to an hour before they intended to arrive at a hunt meet, forwarding any complaints made about the hunt by members of the public to the hunt themselves and agreeing that the hunt could have monthly meetings with a senior police officer.
It was agreed that any breaches of the protocol would be reported to the hunt and the BHSA (formally the Hunting Office). As if to show just how protected they feel, the Warwickshire Hunt’s hounds chased a fox through a back garden in Radway knocking someone off a ladder who had a chainsaw in their hands.
In Cambridgeshire, Norwich, South Norfolk, SES – Suffolk and Essex Hunt Sabs all arrived at a De Burgh & North Essex Bassets meet to see a hare fleeing from the hunt. They soon stopped hunting once they knew they had company and eventually packed up.
That same day a member of the public filmed the Pipewell Foot Beagles killing a hare on the Boughton Estate in Northamptonshire.
The Downland Beagles killed a hare but immediately packed up as East Kent Sabs and South Coast Hunt Sabs arrived and walked them back to the meet. Towards the end of the month, both sab groups attended another Downland Beagles meet and again escorted them back to the meet.
At a joint meet of the Thurlow Hunt and South with West Wilts, North London Hunt Saboteurs witnessed hounds being kicked in the head by a horse. The foot team were powerless to help the fatally wounded animal, as the hunt were quick to scoop the dog up and whisk them away from prying eyes.
West Kent Hunt Sabs used their drone to film the Kent Hunt terrier men in the act of flushing a fox. They were caught using terriers to flush a fox from a which was then stuffed into the back of a quadbike
Brighton Hunt Saboteurs had their vehicle window smashed by Southdown & Eridge Hunt supporters.
Meanwhile across the border in Scotland the new law seems to have made no difference with the situation even worse than it was before. Glasgow Hunt Sabs filmed the Lauderdale Hunt using their NatureScot licence to chase a terrified fox over open countryside.
Glasgow Sabs along with Edinburgh Hunt Sabs witnessed more old-school fox hunting at another NatureScot licenced hunt who packed up as soon as they saw sabs.
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