First conviction under Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023
October kicked off with Glasgow Hunt Sabs reporting that Claire Bellamy, ex-huntswoman and former Master of the Lauderdale Hunt, was found guilty under the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023. Footage which was obtained by sabs shows hounds chasing a fox outside the area covered by a licence that had been granted by NatureScot, and was described by the judge as “gut wrenching.” This is the first ever conviction under the new Scottish legislation and you can learn more about the legislation in Scotland and what led to Claire’s conviction here.
Drone theft
On the 3rd of October Dorset Borders Sabs reported that their drone had been stolen by The Cattistock Hunt as they hunted in Corscombe, Dorchester. The last image visible on the drone was a known member of the hunt running towards it in a field. The incident has been reported to the police and thanks to the generosity of supporters Dorset Borders Sabs raised enough funds to replace the drone.
What do you do when you receive a CPW? If you’re a fox hunt then you break it as soon as possible of course
It didn’t take the Four Burrow Hunt long to break their Community Protection Warning (CPW) which had just been freshly issued by Devon and Cornwall Police. On the 10th of October the hunt was caught breaking condition 7 of the CPW, by failing to give police 24 hours’ notice of their meet. As they had failed to give the details of the meet this means they won’t have provided a map of their “trail” meaning they will have broken more conditions that just number 7. It remains to be seen what action the police will take. Read our recent article about CPW’s.
Stag hunting horror continues
The horror of stag hunting has continued to escalate in the south west. On the 12th of October the Quantock Staghounds hunted a stag towards the A39 between Nether Stowey and Holford. This is a stretch of road where the hunt are continually causing chaos and putting people’s lives in danger.
This particular incident resulted in a hunted stag running across the road and colliding with a car. A witness described how the terrified stag “was flipped over the top of the car. Its leg kicked out smashing the rear nearside window. The Stag landed heavily on the verge.” Luckily the woman driving and her small child were not hurt but were badly shaken up.
The cruelty doesn’t end there. Two weeks later North Dorset Hunt Sabs reported that the Quantock Staghounds had once again inflicted sickening suffering and pain on a stag. This particular large stag had a visibly infected wound on his side and it is also suspected he had a broken leg. These injuries unfortunately indicate that it is likely the stag that was hit by the car. Despite these injuries the hunt continued to torture him, subjecting him to a chase through thick gorse which no doubt would have caused him unbearable pain.
On the 22nd of October hunt master of the Quantock Staghounds, Christopher Gibbons and huntsman Martin Watts, appeared at Taunton Magistrates Court. Gibbons is facing two counts of hunting a wild mammal under the Hunting Act, and Watts is facing one relating to the barbaric five-hour chase and ultimate killing of a stag on the 23rd of April 2026. Both have pleaded not guilty and the case has been adjourned until the 18th of January 2027 for a case management hearing; no trial date has been set. In the meantime, the Quantock Staghounds are continuing to commit abhorrent levels of animal cruelty whilst putting the safety of the general public at great risk.
They’re blatantly hunting foxes
Amidst the CPW’s, convictions, court hearings, road chaos and trespassing, foxes are still being chased, like the one pictured below.
Beds and Bucks Hunt Sabs along with Peterborough Hunt Sabs have been keeping the pressure on the Fitzwilliam Hunt, seeing no less than six foxes to safety on the 24th of October. Huntsman for the Fitzwilliam Hunt, Shaun Parish is due to stand trial in December for charges under Section 1 of the Hunting Act, relating to an incident back in November 2024. Whipper in Jacob Whalley has already pleaded guilty for the same incident.
On the 31st of October North Dorset Hunt Sabs and Dorset Borders Hunt Sabs reported that the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale killed a fox at their opening meet at Purse Caundle. Footage obtained by sabs of the kill has been passed to the police and shows a fox breaking in front of hounds before they quickly descend and begin killing. The whipper in Ben Summersgill, runs in to retrieve the fox’s body and attempts to conceal it. The BSV are currently subject to a Community Protection Notice and in three years have racked up eighteen convictions; ranging from Actual Bodily Harm and theft to hunting offences. So once again we will wait and see what action the police take.
On the 22nd of October the Duke of Beaufort Hunt were caught by Wiltshire Hunt Sabs and Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch killing a fox near Calne. Upon noticing the drone overhead hunt staff moved in to remove the body. However, as they have proven in the past, the Beaufort Hunt do not care about being caught illegally hunting and just over a week later they were caught chasing a brace, which were flushed towards the pack of hounds.
On Friday the 16th October Northants Hunt Sabs caught the Quorn Hunt killing a fox during a kennel meet at Kirkby Bellars, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Northants Hunt Sabs drone caught riders surrounding a barn stacked with bales while hounds were at the side of the barn in narrow passageway. The drone then captured the huntsman swinging the dead body of a fox, encouraging hounds to repeatedly tug and pull at it. This continued on before the hunt realised the entire thing was being recorded from up above. They then tried to hide the fox’s body and conceal their identities before leaving the area.
The release of this footage coincided with the British Hound Sports Association “trail” hunting day, whereby they attempted to promote the non-existent sport of following a pre laid trail. As this footage demonstrates, “trail” hunting is a smokescreen, but the loopholes in the law are allowing hunts to continue, so the HSA has asked its supporters to contact their MP, making them aware of this footage and asking them to push for a full ban on hunting with hounds.
Following on from the “trail” hunting day, a member of West Midlands Hunt Sabs was interviewed by the BBC. Speaking to a reporter they said “Hunting hasn’t stopped. Our role is to document it, expose it, show that it’s still happening…There are too many loopholes that the hunts exploit. They get around it by saying “we’re following a trail, it was just an accident that a fox came out.”
All of the cases reported on in this article have been taken from HSA affiliated groups who are working tirelessly to stop blood sports. Please find your local group here and show them some support.
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